The influence of racism is one of the most important issues in American history. The Racial and discrimination is always concerned, and the focal point for book writing by many authors. Racism does not exclude anyone, more specifically black people. Besides that racism, the book “Warriors Don’t Cry” by Melba Pattillo Beals was published in 1994. It was associated with many important events in American history. Namely with periods of desegregation and integration of people of black and white races. The author wrote the book based on her experiences at Central High. Melba Pattillo Beals was born on December 7, 1941, in Little Rock (Pulaski country). Beals grew up surrounded by family members who knew the importance of education. In the book, the author has recounted her experiences of the relationship effects between blacks and whites that she and another eight African America child faced within Little Rock, Arkansas in the South, during the process of desegregation in 1957. And here are some of the effects of racism before the Civil Rights Movement: education, psychological and health.
Racism has caused particular serious influence in education in Southern Arkansas. In 1957, there was a civil rights riots in Central High. At the center of the controversy were nine black children who wanted only to have the opportunity for a better education. Other white adults shouted and did not accept their children going to the same schools as blacks. Quote “they ‘d kill us rather than see me go to school with their children” (Beals1). Three weeks later, having won a federal court order, black children were mobilized to attend the school. But by eleven that morning, they again faced a fierce confrontation with the protesters. Namely, “Hundreds of people outside were running wild, crashing through police barriers to get us out to school” (Beals2). President Eisenhower was forced to send the 101st Airborne Division soldiers to uphold the law and protect the lives of these black children.
One of the other effects of racism is psychological impact. When author Beals was 3 years old, she had a fear of seeing her white-skinned cousin came to babysit. She felt shy to her skin. She said, “I felt safe only in my sepia-toned world, a cocoon of familiar people and places” (Beals6). Because she knew that white people didn’t live and work with black people like her. Her fear developed as she observed the white adults and listened to their conversations. Also, she understood that not only she was afraid of white people, even her mother was. She said, “whenever we walked uptown, among white people, mother held my hand too tight. I could see the fear in her eyes, feel the stiffening of her body as white people walked past. If we happened to be in their path, she quickly shoved me aside, according to them the privilege of first passage” (Beals7). And she was always warned to avoid white people and stay in a separate area.
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The last thing in racial discrimination is medical health. The evidence was found when the author told about the history of her birth and the treatment of the doctors and nurses at the hospital. She was born on Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, 1941. While her mother was trying to give birth to her, they had trouble because her mother was tiny, and she was nine pounds. Doctors used forceps to deliver her and injured her scalp. A few days later, she became ill due to a major infection. Her mother took her to the white hospital, and they were reluctant to accept her. Twenty-four hours later her condition did not improve. And she started convulsing. Her mother sent the minister to give her the last rites. But fortunately, when her mother met the man guarding the gate, he extended his sympathy. He said that he overheard conversations between the doctor and nurses in her case. He said, “he had heard the doctor tell the white nurse to irrigate my head with Epsom salts and warm water every two or three hours or I wouldn’t make it” (Beals5). And she did what the doctor told the nurse to do for Beals instead of telling the nurses about it. Within two days, Beals was remarkably better.
The book Warriors Don’t Cry was a testament to monitor the situation for African Americans. They fought for civil liberties and civil rights equality. They aspired to be treated equally in education and health, and then to be an equal member of the society, of join community of both the black and white people. The book showed experiences of nine brave, young African American students from honest, hardworking, and families. Some people called her a heroine because she was one of nine black teenagers who integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957.
