Warriors Don’t cry is a book by Melba Pattilol. It mainly focuses on the challenges African students faced in white schools. The level of injustice that was present in these schools. Melba was one among the nine black students that were first to join white schools. Her life in this school was not easy. White students together with their parents were not happy about integrating students.
According to them, Africans did not deserve to learn in white schools. These students faced mobs frequently from their fellow students. It is due to this that president Eisenhower came up with a plan for protecting these students. Melba tries to explain how a student nearly blinded her by use of acid. All these persecutions did not make her give up on going back to Central High. She has clearly indicated in her Warriors Don’t Cry that she still hoped to go back to this school.
Governor Faubus, however, shut her dreams by passing laws that restricted blacks from integrating with white students. This paper analyses different social issues that have been addressed in Warriors Don’t Cry. In addition, it analyses means through which these issues were addressed in the 1950’s and today
Social issues in Warriors Don’t Cry
Melba together with her African friends did not give up fighting for their rights even after going through racial discrimination, death threats, abuse and bombs.
They called themselves Little Rock Arkansas a name that bound them together as Africans. They were not allowed to study in Central High because of their black race. The whites considered the black people as inferior a fact that made them despise Africans. The black people were denied access to public amenities such as education, transport and health. Little Rock Arkansas, therefore, hoped that they would try to bring change.
Segregation was another challenge that faced the Africans. They were not allowed to integrate with the whites. White people attended prestigious schools while the blacks had to attend low schools. All these issues are similar in the sense that they led to humiliation of the black people. It is because of these social issues that Africans could not develop compared to the whites
How social issues were dealt with
The main reason why Melba together with her friends was persistent in staying in Central High was to promote integration between the whites and blacks. They wanted the whites to give them a chance to learn in the white school regardless of their race. Persistence and trust in God helped them in dealing with the social issues that faced them in Central High. Melba’s grandmother India played an important role in helping her deal with challenge she faced in Central High.
She advised her to shun violence at all cost. According to Melba’s grandmother, violence promotes hatred and cannot help in achieving one’s desires. Some Africans due to the level of inequality witnessed in America decided to go on strikes demanding the government to help in protecting their lives. Others used demonstrations and boycotts. Melba did not only receive support from her grandmother, but also, a friend by the name Link.
Link was the only white who opposed the actions of students in Central High. According to him, it was not wrong for Africans to learn with the whites. He, therefore, decided to protect Melba from her attackers. Grandma India, the Little Rock 9 and Melba, were trying to do the right thing in order to ensure Integrated Central High and educational equity.
How social issues are dealt with today
It is evident that our society is full of social issues. Melba together with her friends are not the only individuals that faced these challenges. Inequality is still witnessed all over the world. Freedom to choose is not a privilege for every individual in society. In addition, freedom of expression has been a major challenge in most countries.
There is nothing important as having the freedom to choose what is wrong and right. Everyone would like to have the freedom to express themselves without being held back. This is the same freedom that the Little Rock 9 was fighting. They were interested in receiving fair treatment and acquiring quality education. Research indicates that the struggle to promote equality in America is not yet. Africans still fight for equality in different places.
Today, people would try to fight for their rights in different ways. There are those who take a violent approach while other would advocate for peaceful demonstrations. In cases of poor pay, for example, workers would go on strikes in order to receive an increase in payment.
Other violent approaches used by individuals in dealing with social issues are riots, strikes, demonstrations and boycotts. Most people argue that the only way they can receive democracy is by use of force and not diplomacy. Dialogue proves to be the best approach that can help individuals in receiving their rights. In most cases, violent approaches lead to hatred and massive destructions a fat that promotes economic degradation
Conclusion
Warriors Don’t Cry is one among many books that have tried to address the challenges that faced the African Americans in the 1950s. Warriors Don’t Cry defines the author’s pain due to the level of discrimination Africans faced due to their race. They were denied access to most public amenities just because they were black.
It is through their struggle that most Africans are able to enjoy certain privileges like the whites. Through these struggles, we get to understand that nothing come easy. One can only achieve his goals through hard work and determination.