The Story Of Dorothy Counts
In 1957. Dorothy Count made a name for herself as the first black student to enroll at an all-white school. In the previous year, 40 African-American students applied to transfer into white schools after the Pearsall Plan was passed in North Carolina.
At the age of 15 years old, she had her first day of school there on September 4, 1957. This effectively paved the way for other students of color to do the same thing in the years that followed. As expected, she experienced a lot of harassment. The White Citizens Council leader even urged white students to “spit on her” and “keep her out”. Sadly, her father had to pull her out of the school for her safety. In 2008, she was given an honorary diploma by the school.
Finding A Burning Cross on Martin Luther King Jr.’s Front Lawn
Martin Luther King Jr. is probably the only person in the world who would look this unfazed when someone leaves a burning cross in his yard. As we all know, he is an extraordinary person. This civil rights leader was definitely no stranger to threats and violence. He has received plenty of death threats over the years, and his home suffered a bombing in 1956.
In the spring of 1963, he discovered a burning cross in the front yard of his house. He knew everyone was watching how he would react to this. He displayed no fear and persevered. What an inspiration.