The Hoxie story is one of the earliest, most important, and least remembered school integration battles in the South. In the summer of 1955, the school board of a small, rural Arkansas town in Lawrence County voluntarily desegregated its schools, and they were the first to be challenged. July 11th was the first day, when 25 African-American students entered the doors of the new school of 1,000 white students in a peaceful and orderly way. Only 21 had attended for one year or more, thus they became known as the Hoxie 21.
On June 25, 1955, the school board lead by Howard Vance along with Superintendent K.E. Vance voted unanimously against segregated schools and moved to integrate. Mr. Vance cited three reasons for integration:
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- It was right in the sight of God;
- It complied with the Supreme Court Ruling, and;
- It was cheaper for the school system.
Resistance Gathers
LIFE magazine covered Hoxie's desegregation in a two-page spread in its July 25, 1955 edition, including the aspect that white and Black children had ridden together on the school bus.
History was made as Hoxie's desegregation became the first school district to be met with opposition. The newly formed White Citizens' Councils saw this as a test for Southern resistance to the Brown decision and soon descended on the town. They organized local citizens to try to force the school board to rescind its order, but the five members, the superintendent, and local African-American leaders stood their ground, kept level heads, and maintained calm in the community, as the board sought an injunction against the segregationists. Eventually, they drew an extremely reluctant federal government into a case that nullified state segregation laws. Segregationist leaders were so furious over the loss they turned on Governor Faubus in the next primary, forcing him out of his previous moderate stance and setting up the 1957 confrontation in Little Rock.
By the end of the summer of 1955, an undisclosed number of white students were withheld from school. Although LIFE portrayed this as a seamless process, the school board was challenged and it sought legal counsel and assistance from the Arkansas Council on Human Relations. Not only did the school board need legal counsel but it also needed the support and commitment of the African-American community and its leaders to stand up to intimidation, threats, and prevailing Jim Crow laws.
Legacy of Hoxie
This is a story of a community, during the unpopular Jim Crow culture that saw a chance to do the right thing and did it at great risk to themselves and their families. It is a story of Black families who, although they never sought integration, were courageous and steadfast when it was thrust upon them and held steadfast to their commitment and sent their children to school in spite of the fears.
The complexities of the un-benchmarked success in Hoxie are ripe with untold nuances and are a part of the American History. The story of Hoxie, Arkansas, provides institutional leadership for helping to understand the Civil Rights Movement and could be used as a learning tool towards racial reconciliation. This story could serve as the platform to highlight the historical significance of this civil rights event, address diversity, and preserve the legacy of the Hoxie 21 story. There are other stories like it with different perspectives and strengths that could open opportunities for growth and participation.
Fayth Hill Washington was a member of the Hoxie 21 and is active in the Hoxie21-Hill Foundation, an organization dedicated to telling the story at Hoxie. After Hoxie, she attended school at Philander Smith College and gained a master's degree at University of Memphis in Public Policy and African American Studies.