Warriors Don't Cry

As the 1958 spring semester begins, it becomes clear to Melba and the other Black students that the segregationists spent the Christmas holiday planning specific things they could do to turn Central High into a living hell for the Little Rock Nine. They taunt Minnijean in particular because they know if she experiences any additional trouble, the administration will expel her, making the expulsion of other Black students more likely.

Eventually, there is a incident in which segregationists pour a bucket of soup over her, though Minnijean does nothing about it. When segregationists dump a second bowl of soup over her, there is a tussle, resulting in Minnijean being expelled. National leaders of the Civil Rights movement arranged for her to have a scholarship to the new Lincoln High School in New York City, where she goes to live with the family of Kenneth Clark. While this is a good outcome for her, Minnijean feels sorry to leave behind the other students, believing she is abandoning them.

Melba rejoices for Minnijean but also believes there is more weight on her now. This is a time of despair for Melba, who frequently writes in her diary that she wishes she could die. About this period, she writes, “[W]ith each passing day I began to doubt that I was strong enough to tough it out” (159). When she confesses this to her grandmother, India taunts her about it and says that dying would be playing into the hands of the segregationists. The two set up a weekly session in which Melba sits and prays with India and discusses what is going on in her life.

In the meantime, the attacks on the nine become more intense and personal. When she tries to report the abuse that she receives—for instance, getting tripped and falling down a complete flight of stairs—the adults she explains this to tell her that she should recognize she is going to experience mistreatment if she goes to a place where nobody wants her. She understands that there is no recourse to seek fair play. One white student, Andy, singles Melba out and resorts to physical violence against her, striking her with his fist. On another occasion, he clobbers her with a tennis racket.

One day, Andy sees her outside the school, waiting for her ride. As he and several other boys approach her, a white student named Link whispers to her to get into his car and lock the door. He pretends he is one of the segregationists and intends to attack her. However, she drives away in his car, escaping the segregationist students.

Melba, who has no driver’s license, drives Link’s car to her house, pulls up in the yard, and partially knocks down a fence. Her grandmother comes out, asking what’s going on. When India realizes the car belongs to a white student at Central High, she panics. With Melba’s help, she finds bedclothes to cover the car in case the police come looking for it.

When Lois arrives, they talk the situation over and realize that perhaps Link might have sincerely tried to help her. That evening, Link calls and says he had to pretend it was not his car Melba drove because he doesn’t want Andy to realize he helped her. Link has Melba leave his car at an ice-cream shop that evening.

Link warns Melba that Andy means to kill her if he has the opportunity. During the school day, Melba sees Andy, who threatens her, but because she is around adults, he can only act menacingly. There are occasions when they remove all the adults from the hallways to determine whether or not it will ever be safe for the Black students. On those days, the segregationist students step up their harassment.

On one occasion, Melba finds her locker jimmied open and her books inside it destroyed. She must go to the assistant principal’s office for more books, which puts her in the cafeteria late after the other Black students have gone. A group of white boys sits quite close to her, hemming her in. One of the boys is Link. As they taunt her, one of the boys acts as if he will attack her. She realizes that if she responds in any way to his attack, the conflict will become her fault, and she will face expulsion. Melba writes, “Word was they had psychological experts training them in ways of forcing us to respond” (180). She holds her ground, smiling and thanking the boy for coming at her. Confused, he sits back down. Finally, when the second bell rings for class to begin, Link stands and persuades the others that they will get detention if they don’t leave the cafeteria without harassing Melba any further.

The evening she escapes the students in the cafeteria who want to lure her into a fight, Melba comes home and brags to her mother and grandmother that she used some of Mahatma Gandhi’s nonviolent focus to avoid getting lured into the fight. Link telephones her, and she hangs up on him immediately. Link repeatedly calls back until she answers, and he tells her he wants to talk for five minutes. He claims he intentionally joined the group of boys to persuade them to leave her alone. He knew there was going to be an effort to harm her. He tells her that his father forces him to go to the meetings of the segregationists so he hears what they are planning to do to harass the Little Rock Nine. He warns her about what segregationists plan for the following day.

Melba pays attention to his information, which turns out to be correct. Though Melba and Link can never personally speak to one another, he calls her almost every evening to tell her what to watch out for. She comes to trust him, and her mother and grandmother grudgingly come to trust him as well.

Melba grows excited as Easter approaches, largely because it means the end of the school year is near. Easter is a special time for her family. There are many rituals they follow. Everyone in the family must abandon some cherished thing during the season of Lent and repent for their sins as well.

