March Forward, Girl
From Young Warrior to Little Rock Nine

Melba Patillo, as one of the Little Rock Nine, shares her story, and starts with this paragraph from her book Warriors Don't Cry: Black folks aren’t born expecting segregation, prepared from day one to follow its confining rules. Nobody presents you with a handbook when you are teething and says, “He......more

A truly horrifying description of how it was to grow up as a black person in Little Rock, Arkansas during the 50’s and 60’s. Melba Patillo Beals was one of the Little Rock Nine. This is the story of her childhood, before she was accepted to Central High School, an all-white school, and wrote herself......more

Richie’s Picks: MARCH FORWARD, GIRL: FROM YOUNG WARRIOR TO LITTLE ROCK NINE by Melba Pattillo Beals, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, January 2018, 224p., ISBN: 978-1-328-88212-7 “Across the lines Who would dare to go Under the bridge Over the tracks That separate whites from blacks” -- Tracy Chapman (1988) “Gra......more

Courage. What courage it takes to be patient and wait for the right moment to march forward. And to march forward with dignity and restraint while those around you try to strip it away from you. Courage is a gift, not just for yourself, but for all those with whom you come in contact.......more

Melba Pattillo Beals tells stories from her childhood leading up to entering Central High School as one of the Little Rock Nine. What is important about this book is that Melba talks about the harassment and discrimination she experienced on both a large and a small scale. She witnessed a lynching i......more