TIMELINE

Timeline of national and Texarkana desegregation events. Detailed timeline of school openings, closures and renamings below.

1889:

Texas High School is established for white students in Texarkana, Texas as the first public high school.

1896:

The Supreme Court rules segregation is constitutional in Plessy v. Ferguson decision. It finds “separate but equal” treatment does not violate the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution and provides legal justification for Jim Crow laws.

Arkansas High School is established for white students in Texarkana, Arkansas.

1916:

Dunbar High School is established for black students in Texarkana, Texas.

1926:

Washington High School is established for black students in Texarkana, Arkansas.

1927:

Texarkana College is established.

1948:

The University of Arkansas is desegregated.

1952:

Whitmore v. Stilwell is filed against Texarkana College’s President Stilwell by nine Dunbar High School students.

The Supreme Court begins hearing oral arguments in Brown v. Board of Education.

1954:

The Supreme Court rules segregation is unconstitutional in Brown v. Board of Education.

1955:

U.S. District Judge Joseph Sheehy dismisses Whitmore v. Stilwell.

First recorded mention of desegregation by the TISD School Board in meeting minutes.

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit reverses Judge Sheehy’s ruling on Whitmore v. Stilwell.

1956:

The University of Texas is desegregated.

Jessalyn Gray and Steven Poster attempt to integrate Texarkana College. White mob prevents them from entering.

NAACP Lawyer U. Simpson Tate files a complaint against Texarkana College on behalf of Jessalyn Gray and Steven Poster. U.S. District Judge Joseph Sheehy throws out the claim.

State of Texas v. NAACP is brought before U.S. District Judge Otis T. Dunagan in Tyler, Texas. He ultimately places injunction on the NAACP the following year.

1957:

Little Rock Nine desegregate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas.

1963:

Linda Ruth Tolbert and Albirda P. Briley successfully desegregate Texarkana College.

First recorded mention of desegregation by the TASD School Board in their meeting minutes.

President John F. Kennedy is assassinated.

1964:

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is adopted. Title IV of the Act authorizes the federal government to file school desegregation cases and prohibits discrimination in programs and activities, including schools, receiving federal financial assistance.

TISD and TASD schools begin Freedom of Choice period.

1968:

Martin Luther King, Jr. is assassinated.

The Supreme Court orders segregated school systems be dismantled “root and branch,” identifying five factors (facilities, staff, faculty, extracurricular activities and transportation) to be used to gauge a school’s compliance in Green v. County School Board of New Kent County.

Texas High School is completely integrated, other TISD schools still operate under Freedom of Choice regulations.

1969:

TISD schools completely integrate.

1970:

TASD schools completely integrate.

TISD SCHOOL TIMELINE

Green indicates opening of a school. Red indicates school closure. Yellow indicates renaming of school. Blue indicates ambiguity of opening or closing date.

TASD SCHOOL TIMELINE

Green indicates opening of a school. Red indicates school closure. Yellow indicates renaming of school. Blue indicates ambiguity of opening or closing date.