Because of the integration controversy, Link angrily calls Melba one evening. He tells her that many senior activities he has been looking forward to throughout his school career will not happen because of the integration struggles. During the conversation, he confides that he has a Black nanny. He tells her that the segregationists are stepping up all their efforts to chase the Black students out of Central before the end of the school year. Additionally, a newly appointed judge will hear a request by the school board to halt integration in the Little Rock School District. If successful, it would mean that Melba would not be able to return to Central for her senior year. Melba notes that many of the adults at Central have begun to crack down on the attacks and hostility of the students. Sometimes it is possible to go through the halls without experiencing physical attacks and hostility.

Link calls Melba on Saturday morning and asks her to ride with him without telling her where they are going. She must misrepresent this trip to her mother and grandmother, who would not allow her to go anywhere with Link. She drives to North Little Rock, parks her car, and rides with Link. He takes her to a ramshackle house where his family's lifelong, aged Black servant, Nana Healey, lives. Nana has tuberculosis. All her sustenance depends on Link, who supplies everything for her out of his allowance since his family has not provided for her in any way.

Melba discovers that Link is very caring toward Nana. He demonstrates a tremendous amount of love and respect for her, which shows Melba that, without a doubt, Link’s heart is in the right place. She knows she can always trust him going forward. When Melba asks Link why his family did not take care of Nana, he answers, “Whenever I ask my folks, my father turns me off by saying I’m weak—that I’m a you-know-what lover. He says colored folks are used to doing without, and I ought not spoil them” (201).

Melba finds a Black doctor who will call on Nana, though he says he can do little for her. She needs long-term hospitalization. India agrees to visit Nana periodically as well.

As she returns to school, Melba realizes the segregationists have stepped up their efforts. Link continues to warn her that they’re going to do something that will be an attack on the family of one of the Little Rock Nine students. Melba is more concerned that certain segregationist students have singled her out, threatening to throw her out the school windows, encircling her, and shouting at her.

Lois calls the family together and announces she has lost her teaching contract. The superintendent refuses to renew her contract unless they withdraw Melba from Central High School before the end of the year.

Because Lois has no option to renew her contract with the school district, India and Lois decide their only course of action is to go back to the newspapers. Reporters are now familiar with them. They want to get a story published saying that it is strictly because Melba integrated Central that the administration refuses to renew her mother’s contract. They speak to several journalists and spread the news of what is happening.

On May 7, the story appears in the newspaper that Lois has lost her job because Melba will not drop out of Central. The wire services pick up the story. People from all over the country call the school board to complain. For her final effort, Lois goes to the bishops of the Black churches in town. One well-known bishop tells her to go to the superintendent and say that the bishop would really appreciate it if Lois could have her job back. She follows his directions, and though she’s treated coldly by the superintendent, the next day, she receives word that she has a new contract.

As the school year draws to a close, a controversy develops over the graduation of Ernie Green, the only Black senior. Segregationists vow they will never let this happen. The other Black students and their families may not attend any graduation events because, the administration warns, their presence would provoke violence. Melba stays at home, listening to Ernie’s graduation on the radio.

When the final day of school comes and goes, Melba’s family celebrates her having made it through the entire year at Central. They also hear that the new judge has granted the school board’s request to delay the integration of Little Rock’s schools. The judge has granted a three-year integration-free extension. The NAACP attacks this ruling, getting an injunction to keep the schools open. Governor Faubus responds by shutting down all the high schools in Little Rock.

Thus, Melba must remain at home for her entire senior year and receive no schooling. Link tells Melba there is a price on her head, and since he is going away to college in Massachusetts, he asks her to come with him. She responds, “I can't leave. I have to stay here and go back to Central. […] Everything depends on it” (216).

India is diagnosed with leukemia and dies in October 1958. The NAACP sends out feelers to find where they can transfer the remaining members of the Little Rock Nine to continue their education. Melba goes to California to live with a Quaker family of educators in Santa Rosa. She finishes her secondary education there and goes to San Francisco State University. Melba moves into a residence hall, where she is the first and only Black student. She meets a young soldier, John Beals, and, in 1962, she marries him. They remain married for seven years and have a daughter named Kellie.

Melba writes that 30 years to the day after their first entry into Central, the original nine students gather on the high-school steps for a reunion. Melba notes that all but one of the original nine have moved away from Little Rock. All nine are high achievers and have accomplished significant things.

As they ascend the steps to the high school, Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton greets them. Six years later, Clinton becomes the president of the United States. Many reporters crowd around them to ask questions. Melba cannot help but remember that going to school at Central was a living hell. When asked by reporters what it was like to integrate the school, Melba says it was like going to war every day. As they finish their climb, the school’s front door opens. A nicely dressed young Black student emerges and introduces himself as the president of the student body.