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Melba Pattillo Beals

Journalist, Author of "Warriors Don't Cry" & Member of the "Little Rock Nine"

Melba Pattillo Beals
Travels From Travels From:
San Francisco, CA, USA
Speaking Fee Speaking Fee:
Live Event: $10,000 - $20,000
Virtual Event: $10,000 - $20,000
More Fee Info
Categories Categories:
Categories Categories:
Authors, Black Heritage, Black History Month, Civil Rights, Diversity & Inclusion, Social Activism, Social Justice
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Melba Pattillo Beals Biography

Melba Pattillo Beals was born in Little Rock, Arkansas on Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, 1941. Her parents were divorced when she was seven, and her mother and grandmother — both strong, intelligent women — had a great impact on her life. Beals' mother, Dr. Lois Pattillo, was an English teacher, and one of the first black students to integrate the University of Arkansas, graduating in 1954.

Beals was 12 years old on May 17, 1954 — the date the Supreme Court ruled in "Brown vs. Board of Education" that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. Just over a year later, on May 24, 1955, the Little Rock school board adopted a plan to limit integration to Central High School, but claimed this would not occur for another two years.

When the time came to sign up for Central High, Beals raised her hand and put her name on the sheet. "I thought about all those times I'd gone past Central High, wanting to go inside... I reasoned that if schools were open to my people, I would also get access to other opportunities I had been denied, like... sitting on the first floor of the movies theater" (Beals, 1994).

Then, on Dec. 1 1955, when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Beals knew that "our people were stretching out to knock down fences of integration" (Beals, 1994). Mrs. Parks'action and the tremendous response from the community gave Beals hope for change, despite Governor Orval Fauvus'refusal to allow integration in public schools.

But it was Beals' first trip to Cincinnati, Ohio in early August, 1957 that gave her a glimpse of life without segregation. On this unforgettable trip to visit relatives, Beals went to the movies with a white friend, ate at lunch counters and fancy restaurants, walked through department stores, and used "regular" bathrooms. For the first time, white people — from her relatives'neighbors to salespeople and waiters — were friendly and treated her with respect.

Beals wanted to stay forever, but the trip was called short when they received the call from Little Rock that she was among nine black children who would be entering Central High that fall. Inspired by the life she saw in Cincinnati, Beals returned to Arkansas with the conviction that one day she would receive the same respect in Little Rock.

Of the original 17 students that had signed up for Central High, only nine — Beals and eight other black students — chose to stand up to the threats of violence and take on the challenge of integration. These nine childhood friends had much in common: they were all strong students, with strict, hardworking parents. But most of all, they were individualists with strong opinions.

The brave young students soon discovered that integration would mean a struggle to stay alive as Little Rock's segregationists rampaged and steadfastly refused to obey the law. In order to attend Little Rock's all-white Central High School in 1957, Beals and her friends faced the kind of mob brutality that compelled then-President Eisenhower to send combat-ready soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division to protect their lives.

Under the scrutiny of reporters who came from around the world to observe rampaging mobs block her entry to Central High and the explosive Little Rock school crisis, 15-year-old Beals learned how to relate to the media; she also decided to pursue a career in journalism.

At seventeen, Beals began selling articles to major newspapers and magazines. She later received a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University. She worked as a news reporter for San Francisco's public television station, KQED, and for the NBC affiliate, KRON-TV.

Beals has appeared on national radio and television shows, and written numerous articles for periodicals like People and Essence. Her latest book, "Warriors Don't Cry," tells her remarkable story of the 1957 struggle to integrate Central High, a turning point in America's history and the coming of age of our country.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 07/30/2024.

Melba Pattillo Beals Videos

  • Civil Rights Icon: Dr. Melba Pattillo Beals
    Civil Rights Icon: Dr. Melba Pattillo Beals
    Civil Rights pioneer, Melba Pattillo Beals, Ph.D, one of the Little Rock Nine who turned her trials into triumphs. She is a best selling author of...
  • Civil Rights Hero Melba Pattillo Beals
    Civil Rights Hero Melba Pattillo Beals
    One of the “Little Rock Nine,” will discuss historic integration of Central High School in Arkansas in 1957.
  • Dr. Melba Pattillo Beals Keynote Address - Excerpt
    Dr. Melba Pattillo Beals Keynote Address - Excerpt
    Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Santa Clara Valley's 2008 Mover of Mountains Awards Breakfast at the Wyndham Hotel in San Jose, CA on...
See All Videos »

Melba Pattillo Beals Books

  • March Forward, Girl: From Young Warrior To Little Rock Nine
    March Forward, Girl: From Young Warrior To Little Rock Nine
  • Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High
    Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High

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  • What topics does Melba Pattillo Beals speak about?

    Melba Pattillo Beals is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Authors, Black Heritage, Black History Month, Civil Rights, Diversity & Inclusion, Social Activism, Social Justice.

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    Melba Pattillo Beals generally travels from San Francisco, CA, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.

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Melba Pattillo Beals is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Melba Pattillo Beals for your event is $10,000 - $20,000. Melba Pattillo Beals generally travels from San Francisco, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Minnijean Brown Trickey, Fania Davis, Bobby Seale, Xernona Clayton and S. Lee Merritt. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Melba Pattillo Beals for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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