Daisy Bates was born on Nov. 11, 1914, in Huttig, Ark. Friends of her parents raised her after her mother was murdered for resisting the advances of white men. She met L. C. Bates, an insurance salesman, in 1939 and the two married in 1942. They started their own newspaper, the Arkansas State Press.
The newspaper was a voice for an emerging civil rights movement. They reported on police brutality against blacks and trumpeted the cause of World War II black veterans, who faced discrimination upon return from the war. The veterans’ return boosted membership in the NAACP, and Bates became a leader.
After the 1954 Supreme Court decision ruling school segregation illegal, Bates became advisor to the “Little Rock Nine,” nine black students slated to attend Little Rock’s Central High against the violent efforts of segregationists. Bates and other activists suffered arrest and constant harassment, but the students did attend school in what became a major moment in the civil rights movement.
Bates later worked for the Democratic National Committee and President Lyndon Johnson’s administration. She remained a tireless activist until her death Nov. 4, 1999.
— Michael J. Kleckner
For related stories, follow this link to our section on Black History Month