Warriors Don't Cry (Abridged): Chapters 6–9

by Melba Pattillo Beals
In 1957, Melba Pattillo was one of a group of teenagers who integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. In this abridged version of her memoir, she describes her fight to survive and thrive in the sometimes violent aftermath of the Supreme Court decision that declared segregation unconstitutional.

Here are links to our lists for the memoir: Time Brings About a Change–Chapter 5, Chapters 6–9, Chapters 10–14, Chapter 15–Epilogue
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. bailiff
    officer of the court employed to execute writs and processes
    We were squeezed through the crowd and ushered to one of the areas in front, near the bailiff.
  2. intimidating
    discouraging through fear
    Up close, they seemed much less intimidating.
  3. moot
    of no legal significance, as having been previously decided
    Judge Davies spoke emphatically: “You are excused, gentlemen, but you understand that this is a moot question. The hearing will proceed.”
  4. concede
    give over
    “The position of Governor Faubus and the military officials of the state is that the governor and the state will not concede that the U.S. Court or anyone else can question the authority of the governor to exercise his judgment in administering the affairs of state, and since he does not concede this responsibility, we will not proceed further in this action.”
  5. clamor
    loud and persistent outcry from many people
    The sounds of footsteps, ugly words, insulting shouts, and whispered commands formed an echoing clamor.
  6. treacherous
    dangerously unstable and unpredictable
    But the reality was so much bigger, darker, and more treacherous than I had imagined.
  7. disoriented
    having lost your bearings
    I was disoriented, as though my world were blurred and leaning to the left, like a photograph snapped from a twisted angle and out of focus.
  8. harrowing
    causing extreme distress
    Walking the gauntlet to my next class was even more harrowing.
  9. compassion
    a deep awareness of and sympathy for another's suffering
    “Get inside, Melba. Now!” The face of the gym teacher showed both compassion and alarm as she quietly pointed to a group of women some distance away, jumping over the rear fence as they shouted obscenities at me.
  10. ebb
    flow back or recede
    The ocean of people stretched farther than I could see—waves of people ebbing and flowing, shoving the sawhorses and the policemen who were trying to keep them in place.
  11. integrate
    open up to members of all races and ethnic groups
    “Two, four, six, eight, we ain’t gonna integrate.”
  12. ajar
    slightly open
    I stood near the door, which was ajar enough so that although I could not see who was speaking, I could hear much of the men’s conversations.
  13. momentum
    the product of a body's mass and its velocity
    The car gained momentum, lunging forward.
  14. engulf
    flow over or cover completely
    As the full light of day crept into the windows, the deafening noise of the mob engulfed us.
  15. disheveled
    in disarray; extremely disorderly
    Mother Lois came rushing into the living room, disheveled and frantic.
  16. preoccupied
    having excessive or compulsive concern with something
    I discovered that one reason we were able to slip into the school that morning was that the mob had been preoccupied chasing and beating three black reporters, James Hicks, Alex Wilson, and Moses Newsom, whom they had accused of purposely distracting the crowd in order to allow us time to get in the side door.
  17. flustered
    thrown into a state of agitated confusion
    A concerned and flustered Conrad rushed into the house to greet me.
  18. articulate
    characterized by clear expressive language
    He complimented me, saying I was articulate and asked if I could write.
  19. shield
    a protective covering or structure
    “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped.” With this verse in mind and a hopeful prayer in my heart I entered the halls of Central High.
  20. conducive
    tending to bring about; being partly responsible for
    The spacious halls brought again the school feeling, however the atmosphere was not conducive to study but one of uneasiness.
  21. aspiration
    a cherished desire
    I longed to tell them, “I won’t hurt you, honest, give me a chance, come on. How about it? I’m an average teenager, just like yourself, with the same aspirations and heartaches.”
  22. jeopardize
    pose a threat to; present a danger to
    When I finished the article I realized it was not the whole truth but a version that wouldn’t jeopardize the integration.
  23. menace
    pose a threat to; present a danger to
    Speaking from the White House, President Eisenhower said he sent troops because “Mob rule in Little Rock menaces the very safety of the United States and the free world.”
  24. revere
    regard with feelings of respect
    In the name of God, whom we all revere, in the name of liberty we hold so dear, in the name of decency which we all cherish, what’s happening in America?
  25. bluff
    pretense that your position is stronger than it really is
    “I can help you figure this out, Mr. Faubus,” Mother Lois shouted at the screen. “The President has called your bluff.”
  26. distraught
    deeply agitated especially from emotion
    Mama looked even more distraught.
  27. unison
    the act of occurring together or simultaneously
    We approached the stairs, our feet moving in unison to the rhythm of the marching click-clack sound of the Screaming Eagles.
  28. placid
    not easily irritated
    They were wearing a different uniform from the combat soldiers outside, but they carried the same hardware and had the same placid expressions.
  29. browbeat
    discourage or frighten with threats or a domineering manner
    “I hope you don’t think we’re gonna browbeat our students to please you’all,” she said.
  30. pristine
    immaculately clean and unused
    The sight of pristine lines of marching soldiers going back and forth in the distance calmed my nerves.
  31. hooligan
    a rowdy, violent, and typically youthful troublemaker
    Reluctantly, the hooligans dispersed, leaving a trail of insults in their wake.
  32. outrageous
    grossly offensive to decency or morality; causing horror
    I’d never seen anything like it or imagined in my wildest dreams that an important school like Central could allow such outrageous behavior.
  33. meek
    evidencing little spirit or courage
    The teacher sat meekly behind his desk, a spectator stripped of the desire or power to make them behave.
  34. amend
    set straight or right
    “Uh, I mean, does all this trouble make you’all wish you were white instead of Negro?” he amended his question.
  35. demise
    the time when something ends
    News of our demise would be a three-line notation buried on the back page of a white newspaper were it not for the Northern reporters’ nosy persistence in getting the facts and dogging the trail of segregationists.
  36. tonic
    a medicine that strengthens and invigorates
    The next morning, after a full night’s sleep, I felt fresh and new, and the ride with Sarge and the others was a real tonic to start my day.
  37. accompany
    go or travel along with
    Fewer soldiers accompanied us up the front stairs.
  38. defiant
    boldly resisting authority or an opposing force
    Their absence meant the defiant chants and hateful words grew much louder.
  39. anticipation
    something expected, as on the basis of a norm
    As with any high school on Friday, the anticipation of the weekend brought excitement, and this was a special Friday for Central High’s student body.
  40. raspy
    unpleasantly harsh or grating in sound
    “Some guy tried to choke me,” I whispered in a raspy voice.
Created on Mon May 18 21:00:54 EDT 2015 (updated Wed Feb 26 08:33:19 EST 2020)

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