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
horrible acts of violence that were committed by the white students against her
and her friends. In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled in the case of Brown vs. The
Board of Education that schools needed to integrate and provide equal education
for all people and it was unconstitutional for the state to deny certain
citizens this opportunity. Although this decision was a landmark case and meant
the schools could no longer deny admission to a child based solely on the color
of their skin. By 1957, most schools had began to slowly integrate their
students, but those in the deep south were still trying to fight the decision.
One of the most widely known instances of this happening was at Central High
School in Little Rock, Arkansas.
It took the school district three years to work out an integration plan. The
board members and faculty didn't like the fact that they were going to have to
teach a group of students that were looked down upon and seen as inferior to
white students. However, after much opposition, a plan was finally proposed. The
plan called for the integration to happen in three phases. First, during the
1957-1958 school year, the senior high school would be integrated, then after
completion at the senior high level, the junior high would be integrated, and
the elementary levels would follow in due time. Seventeen students were chosen
from hundreds of applicants to be the first black teenagers to begin the
integration process. The town went into an uproar. Many acts of violence were
committed toward the African-Americans in the city. Racism and segregation
seemed to be on the rise. Most black students decided to stay at Horace Mann,
the black high school that was underfunded and didn't boast a very high
graduation rate, let alone much of a college acceptance percentage. Some out of
fear and others just accepted the harsh and unfair circumstances. The state and
town passed laws and ordinances as the school year drew near in order to keep
the school from integrating. Even the state governor refused for the
desegregation process to happen without resistance. Some blacks also opposed the
desegregation for fear of future repercussions. The nine brave students,
however, refused to be stopped. On September 3, Elizabeth Eckford, Ernest Green,
Jefferson Thomas, Minnijean Brown (Trickey), Carlotta Walls (LaNier), Terrence
Roberts, Gloria Ray (Karlmark), Thelma Mothershed-Wair, and Melba Patillo Beals
set off for school. The governor of Arkansas, Orvel Faubus, had sent National
Guardsmen to the school the previous day to surround the building and keep all
African-Americans from entering its doors. He stated in an interview that the
reason for the troops was he heard a rumor that white supremacists were going to
riot and he was just protecting the students. He declared Central High
off-limits to all people of color in order for their own protection. The
students never did make it into school that day. Before they even reached the
property they were met with great resistance from racist citizens who spat upon
them, mocked them, threw sharp objects at them, and even physically beat them.
Melba describes the deep hurt she felt as for the first time in her life she saw
the harsh reality of racism at its worst. The next day the students met with
Daisy Bates, the head of the regional NAACP, and decided to all walk in
together. The problem was, Ms. Bates had tried to call all of the students but
one girl, Elizabeth Eckford, didn't own a phone. She never heard of the plan and
attempted to walk into the school herself. A mob of people surrounded her and
threatened to hang her all the while the Arkansas National Guard did nothing.
