09/10/2022
65 Years Ago Today...
On the morning of September 4th, 1957, Elizabeth Eckford woke up and dressed for the first day of school. An expert seamstress, Elizabeth had made a beautiful new dress for her big day. She chose to attend Central High School because her grandfather, the Patriarch of the family, always told her "When you go to college" not "If"-so she wanted to go to college. She was one of six children however, the Eckford half dozen they were called. She knew her parents Oscar and Birdie, hard workers, could not afford to send her to college. So she saw Central as an opportunity to get what she wanted out of life. She thought if she attended this school, she could qualify for college scholarships.
She said that morning her family prayed in the kitchen and then she got on the bus. She did not come to school thinking she needed to be brave or strong.
Over the last 65 years people have remarked how calm and strong she appears in these photos. Some have even said she looks "unbothered." The truth is far more complicated than that. When Elizabeth began being tormented in the crowd she shut down. She retreated into herself and adrenaline kicked in. The only thing she was thinking about here is "How do I get away?" She likely was not fully cognizant of everything happening around her. This is a common coping mechanism in humans where the body forces out all of the other things and just makes you focus on survival. The nightmares about September 4th would come later.
We are reminded that one moment...one decision...can change and scar a person for life. 30 years after this infamous photo, Elizabeth would be diagnosed with PTSD-something she still struggles with today.
If you or someone you know struggles with PTSD please remember, you do not have to suffer alone and there is no shame in asking for help: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/get-involved/digital-shareables/shareable-resources-on-ptsd
Photo courtesy of Will Counts Collections at Indiana University.
National Park Service
Midwest National Parks
U.S. Department of the Interior
Image Description: Elizabeth Eckford being tormented.
