The White House Gift Shop, Est. 1946

In Protective Plastic Sleeve

Coin and Display Cases Will be Available Soon for Separate Ordering


THE LITTLE ROCK NINE
White House Commemorative Coin
Honoring President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Human Equalities


Historical Context

On September 23, 1957, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed Executive Order 10730, a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement. This order authorized the deployment of the 1201st Airborne Division to Little Rock, Arkansas, to enforce the desegregation of Central High School, following the landmark Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education. The next day, September 24, 1957, federal troops, under the command of Major General Edwin Walker, ensured the protection and safe entry of the nine African American students, famously known as the Little Rock Nine. This decisive action by President Eisenhower underscored the federal government's commitment to upholding civil rights and the rule of law. The intervention of the 1201st Airborne Division remains a profound testament to the struggle for racial equality in the United States.