Both African Americans and White Americans were used to living a segregated life, despite the occasional frustrations that the younger generations would have. It was a life that they were born into, but it could all be turned upside-down in the years to come for the 1950`s were about to bring an unexpected change. The memoir Warriors don’t cry by Melba Pattillo Beals shed light on the situation. The focus point of this story is the little rock nine who were at the center of all the hate and support for integration. The blacks and whites each had their own point of view on the idea of integrating these kids into a white school. They would be the deciding factor of whether these nine African Americans would make it through the school year. It was obvious that most blacks would support the integration and interestingly enough there was a few silent whites that did as well. Despite this there was still a large number of community members who opposed this movement and showed this with hatred and violence. As a community, people would hope that each side would come together in aiding each other through the integration process. Instead of uniting, the community was torn into four different groups by the fear brought on by the integration of the Little Rock Nine into Central High. Segregation wasn’t kind to anyone, especially the African Americans as each item in their daily lives was labeled in bold letters, colored. As Melba Beals one of the nine described segregation as “The
Throughout the American South, of many Negro’s childhood, the system of segregation determined the patterns of life. Blacks attended separate schools from whites, were barred from pools and parks where whites swam and played, from cafes and hotels where whites ate and slept. On sidewalks, they were expected to step aside for whites. It took a brave person to challenge this system, when those that did suffered a white storm of rancour. Affronting this hatred, with assistance from the Federal Government, were nine courageous school children, permitted into the 1957/8 school year at Little Rock Central High. The unofficial leader of this band of students was Ernest Green.
In the book Warriors Don't Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals, the author describes what her reactions and feelings are to the racial hatred and discrimination she and eight other African-American teenagers received in Little Rock, Arkansas during the desegregation period in 1957. She tells the story of the nine students from the time she turned sixteen years old and began keeping a diary until her final days at Central High School in Little Rock. The story begins by Melba talking about the anger, hatred, and sadness that is brought up upon her first return to Central High for a reunion with her eight other classmates. As she walks through the halls and rooms of the old school, she recalls the
It was a brutal time for the Little Rock Nine. Ernest Green and 8 other colored teenagers were transferring to an all-white school, Little Rock High School, because they wanted a better education, but the high schoolers there were very racist. For example, when Ernest and his brother went to take a shower after gym class, a couple of white boys hiding in the showers placed broken glass all over the floor. So when Ernest stepped in, the broken glass pieces cut his feet very badly and he was bleeding viciously. When the boys went up to the gym teacher to tell him, he saw the white boys in the shower room hiding and he let it go.(Laneuville) This was very racist because ever since the nine black teens got there, they have been nothing but mean to them just because they are racist jerks who have no respect for these kids just ∞because of the color of their
In her memoir Warriors Don’t Cry, Melba Pattillo Beals describes her experiences as she became one of the first nine black students educated in an integrated white school. She and her friends, who became known as the “Little Rock Nine”, elicited both support and criticism from their family members, friends, community members, military troops, in addition to the President of the United States. Melba’s experiences, while heartbreaking and sobering, highlight the strength to overcome that individuals can have over a system intent on keeping them down.
Transferring to a new school is a hard experience for a normal kid alone. Going to a new, all-white school as a black student in 1957 makes the experience even tougher. In the memoir Warriors Don’t Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals, Melba and eight others, known as the Little Rock Nine, risk everything in order to attend their local high school, Central High. Living in Little Rock, Arkansas, these students take the courageous step to attend an all-white school in a society filled with segregationists. The Little Rock Nine battle the bullies of Central High, trying to avoid acid in their eyes to eggs in their hair. Through this rough experience, the Nine graciously receive important help from many allies. Throughout the memoir, Melba receives protection
History is filled with stories of dedicated human rights activists that risked their lives to fight for what they believe in. Three good examples of human rights activists that never gave up are Melba Pattillo Beals, Mahatma Gandhi, and Mother Jones. Melba Pattillo Beals and Gandhi actively worked in fighting for racial equality while Mother Jones worked to improve children’s and workers’ rights. These determined human rights activists never gave up when fighting to improve the rights of persecuted people facing discrimination.
If the Little Rock Nine wasn't integrating then the press / media would have nothing to share with the world. The media mostly ask questions like “What do you think about going to school at Central High?” and “How the students treating you there?”. When the media shared the information about the Little Rock Nine somehow the segregationists found out where Melba lived and threatened to kill her, trying to scare her from going to Central High, to keep power. The Little Rock Nine gave the media something to write about and to share Nationwide, which made others appreciate what the Little Rock Nine was going
Melba Pattillo Beals is a very determined young lady. She presents many strong personal characteristics in her time of integrating Central High School. However, she faces many adversities through this battle for her freedom and equality. During her rough time Beals questions her faith and family. She later learns that her strength and security is in God. In the book Warriors Don’t Cry Melba Pattillo Beals presents the idea that courage, faith, and fear are vital in her search for freedom and equality.
In this chapter, we learn some basic things about the main character, Melba, and we know that she is born on December 7th, 1941. Melba's birth was a complicated one, but she eventually made a full recovery and on top of all of that, Melba also had to go through the harsh reality of segregation when she was five years old.
Over thousands of blacks were discriminated in the 1950s because of their skin color. Blacks and whites were prohibited to go to the same school just because of their skin color. However, in the year of 1957 the Little Rock Nine were the first nine black students that integrated to Central High. If this group of people didn’t have the courage to attend Central High our schools would be extremely different today.
In Warriors Don’t Cry, Melba Patillo Beals uses direct and indirect characterization to generate Melba’s character. Melba’s characterization proposes her ideas about her search for freedom and equality. In the memoir, Beals portrays the idea that both personal strength, faith, and independence are necessary character traits in her fight for freedom and equality.
The life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination… the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself in exile in his own land (qtd. in W.T.L. 235).
Imagine you had to fight a war against a formidable army that outnumbered you tenfold; you had very few friends and hardly any weapons at which you could use. This is a great analogy for Melba Patillo Beals’ battle for integration into Central High School, but Melba’s army composed of segregationist and students whose mission was to keep her out of the school. Upon her shoulders Melba carried the responsibility of being one of the first African Americans to integrate a high school in Arkansas, a feat that could only be accomplished by an individual with a strong inner character. In “Warriors Don’t Cry”, Melba Patillo Beals presents the idea that both independence and despondency are necessary character traits in her fight for freedom and equality.
My friends and I have come to be known as the ‘Little Rock Nine’, the first African-American students to attend Little Rock Central High School after desegregation in schools was passed as law four years ago in 1954. Hand on heart, I can say we did not view Little Rock Central as somewhere to be
While reading To the Mountaintop by Stewart Burns, I was caught off guard when I learned about the amount of segregation rallies that took place during this time. I think that I was caught off guard when I learned about this because whenever the topics of segregation and desegregation, MLK, and racism come up, no one really speaks about the segregation rallies. I didn’t think that the white people had gotten together in big masses like what the African Americans had done in order to fight for what they believed in. I had always just thought that the white people were flexible with what was going on and acted more on the individual level than at the group level. When I was reading about the segregation rallies, I was shocked to learn about what was written on the flyers that were handed out.