Chapters 1-4 Summary and Analysis

Melba Pattillo was born on Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, 1941. The family believed that Melba's birth on that day was a sign that the baby would have a part in some kind of monumental change. Melba was a large baby and received injury from forceps because her mother was so petite. Melba got an infection in her head and nearly died. A janitor revealed to Melba's mother and grandmother that the doctor had ordered a cleansing solution of Epsom salts and water to clean out the infection, but the procedure had never been performed. The medical staff's response was, "We don't coddle niggers."

Melba healed and other than asthma, grew to be a healthy girl. Horace Mann was the school for black children in Little Rock, so that's where Melba and the other children went to learn.

It was the...