Only one black girl showed up. Elisabeth Eckford , 15year old student, arrived by bus to her new school. She was wearing white dress, black sunglasses, carrying some books in her hands. She was walking steadily and very calmly. She crossed the street in order to reach school. All the students in the schoolyard were standing, staring at her and wondering if the guards would let her in.
She was going to pass the entrance when a guard intercepted her way. He told her that the guards were not there to protect her but to prevent all the blacks students to come into the school. She turned around and started walking along the path, with a crowd of students following behind. The street was full of people looking at her, curious spectators, nosy neighbors. The journalists were taking pictures and TV cameras were filming her.
Elisabeth was walking past all these people, tranquilly and sure of herself.
People started insulting her, making racist comments. Neither she responded or argued. .
Hazel Bryan was a student who was in the crowd behind her that day. She and her friend Julia were insulting Elisabeth when a photographer took a picture of her and Eli in the exact moment when Hazel was uttering insults. This picture was seen by the whole world and became a symbol of racism.
Elisabeth did not manage to enroll that day but tree weeks after she joined with 20 more black students!
