...“I got up every morning, polished my saddle shoes, and went off to war.”-Melba Pattillo. Those are words straight from the mouth of Little Rock High School integrating “lab rats.” She was the kind of warrior that took mental bullets, and dodged them. Almost every white person in that school verbally and even physically abused them. All she wanted was to learn and help her people mix in and create equality with everyone else. When you feel like school is similar to going to war, you must stay within your own thoughts and, like Melba did, keep on fighting for what you believe in. In this case, it is integration at one of the largest schools in the nation- Little Rock High. Melba was not the type to shoot a gun, but she had some weapons that literally kept her alive. The saying, “kill them with kindness,” is exactly her game plan. She is very good at hiding her true emotions from all of the...
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...stay alive for the rest of the school day? That’s exactly how the Little Rock Nine felt every day they attended Central High School. When they got the news that they were chosen to go to one of the best high schools in the country, they thought they’d finally done it. Finally gotten the chance to prove that they were just as worthy as whites to get a good education. But all of their optimism disappeared the moment they saw the mob gathered in front of the school. They knew then that nothing would be as they expected. All of their thoughts were confirmed once they stepped inside. The...
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...hardships that later shaped her into an influential African American. Bates’ most known endeavor was working to desegregate schools in Little Rock, Arkansas. Daisy Bates and her family faced numerous threats along the way to desegregation. Daisy Bates inspired others as an influential African American through her progress as a Civil Rights activist, the risks and struggles she endured during her work, and her impact on society. Daisy Bates encountered a harsh childhood, that directly shaped her as the American Civil Rights activist she then became. “Daisy Bates” was born Daisy Lee Gatson on November 10, 1914 in Huttig, Arkansas (“Bates, Daisy” 1). Beginning from a rough start, when Bates was a young girl, her mother was raped and murdered by three white men (“The Death” 46). Daisy Bates was then raised by friends of her parents, after her father fled (“Documenting the American” 1). From this incident on, Bates was furious for a majority of her life. Adding to her hatred, Daisy Bates herself attended a segregated public school (“Bates, Daisy” 1). Bates was able to experience the...
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...This memoir is based off of the book Warriors Don't Cry by Melba Patillo Beals. Melba was one of the first black students to go to an all-white school in 1957. She had to deal with people pushing her and threatening her everyday. She got through it by using inner strength she got from her faith in God, her mother and grandmother, and from people she met in school and outside of school. The students of the school had tried to get her to leave multiple times, but she persevered and overcame her struggle. I also have a lot of challenges in my life. One of my most faced challenges is keeping up in school. I need to keep my grades up to be successful in life. The way I keep strength is by thinking of consequences if I were to give up,...
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...“Being the bigger person doesn’t always mean fighting back” (Unknown). The Little Rock Nine had to be the bigger people in comparison to their oppressors. This took personal growth. In Warriors Don’t Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals, young Melba grows stronger as a person and as a Christian as she integrates Central High School. Melba does not have a choice. Beginning as soon as she decided to integrate, Melba had to strengthen and grow as a person. For instance, Melba thinks, “I wanted to turn and run away, but I thought about what Danny had said: ‘Warriors survive’” (163). If Melba had not strengthened, she would have ended the fight by giving up or dying. Danny, Melba’s ‘bodyguard’ once told her that “it takes a warrior to fight a battle and...
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...Harriet Tubman showed perseverance and determination when she would travel from Maryland to Canada to bring freedom to the slaves. Even though Harriet never been or seen Canada, she knew it would be a perfect place. A place where slaves will finally receive civil rights, equality, and liberty. The long journey would be exhausting and uncomfortable but Harriet would still try to accomplish her goal. Sometimes, the stops she was supposed to take would be unavailable for her and the slaves however she never gave up on her mission. She never allowed herself or the others to give up and go back to the harsh conditions of Maryland. Harriet exhibited her fearlessness behavior by risking her own life for the slaves. Harriet also known as "Moses"...
