'Blackbird': The Beatles song inspired by the Little Rock Nine

[LiberalArkie]

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — If you live in Arkansas, you know about Central High School, you know about the Little Rock Nine, and you know what happened in September of 1957.

But what you may not know – is the impact that moment had around the world.

"I think many Arkansans don't realize just how wide an impact the school crisis made. It was international headlines in every country around the world and reverberated across the globe," said Dr. John Kirk, a Professor of History at U-A Little Rock.

In 2016, Sir Paul McCartney took the stage at Verizon Arena and shared his connection with our state's past. He told the crowd that the civil rights struggle in the U.S, specifically the Little Rock Nine, inspired one of the Beatles' biggest hits.

Snip

https://www.thv11.com/article/entertainment/music/blackbird-the-beatles-song-inspired-by-the-little-rock-nine/91-b3ab0c09-cf00-4c78-a4b8-6ce908317335

[Hoyt]

1. Not sure what truth is, but I like the story. It was a big deal.

[braddy]

2. The 101st Airborne was sent into Little Rock by Eisenhower.

The 1950s was such a quiet and placid time in America.

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[Bayard]

3. Are those bayonets?

Not familiar with the story. Will need to investigate.

[braddy]

4. Yes, the U.S. Army with bayonets. America in the 50s was made up of tough people who had lived

hard lives and seen the Depression, lots of war during the 40s and first half of the 50s and were in the fight of their lives with global communism that had recently conquered about a third or quarter of the human race.

[LiberalArkie]

5. The first forced integration of school in the US..

Little Rock Central High mean anything?

Gov Orval Faubus standing in the door LR Central high blocking the 9 black kids from entering.

101 Airborne Army called in, not national guard, the U.S. Army.

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/central-high-school-integration

[Bayard]

6. That one I know

[braddy]

7. You may like this one.

This was Mayday 1971.

From wiki "10,000 federal troops were quickly moved to various locations in the Washington, D.C. area. At one point, so many soldiers and Marines were being moved into the area from bases along the East Coast that troop transports were landing at the rate of one every three minutes at Andrews Air Force Base in suburban Maryland, about 15 miles east of the White House. Among these troops were 4,000 paratroopers from the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division. Troops from the Marine Barracks lined both sides of the 14th St bridge. These troops were to back up the 5,100 officers of the D.C. Metropolitan Police, 2,000 members of the D.C. National Guard and federal agents that were already in place."

[Cartoonist]

8. One little quibble

Blackbird was a track on an album. It was never released as a single. Calling it one of their biggest hits is not accurate.

[LiberalArkie]

9. It may have been radio hits back then.