Melba Pattillo Beals, Warriors Dont Cry Essay -- Warriors Dont Cry

Melba Pattillo Beals', Warriors Don't Cry In the book Warriors Don't Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals, the author describes what her reactions and feelings are to the racial hatred and discrimination she and eight other African-American teenagers received in Little Rock, Arkansas during the desegregation period in 1957. She tells the story of the nine students from the time she turned sixteen years old and began keeping a diary until her final days at Central High School in Little Rock. The story begins by Melba talking about the anger, hatred, and sadness that is brought up upon her first return to Central High for a reunion with her eight other classmates. As she walks through the halls and rooms of the old school, she recalls the horrible acts of violence that were committed by the white students against her and her friends. In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled in the case of Brown vs. The Board of Education that schools needed to integrate and provide equal education for all people and it was unconstitutional for the state to deny certain citizens this opportunity. Although this decision was a landmark case and meant the schools could no longer deny admission to a child based solely on the color of their skin. By 1957, most schools had began to slowly integrate their students, but those in the deep south were still trying to fight the decision. One of the most widely known instances of this happening was at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. It took the school district three years to work out an integration plan. The board members and faculty didn't like the fact that they were going to have to teach a group of students that were looked down upon and seen as "inferior" to white students. However, after much opposition, a plan was finally proposed. The plan called for the integration to hap pen in three phases. First, during the 1957-1958 school year, the senior high school would be integrated, then after completion at the senior high level, the junior high would be integrated, and the elementary levels would follow in due time. Seventeen students were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be the first black teenagers to begin the integration process. The town went into an uproar. Many acts of violence were committed toward the African-Americans in the city. Racism and segregation seemed to be on the rise. Most black students decid... ...f and eventually led to complete integration of all ethnic groups in America. The definition of a warrior is "one who is engaged in or experienced in battle, or in the military life; a soldier; a champion". Melba Beals proved to be a warrior throughout all of the events that surrounded the integration of Central High School. Although she eventually had to leave town, she and the other eight students showed true bravery and courage when they decided to scale the walls of segregation and end the oppression of the white people in Little Rock. Beals was truly woman who fought hard and kept her faith in route to becoming a "warrior" and eventually a "champion" in the fight for civil rights. Sources: Beals, Melba Patillo. "Warriors Don't Cry." Pocket Books. (February 1995). Cozzens, Lisa. "The Civil Rights Movement 1955-1965." African American History. http://fledge.watson.org/~lisa/blackhistory/civilrights-55-65 (25 May 1998). Beals, Melba Patillo. "Warriors Don't Cry." Pocket Books. (February 1995). Cozzens, Lisa. "The Civil Rights Movement 1955-1965." African American History. http://fledge.watson.org/~lisa/blackhistory/civilrights-55-65 (25 May 1998).

America”s Affirmative Actions on Minorities

In years past, Americas of every race, color, and nationality have been pushing for equal rights and equal representation in everything from politics, to professional sports coaches, to jobs, and colleges. In American colleges there is a little thing called affirmative action. This means that colleges give greater higher educational acceptances to minorities than they do the average Joe. For example, one college accepts people if they score above 140 points on their point scale. However, minority groups receive 20 free points just for being themselves! Now is this fair? In a country that is trying to abolish racism, this little thing called affirmative action is fueling it. On college campuses around the nation, the admissions office is not doing their job. They are not granting admissions to the most qualified or the most talented candidates, instead they want to make their education center culturally diverse. To do so, these education centers are granting â€Å"gifts† or giving â€Å"tokens† to these minority groups so is doesn†t look like the average Joe is all the college is made up of. Isn†t this racism at its finest? Statistically, white students have a better chance of getting into college because of their cultural background and emphasis their ancestors put on education. The same thing is happening in work forces across America. Employers have hired the less qualified minority to make a certain quota or to have their company look more diverse. However, a new law in California government prohibits this from happening. Their new law requires the most qualified person to have the job, regardless of race, color, and nationality. More employers and college admission offices throughout the country should abolish affirmative action. It is destroying higher education institutions, and workforces. This same affirmative action is tearing apart the greatest nation on earth, which was built on the words. â€Å"All men are created equal†, and obviously with affirmative action in place, all men are not created equal.

