About the Author
Melba Pattillo Beals was one of the original nine black teenagers to integrate to Central High School. She wrote Warriors Don't Cry about her experiences. Beals was born in Little Rock, Arkansas on December 7, 1941. Her mother, Lois Marie Pattillo, was one of the first black people to graduate from the University of Arkansas. Beals married John Beals in 1961 but divorced her husband ten years later. Her brave character traits that helped her integrate also led her down a successful path. She graduated from San Francisco State University a few years later. In 1958, Beals and the eight other Central High School students received the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP. Also, in 1999, the Nine were granted the Congressional Gold Medal by President Bill Clinton. Beals now lives in San Francisco as a public speaker and author.