Inscribing Physical and Mental Pains: White Violence in Marking Black Territory in Melba Pattillo Beals’ Warriors Don’t Cry

Abstract

This paper, through Beal’s memoir “Warriors Don’t Cry,” discusses forms of violence deployed by whites in inflicting physical and mental pain on black students who are trying to integrate in an American white school, with the aim to mark white territory and maintain educational privilege for whites. The paper also explores factors and strategies which encourage those black students to survive and make the integration possible. The discussion indicates that in white Americans’ perspectives, segregated white schools are regarded as intellectual privileged spaces reserved for whites only. The federal policy of integration is hindered by white segregationists who want to maintain the status quo. “Warriors Don’t Cry” manifests that violence is deployed to inflict pain on blacks in order to mark white territory, rejecting the federal policy of desegregation and driving away black students from Central High School, a symbol of white intellectual privilege. Those black students are viewed as intruders to a white privileged space. The bodily and mental pains instigated by white supremacy is linked to the history of black pain when they were severely abused and brutally oppressed by whites. Symbolic violence, such as the use of ropes and fire, is employed to provoke fear in their minds, rendering them powerless and ideologically enslaving them under white supremacy. The violence by segregationists causes physical hurt, psychological wounds, and ultimately soul persecution. In spite of great wounds and pains, those black students do not give up. The factors for their survival and success in integration include strong determination, family support, faith in God, affiliation, and non-violence reaction. “Warriors Don’t Cry” is informed by stories of black pains, serving as an arena where various forms of pain are inscribed.