Warriors Don't Cry (Abridged): Chapters 10–14

by Melba Pattillo Beals
In 1957, Melba Pattillo was one of a group of teenagers who integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. In this abridged version of her memoir, she describes her fight to survive and thrive in the sometimes violent aftermath of the Supreme Court decision that declared segregation unconstitutional.

Here are links to our lists for the memoir: Time Brings About a Change–Chapter 5, Chapters 6–9, Chapters 10–14, Chapter 15–Epilogue
40 words 452 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. escort
    accompany in order to protect
    I arrived at school Tuesday morning, fully expecting that I would be greeted by the 101st soldiers and escorted to the top of the stairs.
  2. fend
    try to manage without help
    Instead, we were left at the curb to fend for ourselves.
  3. catcall
    a cry expressing disapproval
    As we approached the stairs, we were greeted by taunting catcalls and the kind of behavior students had not dared to exhibit in the face of the 101st.
  4. passive
    lacking in energy or will
    Their passive, silent, almost pleasant greeting made me uncomfortable, and the more I thought about their attitude, the more it concerned me.
  5. fiasco
    a complete failure or collapse
    The experiment of doing without the 101st had apparently been a fiasco.
  6. compel
    force somebody to do something
    Hands grabbed my wrists and pried my hands from my face, compelling me to bend over.
  7. subside
    wear off or die down
    The pain was subsiding.
  8. douse
    cover with liquid; pour liquid onto
    It was Danny’s voice, his hands holding my head and dousing my eyes with water.
  9. staunch
    firm and dependable especially in loyalty
    It was sponsored by a Norwegian reporter, Mrs. Jorumn Rickets, who had set it up with Ernie, Minnijean, and me, and the group spotlighted as staunch troublemakers: Sammy Dean Parker, Kaye Bacon, and their crowd.
  10. brood
    think moodily or anxiously about something
    Get another locker assigned, find new books, get going—don’t waste time brooding or taking the hurt so deep inside.
  11. assess
    estimate the nature, quality, ability or significance of
    Kicked in the shin, tripped on the marble floor—assess the damage and do whatever is necessary to remain mobile.
  12. vulnerable
    capable of being wounded or hurt
    She seemed especially vulnerable to the isolation we were all struggling to cope with.
  13. polarize
    cause to divide into conflicting positions
    Whenever we compared notes, we all agreed: the students’ attitudes had become polarized.
  14. adamant
    impervious to pleas, persuasion, requests, or reason
    We felt it would be best for Minnijean to back off, but none of us could talk her out of it. She was adamant.
  15. fleeting
    lasting for a markedly brief time
    Only during fleeting moments did I allow myself to have fantasies of what it might be like to sing with the chorus or perform in the Thanksgiving program.
  16. prosecute
    bring a criminal action against
    OFFICIALS DROP PLANS TO PROSECUTE AGITATORS AT SCHOOL—WON’T PRESS ACTION AGAINST MOB LEADERS
    —Arkansas Gazette, Thursday, November 21, 1957
  17. assurance
    a binding commitment to do or give or refrain from something
    Based on an assurance by local authorities that they would maintain order, the federal government announced it would back off and not even prosecute segregationist mob leaders.
  18. garble
    distort or make false by mutilation or addition
    At first, I garbled some of the words, and then, as I remembered Grandma India’s advice, I calmed down.
  19. contempt
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
    Some frowned while others contorted their faces to show their contempt.
  20. cringe
    draw back, as with fear, pain, or embarrassment
    I cringed at the thought.
  21. proportion
    relation with respect to comparative quantity or magnitude
    Whenever there was special press coverage on us, the abuse we later suffered at Central was in direct proportion to the size and quality of the story printed or aired.
  22. barrage
    the heavy fire of artillery to saturate an area
    When the nine of us compared notes, we discovered we were all facing an increasing barrage of injurious activities.
  23. insidious
    working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way
    One team concentrated on slamming us into lockers, while another focused on tripping us up or shoving us down staircases; still another concentrated on attacks with weapons. Another group must have been told to practice insidious harassment inside the classrooms.
  24. hassle
    annoy continually or chronically
    Minnijean was being hassled by those boys.
  25. taunt
    harass with persistent criticism or carping
    Snickering among themselves and taunting her, they had pushed a chair directly in front of her.
  26. intervene
    get involved, so as to alter or hinder an action
    Like a broken record, the words played over and over in my head—intervening on her behalf would blur the lines between who was the victim and who was the person at fault.
  27. melee
    a noisy riotous fight
    If other white students joined the melee to rescue the other side, we’d have a brawl.
  28. dilemma
    state of uncertainty in a choice between unfavorable options
    But we were not close enough to see details of the dilemma she faced.
  29. jubilant
    full of high-spirited delight
    I wondered why some students were jubilant, almost celebrating. I especially noticed that some of the segregationist leaders seemed very pleased with themselves.
  30. jovial
    full of or showing high-spirited merriment
    As I went to my afternoon classes, I couldn’t help being very anxious about what was happening to Minnijean that caused such a jovial uproar.
  31. incident
    a public disturbance
    NEGRO GIRL IS SUSPENDED FROM SCHOOL AFTER INCIDENT—Arkansas Gazette, Wednesday, December 18, 1957
  32. respite
    a relief from harm or discomfort
    My hopes for a blissful two-week respite from Central High over Christmas vacation had been dashed by the dilemma we all faced because of Minnijean’s suspension.
  33. vigilance
    the process of paying close and continuous attention
    Besides, our famous shadows, Mutt and Jeff, were parked across the street, faithful as hound dogs in their vigilance.
  34. incite
    provoke or stir up
    The rumor was that the White Citizens Council would pay reward money to the person who could incite us to misbehave and get ourselves expelled.
  35. proviso
    a stipulated condition
    She was allowed to return to school Monday, January 13, with the proviso that she not respond to her attackers in any way.
  36. hoax
    something intended to deceive
    One day, Terrence’s mother rushed into the principal’s office, having been called and told her son was seriously injured, only to find the call had been a hoax.
  37. turmoil
    a violent disturbance
    I had not been fully aware of how deeply the turmoil at school was affecting me.
  38. ruckus
    the act of making a noisy disturbance
    During the ruckus that followed, there was a great deal of confusion.
  39. contend
    maintain or assert
    “THEY BOTHER YOU ALL THE TIME,” OUSTED NEGRO STUDENT CONTENDS—Arkansas Democrat, Thursday, February 13, 1958
  40. heckler
    someone who tries to embarrass you with gibes and objections
    For the rest of the morning as I walked the halls, amid my hecklers, I couldn’t stop thinking about what it would be like to feel as though I were in charge of myself.
Created on Mon May 18 21:10:01 EDT 2015 (updated Wed Oct 16 11:19:14 EDT 2019)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.