Warriors Don't Cry
In the novel, Warriors Don't Cry, the author, Melba Pattillo Beals, describes what her reactions and feelings are to the racial hatred and discrimination she and eight other African American teenagers receive in Little Rock, Arkansas during the Civil Rights movement in 1957. These nine students became the first people of color to integrate an all white, public school so that in the future, others like them would have the right to quality education that white families of the same area received. The desegregation of Little Rock's Central High wasn't predicted as easy, and Melba's chronicle recollects the unbelievable abuse and suffering that the nine, young, teenagers endure, especially at the loss of their innocence. When the opportunity arises for a young, thirteen-year-old girl, named Melba, to integrate Little Rock's, established, Central High School, it appears as a vision only out of a movie theater; manicured lawns, a big pond in front, a place that seemed to stretch for two blocks and even where Elvis Presley had once performed. Obviously, school officials felt that she could measure up to the workload and even the 1,950 white faces that dominated the hallways. She felt she deserved to be the
The last day of school marks the first day of victory for Melba and African American civil rights all across the Nation. After two years of battling within the court system, Melba and her dreams quickly turn to a mission of survival upon entering Central High. Although it has taken her thirty-five years to write the bitter pages of her past, she still feels the powerful struggle with racism that children face in the present. One strong supporter was Melba's Grandmother India, who constantly reminds her of her purpose in following God, to which the book's title is named, Warriors Don't Cry. Melba was assigned to Danny, a soldier that was to follow at her back during all times. It is a promise that if I salute the flag like a good American, all these integration problems will be worked out eventually. She has matured into a strong-minded girl from her hardship at Central, and uses those skills to guide her way in the future. Choral groups, Scouts, sports, and other activities that she and her old school friends had participated in, were no longer, as well as the no-show to her sixteenth birthday party. During the last few days of school, yearbooks, parties, and prom were talked about, leaving Melba feeling sorry for herself. She soon grew attached to Danny, always fearing the day he would leave. Following Links advice, she acts as if she is stealing his car, at which he purposely lays his keys on the hood for her to handle and safely drive home. Link discreetly makes an effort to take care of Melba by means of forewarning her of harmful situations that have been planned or just by simply acknowledging her with a wink, as she explains, "His wink or pleasant expression sometimes came just at the right moment I needed to know I was alive and valuable" (254). God's warriors don't cry, 'cause they trust that he's always by their side. Violence is not only out of control at school, but Melba's family becomes cautious in their own home and neighborhood. (181)At the sight of the 101st Airborne Division, the crowds grow tense as the nine students gathered hope watching the marching troops.
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Acceptance Essays
