Warriors Don't Cry: Book Review

The book “Warriors Don’t Cry” is an important book to read because it tells the history of desegregation in Arkansas. The author Melba Patillo describes her feelings about discrimination and the effects racial slurs had on her. The story takes place in 1954 when the Supreme Court case, Brown vs. Board of Education ruled that the school segregation was illegal. Melba Patillo was one of the nine students who decided to integrate Little Rock high school.

A plan to have limited desegregation was adopted in order to calm the fears of whites who did not want to attend school with black students. Despite this, white students and whites from the community continued to intimidate black students by shouting racial slurs. The U.S. President sent troops to Little Rock to disperse the mobs formed when Melba was attacked by three girls with flaming wads of paper. Melba saved herself by throwing her text books back at them. Later, she was attacked again, but even more viciously. A boy squirted acid onto her face and into her eyes. From that time forward, she needed to wear eyeglasses.

I think that these nine students became the first people of color to integrate an all-white school. They were the pioneers that led the way for the right to quality education for all families in the community. Talking about race at home and in school is very important. We need to teach our children to treat everyone the same way. Freedom and equal rights are for all people. Melba taught me that the word “integration” leads to opportunities and freedom.