"Beals' recollection of white oppression and her rise above it will
haunt readers. A must-read for teens." --School Library Journal
From the legendary civil rights activist and author of the
million-copy-selling Warriors Don't Cry comes an ardent and profound
childhood memoir of growing up while facing adversity in the Jim Crow
South.
Long before she was one of the Little Rock Nine, Melba Pattillo Beals
was a warrior. Frustrated by the laws that kept African-Americans
separate but very much unequal to whites, she had questions. Why
couldn't she drink from a "whites only" fountain? Why couldn't she feel
safe beyond home--or even within the walls of church? Adults all told
her: Hold your tongue. Be patient. Know your place.
But Beals had the heart of a fighter--and the knowledge that her true
place was a free one.
Combined with emotive drawings and photos, this memoir paints a vivid
picture of Beals' powerful early journey on the road to becoming a
champion for equal rights, an acclaimed journalist, a best-selling
author, and the recipient of this country's highest recognition, the
Congressional Gold Medal.