Separate Pasts is a novel that has won many awards that takes a look into America in the 1950s. The

Melton McLaurin, in his book, “Separate Pasts,” recalls memories of growing up in his hometown of Wade, North Carolina. During this time, McLaurin works in his grandfather’s store in the segregated South. McLaurin writes of his interactions with the black community and observes the segregated lifestyle of black and whites. In his book “Separate Pasts,” McLaurin describes the black citizens of Wade that have influenced and changed his views of segregation and racism.

Cullen is hopeful to get to a place where people of different races will be able to look at others without prejudice and discrimination. However, the poem “Incident” is of a less positive tone. She expresses her experience in a shocked manner, saying, a boy stuck his “tongue out and, called, [her] ‘Nigger’,” (Cullen 8). She was so shocked that “From May until December; .../… of all the things that happened... /… that’s all [she could remember” in Baltimore (Cullen 10-12). At the young age that she was at, it is surprising and upsetting to her to be discriminated against for no reason.

To show first hand to the whites the inequality’s and hardships that the blacks face, the entire first section is in a narrative and a descriptive format. The use of these types of essays lets the readers feel more involved in the story and feel things for themselves. Split into two sections within itself, this first paragraph juxtaposes two stories — one about a “young Negro boy” living in Harlem, and the other about a “young Negro girl” living in Birmingham. The parallelism in the sentence structures of introducing the children likens them even more — despite the differences between them — whether it be their far away location, or their differing, yet still awful, situations. Since this section is focused more towards his white audience, King goes into a description of what it was like living as an African American in those times— a situation the black audience knew all too well. His intense word choice of describing the boy’s house as “vermin-infested” provokes a very negative reaction due to the bad

Segregation had had many effects on the black nation, to the point that it started building up ones character, “See the depressing clouds of inferiority begin to form in her little mental sky and see her begin to distort her little personality by unconsciously developing a bitterness towards white people”, King shows readers that segregation is even affecting little children, that it is starting to build up a young girls character and is contributing to the child developing hatred “bitterness” towards the white Americans. King makes readers imagine a black cloud settling in a young girls brain mentally, when instead she should have an image of a colorful blue sky with a rainbow, isn’t that suppose to be part of a 6 year-old’s imagination? King gives readers an image of destruction civil disobedience had created in the black community, especially in the young innocent little children.

When most people think of the 1950’s or 1960’s, they think of Elvis, Greasers, jukeboxes, Woodstock, and rainbow peace signs and hippie love. Although these symbols are somewhat accurate (and very popular), not many people think about the changes society and culture went through. The 1950’s and 60’s were a time of great change and freedom for many Americans. Everything from World War II, to the gay liberation movement, to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 helped to change society. Many of the views American’s had on topics such as war, gender roles and sexual preference were changed greatly after these events and have led to our culture being what it is today. The 1950’s and 1960’s were a time where great changes took place that helped to

There is nothing immoral with interracial relationships. Oh how times have changed since Langston Hughes was writing poetry. I have a mixed niece, whose mother is white (my sister) and father who is an African and Native American combination. I observe that mixed babies, children, and adults add extra flare to America, because after all, it is the melting pot of the world. “Cross” is a clever formulated poem with deep meaning for way back when, and for the now. At first glance, I did not know the direction of the poem, however, with further evaluation it became clear that Hughes was writing about his childhood confusion of being an interracial child. Interracial relationships are no longer unusual. They are now just part of the social norm, and create a unique atmosphere to live in.

We saw prejudice and discrimination throughout the book. For example, when Lafayette’s was charged with a crime due to hi, been associated with who did it. When LaJoe lost her benefits from the state due to her on and off husband using her home address and when collecting unemployment benefits which LaJoe did not claim as income coming into the home. In both instances, the Rivers were treated as if they were liars and criminals. Because of Lafayette being from the inner city, there was this predetermine thought about any youth that lived in the inner city from the court system. LaJoe was treated with disrespect by the welfare office because of the prejudgment they had formed about people that lived in the inner city. Due to the location in which they stayed, the importance of healthy living condition was not a priority to the city. They were forced to live in the vicinity of garbage, broken sewer systems, dead animals, etc. Also, the children were forced to either stay in their apartments or play on the railroad tracks because the city had only a few areas for them to play. These areas had become run down and it was unsafe for kids to play in. It is unsure why the was such neglect for those areas of the inner city, but one could only think that it had to do with how this race has been treated for years.

