In conjunction with its听cultural presentation for Black听History Month, the President鈥檚听Leadership Council (PLC)听sponsored a lecture by Ethel听Tompkins, Hoxie native, on听the integration of the Hoxie听School in 1955. A total of 25听African American students听initially entered the school听system, but 21 of the students听remained enrolled in the 1,000听-student school. Tompkins听was one of the 21.
Retired from the Hoxie听library, Tompkins devotes much of her time telling the听story of the 鈥淗oxie 21鈥� and the successful and mostly听peaceful integration of this northeast Arkansas school听district. It is an integration that occurred two years before听the much more widely known 鈥淟ittle Rock Nine鈥� entered听Little Rock鈥檚 Central High School with the National Guard called out to maintain the听peace and ensure the safety of听the African American students.
Mrs. Tompkins explained听that the opposition which surfaced at Hoxie was largely directed toward the local School听Board, whose courage she听praised, while in Little Rock, the听1957 desegregation became听highly politicized.
The cultural presentation,听held last week in the Student听Lounge in the BRTC Administration, opened with a performance of 鈥淎mazing听Grace鈥� and 鈥淗ow Great Thou Art鈥� by the Kimbrough听Choir, with soloists Rachel Koons and Emily Copeland,听and a duet by Koons and Joniece Trammel, Choir Director.
Also highlighting the presentation听were selections from African American poets by English Club Advisor听Lisa Inman and three members of the听club, Michael Secrest, Shelby Borst,听and Jason Moseley. Moseley also听served as emcee for the presentation.
Pat Johnson, Chair of the Eddie听Mae Herron Center, acknowledged听appreciation to BRTC for the college鈥檚 longstanding support of efforts听to preserve and promote African听American history and culture. BRTC听President Dr. Wayne Hatcher expressed his appreciation to the PLC听and others, and introduced Mrs. Tompkins.
Mrs. Tompkins told the audience that thenHoxie School Board member Howard Vance cited听three reasons for the unanimous vote by the School听Board to integrate the year after the landmark听Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka in听1954, which ruled that the 鈥渟eparate but equal鈥澨齪rovision from the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson case be听overturned. The reasons Vince gave were these: 鈥淚t was right in the sight of God, it complied with the听Supreme Court ruling, and it was cheaper for the听school system.鈥� Tompkins explained that the Hoxie听district was financially responsible for providing听certain items for the education of the African American students. Even though the books were not new听ones and the building was substandard, without听even water or restrooms, providing things like a bus听to transport the African American students to Booker T. Washington School in Jonesboro after they completed eighth grade in their oneroom Hoxie school still posed a听financial hardship on the Hoxie听school.
Though the integration was much听less troubled and heated than the听Little Rock experience, it was not听entirely smooth, Mrs. Tompkins听noted. LIFE Magazine recorded the听event; its coverage drew the attention of segregationists from other听areas. These individuals attempted听to thwart the integration with legal听action and threats to the School听Board and others, but did not prevail.
It is Tompkins鈥� goal, she explained, to raise听awareness of this groundbreaking historical event.听In fact, a monument on the grounds of the capitol听is planned, so that people know not only about the听鈥淟ittle Rock Nine,鈥� but also about the 鈥淗oxie21.鈥澨齋he brought with her an exhibit of photos, articles,听and a copy of that 1955 issue of LIFE Magazine听that was intended to showcase a 鈥渟eamless process,鈥� but inadvertently incited problems.