Melba Patillo's Testimony on the segregation in Little Rock

Melba Patillo's Testimony on the segregation in Little Rock

In a city of the South of the United States, the public school continues the school segregation ninety two years after the abolition of slavery as well as three years after the stop of the segregation in the country.

In summer, 1957, nine black students are chosen to form the first integration of the Blacks to the Exchange High School of Little Rock which is the capital of Arkansas managed by the democratic governor Orval Faubus.

On the eve of the beginning of the classes, the governor of Arkansas declared to the television that the integration of the Blacks in the white schools is impossible. As brings reports it to us one of the nine student, called Melba Patillo, the National Guarding and a delirious crowd prevented them the access to the school, she and his pug-nosed persons had to turn back by means of Daisy Bates who makes left the NAACP of Litlle Rock.

President Dwight Eisenhower meets the governor who asks him to delay the integration of the Blacks but the President orders him to respect the judgment of the supreme court and to allow the desegregation of schools. On September 20th Faubus removes its troops after the stop of judge Ronald Davies. 4 days later the mayor of the city asks the Chairing to make the army come to protect the black students, 101 ° airborne division was deport. It had been 80 years since the army had been sent to a state of the ex-confederacy. September 25th, 9 students were escorted inside the building to begin finally the school year with 2000 white students.

But Melba Patillo explains us in his newspaper that six months after the stock market recovery and to arrive of the army; on February 19th, she makes raped by a young white who is named Andy. Melba is afraid of it when she goes out of the cafeteria, he walks her on feet, the shoot and shouts her threats. These knees trembled so much she was afraid. Melba jumped far from him and run, he shouted her"Just think all night about what I'm gonna do to you tomorrow ".

The next day carried out Andy his threats one rackets of tennis struck Melba with, she spat some blood. Melba lives him several times during day. She not let him not see her crying and not the indicated to nobody.

By her testimony we discover the violence undergone by the blacks.

In her newspaper this young black student makes us discover that the segregation always exists and will always exist.

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