"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : DAISY GATSON BATES

It’s difficult imagining a child’s mother being raped and killed, and then her father abandoning the child to be raised by close friends of her mother. Well, that’s exactly what Daisy Gatson Bates had to endure, during her childhood. Daisy Gatson Bates was born on November 11, 1914, in southern Arkansas,near a town called Huttig. Her mother was murdered by 3 White men when Daisy was an infant, and her father abandoned her to be raised by close friends of her mother. Their names were Orlee and Susie Smith. Daisy was told about her mother’s death when she was 8 years old. The fact that her mother’s killers were never arrested and punished didn’t sit right with Daisy. Before he died, Daisy’s adopted father told her these words,”Daisy, don’t hate White people just because they're white. If you hate, make it count for something. Hate the humiliations we are living under in the South. Hate the discrimination that eats away at the South. Hate the discrimination that eats away at the soul of every Negro man and woman. Hate the insults hurled at us by White scum—and then try to do something about it, or your hate won't spell a thing!” Daisy would later tell people that his words took root in her mind and helped guided her toward the man she married and her involvement in Civil Rights matters. In 1931, Daisy started dating her future husband, Lucius C. Bates. They ended up moving to Little Rock Arkansas, where Daisy Bates immediately joined the local branch of the NAACP. The words that her adoptive father told her about trying to do something about the injustices being done to Negroes were starting to have an influence on her actions. In an interview when asked what she and the NAACP organization were focused on changing, Daisy responded "the whole darned system!”Additionally, after their arrival to Little Rock, Daisy and Lucius C. Bates decided to fulfill their dream of owning and publishing their own newspaper. The newspaper was called The Arkansas State Press, a weekly statewide newspaper. The first issue appeared on May 9, 1941. The Arkansas State Press was primarily concerned with civil rights and advocacy journalism. The paper featured stories about civil rights and stories that spotlighted achievements of black Arkansans. Daisy and Lucius C Bates were married on March 4, 1942. The Arkansas State Pressplayed a significant role during the time of the highly publicised enrollment of the “Little Rock Nine” and the Little Rock Integration Crisis. As the leader of the NAACP branch in Arkansas, Daisy Bates guided and advised the nine students, known as the Little Rock Nine, when they attempted to enroll in 1957 at Little Rock Central High School, a previously all-white institution. She even came up with the plan to utilize ministers to escort the Little Rock Nine into Central High School. Also, she opened up her home to the Little Rock Nine, and her house served as a haven for The Little Rock Nine. Furthermore, Daisy’s home also was an official drop off and pick up place for the Little Rock Nine before and after school, every day. Sadly, because of her involvement and her newspaper’s coverage of the happenings, many of the White citizens of Little Rock decided to boycott and shut off much of the funding of The Arkansas State Press. The boycott successfully cut off funding, except the money which came directly and through advertisements from the NAACP national office, and through ads from supporters throughout the country. As a result, Daisy and her husband were unable to maintain the financial obligations of continuing to run The Arkansas State Press. Therefore, they decided to shut the paper down! The last issue was published on October 29, 1959. At the ripe age of 84, a week before her 85th birthday, on November 4, 1999, Daisy Gatson Bates went home to be with the Lord. One of her highest honors was being named “Woman of the Year” in 1957 by the National Council of Negro Women.