Racism

The central theme in "Warriors Don't Cry" by Melba Pattillo Beals is racism. The work brilliantly displays the attitudes and various violent acts that occurred in Little Rock, Arkansas in the 1950s, even though much of the story revolves around the group of nine students that were integrated into Central High School.

Racism was already a fact of life in the South, but its prevalence became internationally recognized when Melba Pattillo and the other students faced grave danger in order to integrate into the white school system. There were also blacks that objected to integration and were not supportive of the Supreme Court's decision in Brown vs. The Board of Education.

The students and families in the story are subjected to everything from threats to horrific violence including attempted rape and attempted murder. The grandmother in the story, Grandma India is forced to stand guard throughout the night...