Integration

Today we ventured to Little Rock, Arkansas. In this journey we visited the high school, middle school, the capital and the historic site museum across from the Little Rock Central High School. In the museum we had to find a quote and a fact or image and reflect on what we thought about it. I came across this quote,  "After three full days inside central, I know that integration is a much bigger word than I thought" -Melba Pattillo. My opinion is that Melba felt battered, confused, and different. I think that she if she never would've volunteered to go to Central High she would not know the full meaning of integration and she wouldn't have experienced what she did By her going to central it made her a better person in a way, I say that because she experienced what whites were capable of a year before she attended the school so she knew what she was getting herself into and she went for it. Melba had three altercations with the angry mob outside the school. She was terrified and I think after the third time she had the altercations that's when she knew integration was such a bigger word then she thought it was. I feel as though if the government wanted everyone to be "equal" why didn't they do more to enforce the integration of schools?

Marycle Collick

11^th grade, City Neighbors