Breaking the Silence : The Little Rock Women's Emergency Committee Schools 1958
Breaking the Silence by Sara Murphy recounts the efforts of the Little Rock Women's Emergency Committee during the 1957-1963 desegregation crisis in Little Rock, Arkansas.OVERVIEW OF THE BOOKBreaking the Silence details the courageous actions of the Women's Emergency Committee to Open Our Schools (WEC) in response to the closing of public high schools by Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus. After the federal purchase to integrate schools was issued, Faubus closed the schools in 1958 rather than comply. This move sparked significant unrest and a citizen response led largely by local white women who were concerned about their children's education and the reputational impact on their community.* Pages: 272* Publisher: University of Arkansas Press, published in 1997* The book also includes reflections on the role of gender and race in the civil rights movement and its lasting impact on the community and beyond.