Attending Melba Beals Event Essay -- Civil Rights Little Rock Nine

I attended an event commemorating a very heroic woman’s actions. Civil rights activist Melba Beals, author of Warriors Don’t Cry, was one of the Little Rock Nine who helped to integrate an all-white Arkansas public high school in 1957. However, this was not a very easy task. She attended school amidst constant harassment, violence, and threats. Her efforts helped shape the civil rights movement and earned her America’s top civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal. I found her to be very inspiring, witty, and brave. The event allowed us to hear her perspective on growing up at such a volatile time, and to learn about her unique and rich past. This event was held in the Illini Union, a building on the University of Illinois’ campus where students and faculty work, study, and relax. Very often events such as this one are held to add a diverse flavor and special treat to the already enriching university. This presentation was held in the ballroom on the second floor. This room is a beautifully decorated large hall where many various events take place from dances to speeches. The fact that the event was held in this room shows the importance of Melba and the seating needed to accommodate such a large-scale event. The event was extremely crowded, and many different nationalities and cultures were represented, which was quite surprising to me. I would have imagined only finding African-Americans and whites at an event like this, but to my surprise almost every culture was represented in the audience. Through careful observation I noticed that the composition of the audience was mainly female, college and middle aged. I did notice that there were many families that came together, which was very nice... .... It made me proud of them and for them. From attending this lecture I have a greater sense of appreciation for all the women of color who have made a difference, because now I know how many obstacles they had to overcome to achieve their goal. After seeing her speak I felt extremely enriched and honored to have had the chance to hear someone like her speak in front of me. I felt a sense of pride for her. It was an odd moment. I felt like I was directly connected to her as well as to everything that she was saying. I could feel her pain, sorrow, triumph, and happiness all at once. It is not everyday that someone attempts to de-segregate their high school at a time when African-American people had no right to do something like this whatsoever. I am very much looking forward to reading her book now. I am very interested in finding more out about her life.