It’s been 50 years since Pulaski County, Arkansas’s Central High integrated, and believe it or not, some people still aren’t so sure it was a good idea.
Researchers at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock called 1,666 people in Pulaski County and asked them about race relations in the community since the Central High crisis.
The majority of respondents (69 percent) said integration was a change for the better, but the demographic breakdown was pretty interesting: While 77 percent of African Americans surveyed said the crisis had a positive effect on the community, just 61 percent of whites did.
And some of the negative comments were real gems:
The black culture is different in a negative way and I don’t want this influencing the white culture. – White female, 79 years old
Sometimes black teachers give special treatment to the black students, that affects the quality of education the white students receive. – White female, 55 years old
Oy.
