ely made it into the school, the three reporters were accused of acting as decoys and were mauled. Only hours after the students had made it into the building, they were herded into the main office because the mob had broken into the school and were rampaging. Someone in the office actually considered the possibility of allowing the mob to lynch just one of the black children to appease them. The nine were successfully and safely evacuated from the school regardless.Eisenhower was in a tight spot. He was not a firm supporter of the black movement, and both Congress and the Senate leaned towards the south. However, if he refused to do anything to enforce the court order in Little Rock, he would rightfully be accused of not supporting the Brown decision. Eisenhower sent the 101st Air Division into Little Rock, and on Sept. 25, the Little Rock Nine successfully attended Central High School.The Little Rock Crisis was basically a showdown between the federal government and the community. The government had to prove to the white community that it had the teeth to enforce a federal court order if the situation grew out of control. I think the federal government's successful intervention had more impact than was thought at the time. The executive branch didn't just prove that they'd impose desegregation by force. It proved that it could impose any court order by force. Their intervention made the community think twice about opposing the government. The integration of Central High School was a landmark step not only for the black movement but for the government as well....
