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Daisy Bates Facts & Worksheets

Daisy Lee Gatson Bates, better known as Daisy Bates, was an American civil rights activist who was a key advocate of the integration of the “Little Rock Nine” in Arkansas.

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Daisy Lee Gatson Bates, better known as Daisy Bates, was an American civil rights activist who was a key advocate of the integration of the “Little Rock Nine” in Arkansas. She was also a journalist and newspaper publisher.

See the fact file below for more information on the Daisy Bates or alternatively, you can download our 24-page Daisy Bates worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Early Life and Education

  • Daisy Bates was born on November 11, 1914 in Huttig, Union County, Arkansas.
  • Her biological parents were Hezakiah Gatson and Millie Riley.
  • When she was three years old, her mother was sexually assaulted then murdered by three white men.
  • Upon the murder of her mother, her father left and she never saw him again.
  • Daisy was adopted by Orlee and Susie Smith.
  • What happened to her mother left a mark on Daisy, both mentally and emotionally.
  • It led her to live a life pursuing justice and championing racial equality.
  • Daisy attended segregated public schools in Huttig, where she gained firsthand experience on the poor facilities and learning conditions experienced by black students.

Arkansas State Press

  • She married Lucious Christopher Bates who was also a journalist and an insurance agent.
  • In 1941, they put up the Arkansas State Press, a weekly African-American newspaper that championed civil rights.
  • As they operated the publishing of the paper, Bates also joined the Civil Rights movement.
  • In 1952, Daisy Bates was elected president of the Arkansas branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Racial Segregation

  • As NAACP President, Bates was at the forefront in confronting racism and fighting against racial segregation in public schools.
  • Racial segregation separated the schools of the whites (Americans) from the blacks (African-Americans).
  • School facilities were also differentiated.
  • In 1954, racial segregation was ruled unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court in the lawsuit Brown v. Board of Education.
  • Despite that federal ruling, black students were still denied entry in “white schools” in Arkansas.
  • Daisy and Christopher Bates documented this battle in the Arkansas State Press.
  • They chronicled the violations of the US Supreme Court’s ruling in Arkansas public schools.

Little Rock Nine

  • In 1957, she became the primary agent of helping nine black kids enrol in Little Rock Central High School.
  • She personally guided the kids who became known as the Little Rock Nine.
  • Governor Oral Faubus was strongly opposed to school integration and called out the National Guard to prevent the Little Rock Nine from entering.
  • They faced further opposition in the form of death threats, rallies, and acts of violence.
  • White Americans gathered to threaten the students and harassed the activists and journalists covering the story.
  • This battle carried on relentlessly against Daisy Bates and the Little Rock Nine.
  • President Dwight D. Eisenhower intervened and ordered federal troops to escort the Little Nine Rock safely to school and to enforce the law upon the public schools.
  • September 25, 1957, was their first day of school.
  • Daisy Bates remained the students’ guide and supporter throughout their stay in the school, in which they continued to face opposition and discrimination.
  • She wrote and published a book that documented their fight against segregation, which is entitled The Long Shadow of Little Rock.

More Activist Work

  • The Arkansas State Press was forced to close in 1959 because of low revenue mainly caused by the involvement of the Bates in the Little Rock battle.
  • Daisy’s involvement in the Little Rock battle was just the start of her contributions in seeking equality for the African-Americans in the South.
  • Her continuous work and advocacy gained her national recognition.
  • She then moved to Washington, D.C. to work for the Democratic National Committee.
  • She also worked with the administration of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s anti-poverty programs.
  • In 1965, she suffered a stroke and went back to Little Rock.
  • In 1968, she moved to Mitchellville, Arkansas and spent much of her time working for community revitalization projects such as programs for concrete streets, sewer systems, a working water system, and a community centre.
  • After her husband died in 1980, she revived the Arkansas State Press in 1984.
  • She oversaw the operations of the newspaper from 1984 to 1988 before selling it.

Recognition

  • She received an honorary degree from the University of Arkansas Fayetteville.
  • In 1986, her book The Long Shadow of Little Rock was republished by the University of Arkansas Press.
  • Her book earned an American Book Award.

Death and Legacy

  • Bates died on November 4, 1999, in Little Rock, Arkansas.
  • In honor of Bates, Little Rock opened the Daisy Bates Elementary School.
  • Arkansas also proclaimed Daisy Gatson Bates Day an official state holiday on the third Monday in February.
  • A documentary film Daisy Bates: First Lady of Little Rock, directed and produced by Sharon La Cruise, was released in 2012.

Daisy Bates Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Daisy Bates across 24 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Daisy Bates worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Daisy Lee Gatson Bates, better known as Daisy Bates, who was an American civil rights activist who was a key advocate of the integration of the “Little Rock Nine” in Arkansas. She was also a journalist and newspaper publisher.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Daisy Bates Facts
  • About Daisy
  • One Word Answers
  • State Press
  • Photo Story
  • Sort the Sequence
  • Daisy Crossword
  • Make It True
  • What Would Daisy Do
  • Fresh Off The Press
  • Dear Daisy

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Use With Any Curriculum

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