Racism In Warriors DonT Cry By Melba Patillo Beals

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

Racism is a widely discussed topic, and everyone agrees that it is something that only causes harm. People with racist views can view others from other groups as people who are lesser than them and might use physically actions to show their dislike. In response to that, more and more people are having their own ideas of how to identify and end racism. For example, Kwame Anthony Appiah who brought out the idea of extrinsic racism, the perspective of utilitarianism, and the Kantian ethic are views that show why racism is wrong and how it can be ended.

Melba Pattillo Beals, the main character in the memoir “Warriors Don’t Cry”, never gave up and persevered when fighting for racial equality. When Melba was walking into school one day she thought to herself, “‘I squared my shoulders and tried to remember what grandma had said: God loves you child; no matter what he sees you as his precious idea’” (Beals 76). Melba along with her eight schoolmates made history when they decided to integrate Central High School. They wanted to show their friends that you always hold your head high, be determined, and never give up. While enduring, Melba taught her family and friends to also persevere. Fortifying her family in faith helped her to make it through the year. While standing her ground after many challenges Melba thought to herself, “‘I knew for certain something would have to change it I were going to stay in that school. Either the students would have to change the

Have you ever wondered how far back in our history the world has been full of hate, prejudice, and rage? It has been seen in the form of war, mass genocide, enslavement, and even something minimal compared to the others, like riots and looting for centuries. Despite this common knowledge, there are many forms of violence, injustice, and rage that go unseen. Carol Anderson’s, White Rage, dives deep into the idea that maybe the worst forms of rage do not come from the most obvious and attention-capturing events, but the ones who stay hidden and subside deep in their privileged and ‘noble’ positions. She wants to show you, through the eyes of a minority, what it is like to constantly be looked past and looked down upon. Anderson argues the fact that no matter how many laws and regulations are put into place to cease the existence of racism, the rage in America continues to thwart African American advancement. Through precisely compelling choice of words and a structural design that pulls everything apart only to piece it back together to form a much larger picture, Anderson brings rage, the white rage, into a new and different light. This shows readers the depth of the racial problems in our country through a recap of groundbreaking historical events, advancing or obstructing African Americans, along with the white backlash.

First, ask yourself how would you feel after hearing the news that one of your family members had been lynched? Throughout the chapters 1-8, we can experience and observe the disheartening history of violence and lies. It is additionally an irritating depiction of a partitioned country on the very edge of the social equality development and an eerie contemplation on race, history, and the battle for truth. Throughout history, the conditions of the lynching, how it affected the legislators of the day, quickened the social equality development and keeps on shadowing the Georgia people group where these homicides occurred. During the 1900s until 19600s various African-Americans experienced various harsh conditions of violence, never being granted the right to vote and being segregated from whites based on their race and skin-color from their white masters. In general racism between whites and blacks can be seen throughout the globe during the era of slavery

The Supreme Court planned to desegregate schools. “In September 1957, nine black teenagers hoped to break a racial wall at a school in Little Rock, Arkansas.” (Benson 1). Ernest Green, Minnijean Brown, Melba Pattillo, Terrence Roberts, Elizabeth Eckford, Thelma Mothershed, Gloria Ray, Jefferson Thomas, and Carlotta Walls were the students who became the little rock nine. (Lucas 7). Daisy Bates planned to help them get to school. (Lucas 5). “Many White Southern Parents did not want the black students to go school with white children.” (Lucas 13). All the black students were excited for the first day of school. (Lucas 12).

Author: Melba Pattillo Beals Book title: Warriors Don’t Cry. Publisher: Pocket Books City of publication New York Year of publication: 1994. Description: This book is a memoir by one of the Little Rock Nine. It recollects the first year of the integration of Central High School in Little Rock, AK.

Tariq Ali once said, “It was civil disobedience that won them their civil rights.” In Melba Pattillo Beals’ narrative, “ Warriors Don’t Cry,” Melba defies all odds just by integrating to the all white Central High School in Little Rock. Through her novel, Melba is able to reminisce on the difficulties and struggles and the justice and inequality that occurs throughout Central High using figurative language. Though the author’s use of metaphors, similes and situational irony, the reader is able to pick up on Melba’s determination and obstacles she had to face in order to conquer and overcome integrating into Central High School.

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.

“Public schools for black children received less funding… Things like bathrooms were rarely cleaned.” (source 1). African American citizens’ segregated areas faced awful quality, unlike the whites’ property. African Americans were not treated fairly and they lacked respect and equality. “Segregationists threatened to hold protests and physically block the students from entering the school.”

Author James H. Cone uses the phrase “the shadow of the lynching tree” to describe what many African Americans are still living under in the decades following the terror that reigned across the South. Lynching was not only a violent event, but a way to keep fear in the forefront of communities and a form of terrorism used to enforce, enact and trigger trauma. The collective identity of African Americans has meant that trauma from lynching can be felt on a personal level, whether the violence was experienced directly or indirectly. The long lasting trauma that remains in many African American communities has resulted in the disappearance of family histories and a silence surrounding the violence of lynchings. Stories may remain untold, however they are still

The history of the African American people in the United States has been riddled with injustice and the abominations of white supremacists. African Americans have had to face vast deals of trials and tribulations. Aside from slavery, lynching was the worst thing that ever happened to African Americans. The horrors of the lynching are presently similarly in Lockett’s and Williams’s articles in reference to style, content, and accuracy.

At a young age, Melba Pattillo Beals, the author of Warriors Don’t Cry, learned the adversity of segregation while at a supposedly merry carousel. The man at the carousel denied her request to ride it because she was black. All because of that incident, Melba grew up a little and realized the difficult struggles her family and friends went through to do the simplest things. Beals characterizes herself as persistent, spiritual, and courageous as she faces hardships integrating Central High School, originally a segregated school.

A dilemma with race discrimination is mainly against a person who has distinct disadvantages regarding to their ethnic background. A victim of race discrimination is more likely to be affected in a negative way instead of a positive beneficial way. According to Scott Marshall, author of The Fight Against Racism Today states,“ For black and Brown people, racism means shorter, less healthy, less-valued lives” this limits the potential an individual has in order to show society what they are initially capable of achieving. Racial discrimination is also known to be both verbal and nonverbal, which leads to physical and emotional pain in a person.

It was not difficult to see the disparities in quality between services intended for use by whites versus those intended for blacks. Even with the apparent prejudice caused by the court decision, it would not be until 1954, fifty-eight years later, that segregation would be declared unconstitutional, with the court case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. Unfortunately, it would take more than that to change our stubborn views. Only three years following the repeal, an incident in Little Rock, Arkansas occurred, where federal troops had to be sent in order to enforce this law and allow nine black students to enroll in an all-white high school, in relative safety. These events have shaped the education system into the intellectual labyrinth that, supposedly, guides and prepares our youth for the real world.