- Green refers to Betty Jean Ward's family as "a happy normal family." And in the next paragraph she writes "And then they weren't." (147) What does it mean to be a "normal" family?
- What other stories in Ch. 12 made an impact on you?
- Ch. 8 is titled "Nigger Lovers." Why is it titled this? What do you think about Green, a white woman, titling her chapter this? What do you think about your white professor asking you about this?
- How did closing the schools affect white children?
Monday, April 23, 2018
A Bus Ticket and a World Away
In Chapter 12, Kristen Green tells the story of various black kids who were locked out of school when the Defenders closed down the public schools. If you check the notes in the back (291), you'll see that she got most of this information by interviewing people. What do you notice about how she presented these interviews? Other questions:
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The school's closure had an impact on poor white children because they couldn't afford to attend the new private academy, that replaced the previous white school. I believe that Ch 8. was called "Nigger Lovers" because Kristen starts off the chapter, with the story of Beverley's interracial parents and goes on to talk about Virginia's southern hospitality towards blacks compared to other southern counties and i believe Kristen might be using that phrase in a contrary way. I feel like what we say matters and who says it should be judged equally, and logically. Their words should be kept in-context and not manipulated for an agenda. The story I found most hurtful was Elsie's story. A mother-daughter relationship is a beautiful gift, and for that gift to be basically stolen is really painful to experience, even in writing. But I find Elsie's strength to send her daughter away, for the betterment of her daughter's education, courageous.
ReplyDeleteI found the way Kristen Green presenting the these interviews brilliant. She wrote the interview information she received the same way it was told to her. When I read chapter 12 I felt as if I was getting the story first hand. Green refers to Betty Jean's Ward family as "a happy normal family" and then they weren't. To me a happy normal family consists of both parents and children living together and practicing a healthy way of life with no issues of divorce, etc. They weren't considered a happy normal family anymore because their children got separated so that each children could get the education they deserve. Unfortunately, Betty Jean was too young so she had to go to a different location than her brother and sister. This put a dent in their family because they couldn't all be under the same roof enjoying each others company unless it was the holidays. This was very sad to read.
ReplyDeleteI found the story with Leonard Lockett very interesting, he would drop off his children and grandchildren behind the house that he rented so they could catch the bus. He rented a home they couldn't even stay in, so the kids could attend school. I'm still not sure I got the concept of this story correctly. I believe he did this because the other counties didn't want to accept children from Prince Edward County so they had to pretend they live there. Is there another reason Leonard did this?
I believe Kristen Green titled chapter 8 "Nigger Lovers" to emphasize the effect of what the people in society thought about the situation back in the day. White people called Bass "Nigger Lover" and this chapter was about him so it makes a lot of sense. Bass was in a interracial relationship with a black women and many white didn't like this. When the schools close he tried everything so that blacks could still get an education. As a white man he was an advocate for black children and families. I don't believe she meant it in any way. According to page 291, Kristen got information from an article, "Three Negro Training Centers Opened" so apparently this is how they spoke back in the day, she wants to make it clear. A white professor asking about this doesn't seem offending as many might think, this is our past reality we have to speak about it.
ReplyDeleteThe closing of schools affected whites too because not all whites were able to afford the white private schools. Shadrick Hines a poor white couldn't afford for his children to attend the schools and no whites offered to help, instead the children joined him in his line of work. He found school closures as a blessing due to more financial gain soon to be available. White teachers had to travel out of county to seek jobs as well.
Closings also affected the poor white children. After the first year they started to charge tuition and a lot of the poor white children could not go to school either when the closed them down.
ReplyDeleteBetty Jean's family was "normal" because they all went to school and would come home to their mom, dad and siblings.Have dinner with their family. After the schools closed down they had to go to different states to go to school and they only slept under the same roof during the holidays.
I don’t think she should be using those words I don’t think that you should be using those words. That word is only for black Americans to be using. I went to a high school Jamaica high school and I was right in front of a fight that happened between a black student and an Asian student because that Asian student said that word. The history behind the word is way too strong and way too personal for a white person to be using that word. The rush white kids didn’t care if there schools were closing it had no effect on them. They knew why at this point but the poor white kids were in the same boat as the black kids , they couldn’t afford the private school and the tuition. Reading Elsie and Gwen’s story. Having to send their daughter away at a young age and than going back to work for a family that’s partially responsible is ridiculous and hurts to read. And when the grandparents didn’t even acknowledge what happened and greens mom saying what she said is a horrible environment. How could you be so hurtful and horrible.