Louisiana Serial Killer Ronald Dominique

Ronald J. Dominique of Houma, LA has confessed to murdering 23 men over the course of nine years and dumping their bodies in sugarcane fields, ditches and small bayous in six southeast Louisiana parishes. His reason for killing? He did not want to return to jail after raping the men. The First Victims In 1997, authorities found 19-year-old David Levron Mitchells murdered body near Hahnville. The body of 20-year-old Gary Pierre was found in St. Charles Parish six months later. In July 1998, the body of 38-year-old Larry Ranson was found in St. Charles Parish. Over the next nine years, more bodies of men ranging in age from 19 to 40 would be found dumped in sugarcane fields, desolate bayous, and ditches in remote areas. Similarities in 23 of the murders lead investigators to suspect the men were victims of a serial killer. The Task Force A task force made up of nine South Louisiana parish sheriffs offices, the Louisiana State Police and the FBI were formed in March 2005, to investigate the murders. Investigators knew the 23 victims were mostly homeless men, many who led high-risk lifestyles, which included drug use and prostitution. The victims had been asphyxiated or strangled, some raped and several were barefooted. The Arrest After receiving a tip, authorities armed with forensic evidence, arrested Ronald Dominique, 42, and charged him with the murder and rape of 19-year-old Manuel Reed and 27-year-old Oliver Lebanks. Just days before his arrest, Dominique had moved from his sisters home into the Bunkhouse shelter in Houma, LA. Residents of the home described Dominique as odd, but no one suspected he was a killer.​ Dominique Confesses to 23 Murders Soon after his arrest, Dominique confessed to murdering 23 southeast Louisiana men. His tactics in capturing, sometimes raping then murdering the men was simple. He would lure homeless men with the promise of sex in exchange for money. Sometimes he would tell the men he wanted to pay them to have sex with his wife and then show a picture of an attractive woman. Dominique was not married. Dominique then led the men to his home, asked to tie them up, then raped and eventually murdered the men to avoid arrest. In his statement to the police, Dominique said the men who refused to be tied up would leave his home unharmed. Such was the case with one unnamed man who reported the incident to the task force, a tip that eventually led to Dominiques arrest. Who Is Ronald Dominique? Ronald Dominique spent much of his youth in the small bayou community of Thibodaux, LA. Thibodaux sits between New Orleans and Baton Rouge and is the type of community where everyone knows a little about each other. He attended Thibodaux High School where he was in the glee club and sang in the chorus. Classmates who remember Dominique say he was ridiculed for being homosexual during his teen years, but at the time he never admitted he was gay. As he got older, he seemed to live in two worlds. There was the Dominique who was helpful to his neighbors in the small trailer parks where he lived. Then there was the Dominique who cross-dressed and did bad impersonations of Patti LaBelle at the local gay club. Neither world embraced  him, and among the gay community, many remember him as someone who was not particularly well liked. Through most of his adulthood, Dominique struggled financially and would end up living with his mother or other relatives. In the weeks before his arrest, he was living with his sister in a single-wide trailer. He was suffering from declining health, having been hospitalized for a severe heart condition and forced to use a cane to walk. Outwardly, there was side to Dominique who enjoyed helping people. He joined the Lions Club just months before his arrest and spent Sunday afternoons calling out Bingo numbers to senior citizens. The membership director said he was well liked by everyone he had met through the Lions Club. Maybe Dominique had finally found a place he felt accepted. What sparked Dominique to move from the comfort of his sisters home to the dismal surroundings of a shelter for the homeless is uncertain. Some suspect the family grew uncomfortable by the 24-hour police surveillance and Dominique, knowing he was soon to be caught, moved away to avoid getting his family involved in his arrest. A Criminal History Dominiques past arrests include forcible rape, disturbing the peace and telephone harassment. Feb. 10, 2002 - Arrested in Terrebonne Parish after he allegedly slapped a woman during a Mardi Gras parade. According to the reports, Dominique accused a woman of hitting a baby stroller in a parking lot. The woman apologized, but Dominique continued to verbally assault her, and then slapped her across the face. He was arrested but entered a parish offenders program instead of standing trial. Reports show he met all his conditions in the program in October 2002.May 19, 2000 - He received a summons to appear in court on disturbing the peace charges. Since it was a misdemeanor, he was able to plead guilty and pay a fine to avoid appearing in court.Aug. 25, 1996 - Dominique was arrested on forcible rape charges and booked on a $100,000 bond. According to neighbors, a partially dressed young man escaped from the window of Dominiques home in Thibodaux, screaming that he had tried to kill him. When the case was brought to court, the victim could not be found to testify. In November 1996, the judge continued the case indefinitely.May 15, 1994 - Arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated and speeding.June 12, 1985 - Arrested and charged with telephone harassment. He pleaded guilty, paid a $74 fine and court costs. Three days after Dominiques arrest for killing Mitchell and Pierre, investigators said Dominique confessed to 21 other murders, giving details only the killer would know.