Daisy Bates Day in Arkansas

Daisy Bates Day honors Bates’ courageous activism, which helped drive nationwide school desegregation. The day also honors her resilience in overcoming the racial violence her family endured during her childhood, highlights the challenges she faced as an adult during the civil rights movement, and celebrates her accomplishments in pushing for the desegregation of Arkansas schools as president of the state’s NAACP chapter.

Bates’ activism manifested itself in many ways, including her use of print media. As co-owner (with her husband, L.C.) of the Arkansas State Press, based in Little Rock, Bates used her voice to:

• Attract nationwide attention to systemic racism in America and the growing civil rights movement.
• Advocate for the desegregation of schools—as of 1955, Arkansas had failed to enforce school desegregation despite the Supreme Court’s 1954 ruling in Brown v. Board of Education. That landmark case declared segregation in public schools to be unconstitutional.
• Influence civil rights legislation, which contributed to the passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Daisy Bates and the Public School Desegregation Movement

After the Civil War and during Reconstruction, the passage of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution laid the foundation for African American civil rights. During this era, African Americans across the country advocated for their families and communities by voting, holding public office, and establishing schools and churches.

But through the use of violence and restrictive laws, including laws dictating segregation, white Southerners pushed back against Black Americans’ newly won freedoms. For the next several decades, Black Americans and their allies fought for their civil rights and the end of legal segregation.

In Arkansas, Daisy Bates became an influential leader in the public school desegregation movement. Here’s a brief look at some key dates and actions:

• 1954: The Brown v. Board of Education decision overturned the "separate but equal" doctrine established by Plessy v. Ferguson, declaring racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional.
• 1955: In response to the Brown v. Board of Education decision, the Little Rock School Board developed the Blossom Plan, outlining a gradual approach to integrating Little Rock schools.

• 1957: Daisy Bates and other NAACP officials recruited and mentored the teens who became known as the Little Rock Nine—the first African American students to attend Little Rock's Central High School. President Dwight Eisenhower sent federal troops to protect the Little Rock Nine, which drew national attention to the civil rights movement.
• 1958: Governor Faubus closed Little Rock's high schools for the 1958-1959 school year—referred to as "The Lost Year"—to undermine desegregation orders.
• 1960s: Arkansas grappled with desegregation challenges as civil rights organizations pushed for change.
• 1972: All Arkansas public schools were integrated.

The Legacy of Daisy Bates

Daisy Bates continues to inspire new generations of Arkansans to stand up for equality and justice. Her enduring legacy on Arkansas history is exemplified by her pivotal role as mentor and advisor to the Little Rock Nine, whose courage in integrating Central High School became a defining moment in the civil rights movement.

Her unwavering dedication to justice earned her recognition as an Honorary Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She was also the only woman to speak at the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

Daisy Bates’ home in Little Rock, where she strategized with civil rights leaders and supported the Little Rock Nine, is now a National Historic Landmark. In May 2024, a statue of Daisy Bates was installed in the U.S. Capitol’s National Statuary Hall.

How Ancestry Can Help You Explore Genealogical Connections to Civil Rights Issues in Arkansas

Ancestry record collections and resources offer family history researchers a way to explore how civil rights issues—and the civil rights movement—may have impacted your family. By looking through different historical records on Ancestry, you might uncover unique stories and a fuller understanding of your family’s heritage.

• The Arkansas Newspapers.com^™ Stories and Events Index includes over 240 Arkansas-related publications. (The original article images can be viewed on Newspapers.com with an additional subscription.) Find tips on what to look for in the Ancestry Family History Learning Hub article, U.S. Newspapers.
• Explore Arkansas voter registration records (1900-2023).
• Little Rock's high schools were closed for the 1958-1959 school year, but by searching school yearbooks, you may find that a family member coped with this closure by enrolling in a different school.

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