Final answer:
President Dwight Eisenhower promoted civil rights by issuing Executive Order 10730 to enforce desegregation in Little Rock, Arkansas, sending federal troops to ensure compliance with the Supreme Court's ruling on school integration.
Step-by-step explanation:
President Dwight Eisenhower promoted civil rights primarily through executive action. In 1957, in a historic move, he issued Executive Order 10730 which nationalized the Arkansas National Guard to enforce the desegregation of the public schools in Little Rock, Arkansas. This decisive step was taken because Governor Faubus used the Arkansas National Guard in opposition to the Supreme Court's ruling, creating a situation where the president felt the necessity to intervene directly to uphold the court's decision.
The act of sending federal troops to enforce the Supreme Court's order on racial integration displayed Eisenhower's commitment to civil rights. It was also a powerful assertion of federal authority over state resistance in matters of civil rights, underscoring the federal government's role in ensuring the rights of African Americans were protected, and subsequently helping to pave the way for further civil rights advancements during the 1960s.