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...Segregation Debated and Changed: Little Rock Nine I will never forget September 4, 1957. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day. I was making breakfast as my daughter, Elizabeth, was ironing her new dress, a beautiful white shirtwaist with a deep gingham hem, which we had made for her. My son was watching television, as he did every morning, while he waited for his breakfast. My husband was sitting next to my son on the couch in the living room, reading the morning newspaper. It seemed to be a perfectly normal day until the news came on. “A large crowd of angry white people has gathered outside of Little Rock’s Central High School. Everyone here is wondering whether the nine Negro students will show up today,” said the TV announcer. “Turn that off!” I exclaimed. Immediately my husband got up from the couch and came to my side. He held me in his arms and quietly said, “My nerves are shattered too. The news reports were bad enough last night, but we must not let the ignorance get to us. Elizabeth will be fine once she gets to school and joins the other children.” My husband makes me feel so safe and calm I thought to myself. He had a special talent, you could say. My heart sang as I heard Elizabeth announce, “See you later, Mom. Good-bye, Pop. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine.” I interjected, “Before you go, let’s all pray.” “Do we have to? I am going to be late!” “Take my hand, sweetheart. It will only take a second to ask for God’s...
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...Warriors Don’t Cry Warriors Don’t Cry is a true first-hand account of what Melba Pattillo Beals experienced in her junior year at Little Rock Central High School. Her story takes place in 1957, being one of the Little Rock nine to be integrated into the public school system. Initially there were seventeen students that were going to integrate but due to violence and threats the number was decreased to nine. Throughout the book, Melba tells us what life is like being one of the nine. She had to bear telephone threats, physical abuse, and huge violent mobs, among many other things. Her high school experience was unlike anything anyone could imagine. Melba Beals overcame many obstacles both mental and physical, but is truly a warrior and a hero. At a time of weakness, Melba is reminded by her Grandmother that she is one of God’s warriors. She was upset that she wasn’t going to be able to go to the Community Center that her crush was going to be at. Her Grandmother India knew the risk of her going to the Community Center and only wanted what was best for her safety. She ran to her room and began to weep because what she was going through wasn’t fair to her. She was missing out on all the things a young high school girl loves doing. Her Grandmother told her, “God’s warriors don’t cry, ‘cause they trust that he’s always by their side” (Beals, 57). Melba being told as a young girl that she wasn’t allowed to cry because it displayed her weakness demonstrations the amount of thick...
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...lines in the battle for civil rights These nine students were threatened by mobs out to hurt them, the Governor of the State of Arkansas prevented from entering the school on the very first day of the new school year. But with the support of their parents and others in the community, the Little Rock Crisis was resolved by the intervention of the then President of the United States, Eisenhower and the students were allowed to continue attending the school.They endured massive amounts of pain mainly trying to get an education It all started with the judgement passed by the U.S. Supreme Court in May 1954 in a case known as the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. According to the judgement, all segregated schools were unconstitutional and it called for desegregating schools throughout the U.S. This judgement gave an impetus to the parents belonging to the NAACP to try and admit their children into what were segregated white-only schools. The Little Rock School Board agreed to follow the rules and decided to desegregate the high school. This was how the nine students got admitted into the school. They had scored exceptional grades in their previous school. However, the trouble erupted on the first day of the new school year, but was soon put down and the students were able to graduate. . The Little Rock Nine stand for young people who take responsibility for their own education and are bold enough to step forward and seize the available opportunities without fear...
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...The Brown v. Board of Education decision is handed down by the Supreme Court saying that “separate but equal” school system are unconstitutional. On this day, nine African-American pupils had volunteered to participate in the integration of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. The whites dislike the thought of their children going to the same school as blacks. The day when the nine black students arrive for the integration to begin is on September 25. The integration will start in 4 months or so to see if the school will become desegregated. Orval Faubus, the governor of Arkansas, is attempting to block the segregation of Little Rock Central High School. Faubus has called for the National Guard to block the admission of the nine black students to Central High. The nine students arrive but are turned away by the National Guard when they had first arrived to Central High. They have been receiving really harsh threats and had been bullied and treated like they were nothings. Melba Beals is one of the eight victims that has been through a lot with guys choking her, flaming paper being thrown on her, and having acid thrown in her...
