Analysis Of Jackie Robinson And Melba Patillo Beals 'Warriors Don T Cry'

Feng Ru, Jackie Robinson, and Melba Patillo Beals all faced life-changing experiences and in doing so changed their countries. The non-fiction article, “The Father of Chinese Aviation”, by Rebecca Maksel, the autobiography, I Never Had It Made, by Jackie Robinson, and the memoir, Warriors Don’t Cry, by Melba Patillo Beals all explore this idea about their life-changing experiences. Feng Ru in “The Father of Chinese Aviation” took risks to help his country prosper in the aviation business. Melba Patillo Beals in Warriors Don’t Cry risked her own life for other black people to integrate into schools with white people. Jackie Robinson in I Never Had It Made also took risks to integrate professional sports. All of these people risked important

“Step by step we climbed upward-where none of my people had ever before walked as a student” (Beals). This shows that schools were formerly segregated, which meant that black people couldn’t go to the same school as white people went to. Melba Patillo Beals was challenged by segregationists barring her from entering Central High School, she was challenged by people who said racial slurs and raised their fists towards her. She was challenged by becoming sad because she forgot to kiss her mother good-bye. She was challenged by being surrounded by soldiers the whole time and people looked at her as if she was different. Beals stated, “I was a little concerned because many people, even those who knew me well, were staring as though I was different from them.” This shows that people were looking at her as if she was different because she was always in the middle of things and was trying to start integrating schools like Central High School. She responded to the events by working and working to go to the all-white school until she reached the Supreme Court where they decided that she could go to the school. Melba grew by learning how serious racism is and the damage it can do to a person. She learned that the military power was indeed powerful because it can help a few black kids go to an all-white school in the middle of a racist environment. She also learned that people like the Arkansas National Guard can’t stop her from getting her justice when she has the military on her side. Melba Patillo Beals gave African Americans freedom to integrate schools and gave white people a sense that they should stop their racist thoughts and actions towards African American people. Melba Patillo Beals managed to integrate Central High School along with other schools by doing what was right and worked very