Desegregating Texas Schools: Eisenhower, Shivers, and the Crisis at Mansfield High

by Robyn Duff Ladino, Alwyn Barr (Foreword)

In the famous Brown v. the Board of Education decisions of 1954 and 1955, the United States Supreme Court ruled that "separate but equal" schools for black and white students were unconstitutional. Yet history records that it took more than a decade of legal battles, civil rights protests, and, tragically, violent confrontations before black students gained full access to previously white schools. Mansfield, Texas, a small community southeast of Fort Worth, was the scene of an early school integration attempt. In this book, Robyn Duff Ladino draws on interviews with surviving participants, media reports, and archival research to provide the first full account of the Mansfield school integration crisis of 1956. Ladino explores how power politics at the local, state, and federal levels ultimately prevented the integration of Mansfield High School in 1956. Her research sheds new light on the actions of Governor Allan Shivers—who, in the eyes of the segregationists, actually validated their cause by his political actions—and it underscores President Dwight Eisenhower's public passivity toward civil rights during his first term of office. Despite the short-term failure, however, the Mansfield school integration crisis helped pave the way for the successful integration of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957. Thus, it deserves a permanent place in the history of the civil rights movement, which this book amply provides.

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[William Morton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well-written and thoroughly researched book about a tragic event in Texas history that is little known today, although it was the subject of national headlines for weeks in 1956. The book arose out of a post-doctoral thesis at West Texas State University. The author obviously recognized that her subject deserved further study and broader dissemination. It is especially important in today's America where certain right-wing political elements are trying to suppress the painful truth about the sordid history of racism in our country lest our children be made to feel uncomfortable. If the truth is told accurately, we should all feel uncomfortable, just as the Germans felt uncomfortable having to learn the full truth about the atrocities committed by their ancestors prior to and during WWII. They are, of course, much better enabled to ensure that those atrocities are not repeated in their country for the very fact that they have been taught the truth of their history. Certainly, as Americans, we must learn the truths of our own history if we are to avoid repeating it and are able to truly move forward to that more perfect union to which we, hopefully, aspire. I highly recommend this book as an excellent example of just such truth-telling. In an America devoid of politics it would be required reading in all high schools.

[Scott Lord · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book on how Texas and particularly East Texas responded to desegregating.

Excellent research and history of the initial fight to desegregate the Mansfield, TX schools in 1956. Gov Shivers role in maintaining segregate schools in TX and Eisenhower’s reluctance to intervene (he did the following year in Little Rock) show what an uphill battle it was to integrated public schools in the U.S. and how brave those that fought those battles were.

[Max Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ladino gives an excellent overview of Massive Resistance and the racial tensions in a small Texas town. Before there was Little Rock, there was the Mansfield Crisis. A great book for any educator or scholar in the Civil Rights era! Some of the writing could have been a little more lively, but overall it was an enjoyable book.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Students loved the book. Easy to read, engaging narrative. I enjoyed it a lot, too. The historiography is very thin, but a good book to stimulate undergraduate discussion about desegregation in 1950s--and with a Texas focus.