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...struggle to integrate Cental High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. She was an advisor to nine black student trying to attend a previously all white school. She was also an important figure in the seminal moment of the civil rights movement. As a publisher and journalist, she was also a witness and advocate on a larger scale. Bates endured numerous hardships, but in the coming pass years her generous labors on behalf of equality opportunity have earned her many praise. Bates and her husband were important figures in the Little Rock Integration Crisis in 1957. The Bates published a local black newspaper, the Arksansas State Press, which advertised the violations of the Supreme Court's desegration rulings. She guided and advised the nine students, known as Little Rock Nine, when they attempted to enroll in an all white school. Ultimately, the Little Rock Nine were able to attend Central High, and many of them went on to impressive careers. The price for her husband and herself was high, and the advertisers caused the local black newspaper to dry up quickly. It was forced to shut down in 1959. Daisy Bates received many honors and rewards. In 1988 she received the American book award and Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree in the University of Arksansas, 1984. Arkansas has established the third Monday in February as George Washington's Birthday and Daisy Gatson Bates Day, which is an official state holiday. Also, the Daisy Bates Elementary School in Little Rock is named in her honor. Bates...
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...Samuel Johnson once said “great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance.” In the two writing pieces, one titled “Louis Braille” by Noah Remnick, and the other one titled “It couldn’t be Done” by Edgar Guest, the mood and tones of these text both show “perseverance” In several ways. Remnick provides information to show perseverance by telling about Louis Braille’s life and how he was blind, but was still confident and created a type of writing for the blind. Guest also showed perseverance in his text by having the main character be challenged to sing. No one thought he could do it, but he also was confident and accelerated his challenge like no other. Showing perseverance is not impossible. Work hard, do your best, and you...
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...memoir "Warriors Don’t Cry", Melba Pattillo and her other black friends (LR9) are trying to successfully integrate a full school year at Little Rock High . At this time, this school was segregated, but black people are trying to integrate into this school. White people hated blacks in Little Rock, so when they heard that black students were going to try to integrate into Little Rock High they went ballistic. Riots of whites were everywhere, police had to come to hold them all back. The first day for the LR9 to integrate came, they all were nervous. Melba and the LR( were determined to get through this, not only for themselves but for all the other blacks to come through Little Rock also. They went in and it was horrible, whites tried everything they could to get to them, physical, mental, and sychological. It was like this for almost all the way through the year. Sometimes Melba came home crying, bruises, and...
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...part of the Little Rock Nine, a group of nine African American students who attended Central High School in Little Rock Arkansas. Central High School was a segregated school prior to the Little Rock Nine.(DEF) This decision was made after the Brown vs Board of Education, which composed of five separate cases that dealt with segregation in schools.(JKL) The resulting decision was that schools were separated but not equal in 1954.(JKL) The National Association for Advancement of Colored People(NAACP) recruited Elizabeth Eckford and 8 other students to be part of the Little Rock Nine, in an attempt to integrate Central High School.(FGH) President Eisenhower sent the police and 101st Airborne to escort the Little Rock Nine for the school year.(FGH) However, even with protection the treatment of the students in the Little Rock Nine was harsh and violent....
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...the nine African-American high school students faced an angry mob of over 1,000 White Americans protesting integration in front of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Thesis: I am here to inform you about the Integration at Central High School which the President Eisenhower had to send in 1,000 army paratroopers and Governor Orval Faubus Body I. Main Point: President Eisenhower had to send in 1,000 army paratroopers for the students to be able to walk into the school. 1. Under escort from the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division, nine black students enter all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. 2. After a tense standoff, President Dwight D. Eisenhower federalized the Arkansas National Guard and sent 1,000 army paratroopers to Little Rock to enforce the court order. 3. President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent in federal troops to ensure that the black students made it to school. II. Main Point: Governor Orval Faubus had surrounded the school with National Guard troops to prevent its federal court-ordered racial integration. 1. On September 2, Governor Orval Faubus—a staunch segregationist—called out the Arkansas National Guard to surround Central High School and prevent integration, ostensibly to prevent the bloodshed he claimed desegregation would cause. 2. Governor Faubus, acting under the authority of a state law that granted him the power to close schools, ordered the high schools in Little Rock closed for the school year...
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