LITTLE
ROCK, ARKANSAS, SEPTEMBER 23-24 1957.
DOMESTIC
BATTLEGROUND?: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY IN HISTORICAL CONTEXT
MELBA PATTILLO BEALS: Warriors don't cry: a searing memoir of the battle to integrate Little Rock's Central High, New York, Pocket Books, 1994, pp. 106-125.
The purpose of this website is to give readers an idea of the context of the Little Rock Central High Desegregation. Using as its basis two chapters of an autobiography written by one of the "Little Rock Nine", this website will weave the autobiographical account amongst several interpretative essays that deal with the most important historical issues of the time. Below is a section that will allow exploration of this site in whichever way one finds most interesting and convenient. It is hoped that the reader will read the interpretative essays to get a general idea of the historical context around the site and how the autobiography relates to the historical context around it. The reader will be helped along this path by having the source placed in a split-screen frame alongside. However, one may read the autobiography just on its own.
Provided is a short explanation of the nature of autobiography, its function as a historical source and its importance in understanding this era of American history. Also provided is a short explanation of the nature of hypertext, its uses and its relevance for enhancing the studying and researching of history. Use will be made of both internal and external links to create an understanding of the events of September 1957 in understanding their full historical context. A reading list rounds out the resources one needs to get an understanding of one of the most disturbing events in American history.