HII christened Virginia-class submarine Arkansas (SSN 800) at the company’s Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division December 7.
“Today we celebrate the mighty submarine Arkansas, and we honor bravery and impact: the heroes and heroic moments that shape our future and make us who we are,” NNS President Jennifer Boykin said. “As high school students, the Little Rock Nine exhibited courage, and showed the American people what determination and perseverance look like. Their spirit guided them then, and today SSN 800 will be instilled with this same spirit of courage, determination, and resilience.”
The ship’s sponsors are the six women of the historic group known as the Little Rock Nine, the first African American students to attend all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas during desegregation. NNS honored all nine members during Saturday’s ceremony.
The Little Rock Nine made history in 1957 with their response to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, declaring racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional. Faced with shouting mobs, threats of violence and hostile state leaders who blocked their way, the teenagers were escorted into the school by federal troops at the direction of President Dwight D. Eisenhower.