During the 1930s, many white people in the Southern states of the USA, felt hate and anger towards black people and their families. "Roll of thunder: Hear my cry" focuses on one of these families. The book is written by Mildred D. Taylor, an African American writer, born in Jackson, Mississippi. Living through the 1960s, black leaders such as Martin Luther King and Macomb X helped to remind people of their black suffering in the 1930s.
Many laws in the 1930s were racist, and allowed many dreadful things to happen. .
The book reflects this as one section reads: ""This folks so bad in here. Heard tell they lynched a boy a few days ago at Crossington".
"And ain't a thing gonna be done "bout it" said Mr. Lainer".
This shows the law didn't protect harmful acts from being done to black people, at the time of the novel.
Due to the lack of legal protection for black people, guns and weaponry feature highly in the book. The grandmother of the Logan family "Big Ma" keeps a gun under her granddaughters bed, and T.J. would do anything for a gun.
""Jus" look at it" T.J. Said dreamily. "Ain't she somethin"? I"d sell my life for that gun Ain't s"pose to hunt with. It's for protection."".
This shows that even children were conscience of the racist abuse.
However, i'm not surprised that the children in the book were aware of the ongoing battle between black people and white. The disgracefully equipped "Great Faith Elementary school" is a school in the book for black students only. This racist war was effecting innocent children. A book report inside on the rare text books read:.
".
Chronological Issue Condition Race of Student.
1 NEW White.
6 GOOD White.
12 VERY POOR nirgro.
".
Once the books had reached a "very poor" condition, they were eventually donated. Also in the book, every time a "white" entry is written under the race of student, a capital "W" is used. However, when the race is "nirgro" a lower case "n" is used. Coincidence? Or a sly intended, disrespect towards Nirgros from the Mississippi board of education?.