Elijah’s daughter, Luvenia, struggles to get a job and into college in Chicago while her brother Richard travels back to South Carolina. Abby’s grandson, Tommy works with civil rights and protests, and tries to get into college for basketball. The story ends with Malcolm, Richard’s grandson, getting his his cousin Shep, who is struggling with drugs, to the family reunion. In reading this story one could wonder how the transition from slavery to segregation in the United States really occurred. The timeline can be split into three distinct sections, Emancipation, forming segregation, and life post-Civil War, pre-civil rights.

In the beginning chapters of the book, we get a glimpse of the typical home and community of an African American during segregation. Many Africans Americans were too adjusted to the way of living, that they felt

African American individuals still faced inhumane discrimination and were often not looked at as people, let alone cared for or acknowledged. To anyone else, their opinions did not matter and their lives were not valued. The 1930?s was also a time in which America was being rebuilt after the detrimental effects of the Great Depression. Furthermore, there was a greater presence of African Americans in northern states, which brought about racial tension from powerful white figures who did not want African Americans in what they believed to be ?their cities?. The struggle to find jobs was present all over, and African Americans found it even more difficult to support themselves. The narrator faced all these obstacles throughout the course of this novel.

The cover of Long Division, by Kiese Laymon, pictures a rusted, broken chain. This symbol, along with the setting of the book suggests the strong history of slavery in the South. That unfortunate history carries with it the idea of otherness—an idea of being valued and devalued based on skin color – an idea central to Laymon’s story. Long Division shows throughout three time periods that while the African American race progresses, it never arrives at full equality. In each time period — 1964, 1985, and 2013 — the African-American characters find the threat of racial discrimination and violence.

To see a black man and a white woman walking down the street holding hands used to be unheard of. It was a relationship that, for the few who engaged in it, was kept as quiet as possible. During the fifties and sixties, interracial dating was not socially acceptable and there were repercussions for those who were involved in such behaviors because various laws, such as the Jim Crow laws, which kept the different races/ethnicities separate and it was seen as extremely socially deviant to go against these rules. Between

At the core of the story, the main characters are Julian, who is trapped between the white supremacy of his mother and the liberal anti-racist attitude of the modern times, and his mother, who is unyielding in her views. During this time, there was a surge of change of American society with African Americans as a huge social force leading to a truly multicultural society. However, there was constant conflict in the mind of the older generation. Julian’s mother symbolizes this. Her ancestors kept slaves and she hesitated to even travel with them. She speaks about it nostalgically, the times where owning slaves was a sign of superiority, or aristocracy. “Well let’s talk about something pleasant,” she said. “I remember going to Grandpa’s when I was a little girl. Then the house has double stairways that went up to what was really the second floor- all the cooking was done on the first.” (O’Connor, 1979). She was blind to the worlds advancements and changes in racial equality.

The early 1900’s was a time period, after slavery but not far from racism, where whites and blacks still had their communal differences. This issue was shown from a firsthand view in the nonfiction piece The Color of Water by James McBride, who lives with his single, white, Jewish mother with the rest of his siblings. The book is about how McBride and his family lived during this time because of the external atmosphere and tension of racism. McBride was a mixed child, whose father was a black man, whereas his single mother is a white woman. McBride’s mother, Ruth, experiences many changes as a character throughout her life due to struggles in her life. Changes such as leaving her family, marrying a black man, and living as a strong and independent woman show Ruth’s personality which has evolved throughout her entire life. These changes were shown clearly as Ruth leaves her father’s home.

Since this story is based back in the 1900's this was not allowed for an African American and a Caucasian man to date by law restricts even if they were madly in love with each other. Both of their parents had no clue about the secret relationship that they both shared.