Elizabeth Eckford

Elizabeth Eckford was a member of the Little Rock Nine and became an iconic symbol of the civil rights movement when she walked alone through a mob to desegregate Little Rock Central High School.

Civil Rights Figure

October 4, 1941

83

Elizabeth Eckford, an American civil rights activist, gained prominence as a member of the Little Rock Nine. This group of African American students bravely challenged segregation by enrolling at an all-white high school in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957. Eckford’s courageous walk through a hostile mob on her first day of school became a powerful symbol of the civil rights era. Among her significant accomplishments are receiving the Congressional Gold Medal for her contributions to the Civil Rights Movement and serving on the National Park Service’s Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site Advisory Commission. Additionally, she participated in group therapy sessions with fellow civil rights activists to address her undiagnosed PTSD.