...During the 2017-18 school year, I've read so many good books that it is hard to choose one favorite. However, the book I read for the memoir project, Warriors Don't Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals, stood out from the others. The memoir was so beautifully written that I never wanted to put it down. I'd never felt so captivated by a book assigned for English class, and this book drew me in until I felt as if I were a part of Melba's world. The book helped me realize the trials and suffering that racial inequality has caused since the beginning of time. Even though I had learned about the civil rights movement before, reading Warriors Don't Cry was an eye-opening experience. I'd never learned about that era with such detail and brutal honesty. Each...
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...In Warriors Don’t Cry, Melba Patillo Beals is strong, tenacious, and courageous. Melba transitions from a normal teenage girl to a strong hardened warrior, when she starts to attend school at Central High. She learns that she has to give up all the other things teenagers care about. She doesn’t have a normal high school experience, but through all of this she is learning that she is one of Gods warriors fighting Gods fight. Melba doesn’t have the life she wishes to have, but she is realizing that she is doing the right thing. The person who helped her the most was her grandmother, India. She gave Melba a diary to write down her feelings and to also talk to God. She also helped Melba recognize that she is one of God’s warriors on the battlefield....
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...Introduction(refer to pages 93-94): \ Turning points are life changing experiences and can be difficult. This sentence is proved by "Warriors Don't Cry" by Melba Pattillo Beals, "I had never had it made" by Jackie Robinson, and The Father of Chinese Aviation by Rebecca Maskel. Feng Ru Jackie Robinson, and Melba Beals faced life changing experiences and changed their country. Jackie Robinson integrated the major league baseball. This was a big deal during that time in 1947 because only white players were allowed in the MLB. “ I had become the first black player to play in the world series”. He broke the color barrier and was the first black player. This was dangerous back then because people were racist and said racist things. Some people liked the idea of blacks coming into sports that were normally only played by white people. Some did not like the idea of blacks and rejected him. “ I had been forced to live with the snuffs and rebuffs and rejections.” Some people hated the idea if a black man coming into the MLB. The fact that some people were so against blacks made Jackie word harder to prove them wrong. Robinson was overall a great human with great strength to stand against everyone....
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...The first book I would include is Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, which is a dejecting novel about a girl that leaves behind thirteen tapes, each dedicated a person that was responsible for her suicide. The fictional story seems shockingly authentic due to the pieces of reality artfully woven into it. It opens your eyes to the perspectives of the people around you, and throughout the book, it emphasizes the butterfly effect. How a butterfly flapping its wings can cause a hurricane; how one small action can alter someone’s life. Especially when one of my closest friends was diagnosed with depression, the story became more relevant than ever. Secondly, I would choose Warriors Don’t Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals, which is a shocking memoir of...
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...In Warriors Don’t Cry, Melba Pattillo Beals, an African American teenage resident of Little Rock, Arkansas, is fighting for the integration of Central High School. After being selected for her excellent academic achievements at her previous school, in 1957, she is enrolled into the all-white Central High School. This school year is torturous for Melba. She is constantly attacked with obscene words and language, while physical attacks are also quite common for her. Despite these horrible circumstances, Melba is able to use her traits and abilities to survive. Melba uses her physical strength to combat her enemies, her acute cleverness to outsmart and confuse her attackers, and relies on her faith in God to keep her mentally strong. Melba uses physical strength to retaliate against her enemies and survive their attacks. In Chapter 10, Melba enters a dimly lit bathroom and a group of girls gathers around her stall. They then proceed to drop flaming wads onto her. In retaliation, Melba throws her school books up at the girls. This show of force scares her attackers and allows her to break out of the stall to...
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...Helen Keller once said, “All the world is full of suffering. It is also full of overcoming.” This quote shows that people everyday have their own adversiteries that they are required to overcome or they will be stationary in life. Melba Pattillo Beals was presented her task at a young age. She was on of the Little Rock nine, who integrated an all white school. She had to grow as individual, but more so as a black individual. Melba wanted equality and that is what she achieved. It was not easy but throughout her life her she develops characteristics that aimed for freedom and equality. In particular, Melba Pattillo Beals displays the concept that with strength and courage, anything can be accomplished. In Warriors Don’t Cry, Melba possess...
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...Faith is something that helps many people through the tough things in life. Whether it be sickness, tough transitions or just everyday problems, turning to faith is something that many see as the only way to fix these things. The Beals family is an amazing example of this. In Warriors Don’t Cry, Melba Patillo Beals illustrates true faith as a necessity when going through trials and tribulations. Melba’s brother, Conrad is asked if he gave any of his belongings away and when he says he hasn’t, Grandma India compares him to Melba, telling him everything she’s given away. Conrad then mentions how Melba must like suffering and doing without because she attends Central High School. Grandma India defends Melba by saying, “‘Her staying there means...
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...seem like a horrible nightmare, but it had turned into a reality for Melba Patillo Beals and eight others in her story Warriors Don’t Cry. In Little Rock, Arkansas, the Little Rock Nine were young African Americans that had been chosen to participate in the first integration at Central High School. In the 1950s, many segregationists and students were opposed to this and responded by harassing the children and even abusing them. Melba demonstrates the characteristics of a brave warrior by fighting back against her oppressors emotionally and physically even when the odds were against her. Most of Melba’s battles resided inside her, these battles usually led to decisions that would improve or cripple Melba’s experience as an African American fighting for her rights; winning these battles was crucial to her survival at Central High. Danny was a very positive role...
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...suffered from discrimination, and it is sad to say schools were one the biggest targets of this disease. For instance, the author of the book Warriors Don’t Cry, Melba Pattillo Beals, writes about how she was the target of her school and suffered years of discrimination and segregation while she attended an all white school. Because this disease hit schools the hardest, it should be a priority to teach racism in schools and have every student at some point read the book Warriors Don’t Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals. Many readers may question why we should be learning about a thing of the past, the answer is simple. Racism isn’t history; it never was and most likely never will be. Many believe that once slavery was abolished, so was racism. Racism just went into the shadows and now is slowly making its way back out. In May of 1955, when Melba Beals decided to push an education and go to Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas; she didn’t expect that she would be discriminated against....
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