Breaking Down Barriers: Overcoming Segregation & Discrimination - Essay Sample

Introduction

Segregation and discrimination of the blacks in the lands of the whites has not been an easy thing to overcome. Instead, it has existed for a very long time and has affected the blacks in a diverse number of ways denying them services like education, medical access among several others simply because they are perceived to be minor to the whites. This racism has been overcome as of the present date as of Melba Pattillo's story in Central High School.

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Discussion

There are several things that are learned from the Story of Melba Pattillo in Warriors Don't Cry as well as the experiences of the other eight little rock students. This story is about the segregation, racism, and the integration of southern schools in the 1950s. These are the years when the blacks, especially in America, were given no room to associate with the whites in any way and even they had to go to their schools which were predominantly made for blacks (Beals). From the Warriors Don't Cry, Melba and the eight others who wanted to acquire their education in the Central High School together with the whites go through a lot of resistance. Some of them do not even succeed to join this school, but only Melba and another one of the eight succeed to study in the school even though they face a lot of rough time in the hands of the whites.

Racism has been a very bad vice in the community and has caused a lot of suffering to the people exposed to it. All the struggles to have schools in the southern parts of America, where all the races of students could be accommodated had turned a great problem (Berg). The efforts by individuals and groups of people to have these southern schools integrated to accommodate all races had been fought by others seriously, and all the attempts to have blacks in the schools of the whites always failed.

Conclusion

From this story, racism and segregation are a serious problem that requires a lot to be done to eradicate it once and for all. Despite the resistance, some efforts to bring together the southern schools and have the students of all races learn together have forcefully succeeded. The only way in which southern schools can be merged or rather integrated is through having very firm laws passed by the governments asking for the integration of these schools. The law must play its part and intervene to solve this long term problem (Christensen). For the individuals and learning institutions that do not comply to the laws that are passed about the integration of schools, then the only solution that would help would be having harsh laws and punishments imposed on them to make sure that they agree with the stipulated policies and give the blacks a right to access the quality of education they deserve together with the whites.

Conclusion

From the story in the Warriors Do Not Cry, there is proof that equality does not exist in southern schools. The whites have all the favor to themselves at the expense of the blacks who live among them. However, for the creation of a better society, southern schools must be integrated, and all the students are allowed to learn together and interact. This will lead to better education, and the outcome of it in the society will be felt.

Works Cited

Beals, Melba. Warriors Don't Cry: Searing Memoir of Battle to Integrate Little Rock. Simon and Schuster, 1995.

Berg, Allison. "Trauma and Testimony in Black Women's Civil Rights Memoirs: The Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Women Who Started It, Warriors Don't Cry, and From the Mississippi Delta." journal of Women's History 21.3 (2009): 84-107.

Christensen, L. "Warriors don't cry: Acting for justice." Rethinking Schools 18.3 (2004): 48-50.