ReplyDeleteUsually when someone presents an interview, they start with the dialogue of their questions and interviewees responses however Kristeen Green goes by narrating this interview in the form of a story from their point of view just to give the reader no missing interpretation/misconception.
ReplyDeleteThe story about Ricky was different from the others. He was unable to attend school at all with the closings of school. Ricky would sit around all day playing in front of the Baptist church while his mother was at work. Although he did attend a basement training center, all he was able to learn there was his alphabet and how to spell his name. Its horrible that because his mother was raising him alone no one came to help him get into a school, she had to be more concerned about putting food on the table then her children's education. He had no other choice but not attend school. Although there were some that were able to stay with other family members he didn't have that choice.
ReplyDeleteI think Betty Jean Ward's story is first b/c it drives home, not only that it was abnormal to have to split up families, but also that education is a major part of what makes a normal American childhood. If a parent keeps their kid out of school and doesn't offer an alternative (like home-schooling) then that's viewed by society as a kind of child abuse. In this case, it was an entire community essentially taking away education from a large portion of that community's children.
ReplyDeleteI loved the way she prested her interviews in the book. to me it seems as if she was writing them just the way she heard them. she wanted the reader to know exactly what others had to say. they weren't considered a happy family anymore because the kids got separated because of the schools. sadly betty was to young so she couldn't go to the same school as her brother and sister. She tittles the chapter "nigger lovers" because of what the people called them back in the day. she started off with a story explaining why they called bass " nigger lover " the chapter is all about him
ReplyDeleteParents always expect more or want more from their children. I noticed most of these black parents never received a college education, for whatever reason they finished at some level in high school. They all wanted better for their kids that's why they had to make the hardest decision to send their kids away. Most children didn't understand what was taking place when the schools closed. Eventually white children and parents had to suffer the same consequences and hardship the blacks was facing. White parents who couldn't afford the tuition after the first year to send their kids to school had to send their children away too. White students had to attend school in crappy classrooms as well. Closing the schools affected black family as much as it affected the whites.
ReplyDeleteI think what it means to be a normal family is just doing things that society expects you to do. Like how adults go to work kids go to school. Mom, dad and children living in the same home together I think that's what people consider normal family. I think Green titling her chapter is her keeping it real. She's just showing us how some racist people see things. The closing of the school affected whites because some of them were poor like the blacks and couldn't afford their education
ReplyDeleteWhat made an impact on me is what Leonard Locket did by renting a housing and pretending that his family stayed there, the length that was taken for the children to go to school and to be picked up by the bus in front the home. Pg. 151. Lockett told the children it was important to keep that a secret. Eventually Lockett invited other parents to bring their kids to the rental house, so that they will also be able to be picked up for school. They knew that education was very important!
ReplyDeleteA bus ticket and a world away was a way to reflect on the feelings of so many parents having to make the ultimate sacrifice sending their beloved children to family all across the states to ensure they would be educated giving them a chance. A happy family I think refers to them being together, no matter how bad the conditions were in the black schools the kids went home to loving homes at the end. I read many success stories about the many children that went to school in other states but I also read many of them did not return. It must of been hard for both poor white children and the black children because their was nothing they could do about the school closures. Nigger Lovers is titled that way because that's how they referenced white people that was fighting for what was right. Ms. Green didn't create that title she lived it. I don't think her telling the truth about what happened is negative but informative. This book shed a light on the Kennedy administration for me. I see Mr. Kennedy in a different light, he attempted to desegregate schools with resistance form a lot of people. The closings affected both communities because although the Academy was suppose to be free it ultimately came with a price tag that many white families couldn't afford.
ReplyDeleteCh.8 "Nigger Lover" I believe the author titled it like this, bc it shows the hatred that was once used when 2 people loved each other, as she speaks about the interracial relationship between Beverly's parents. I don't think it's bad that you are saying it, bc you're just speaking about something that you noticed in a book that seemed a bit harsh to you. It is okay to speak about things if we are not using them to insult or hurt other's. The same would apply if a black person used the phrase from a book "White crackers" and asked a question that would be acceptable.
ReplyDeleteWhen Green talks about a "normal family" in chapter 12, she is referring to a happy home, meaning a one that is not broken. When she states and then it wasn't means the family had faced problems that had torn them apart.
Closing the schools affected white children, bc they didn't have the necessary funds to attend a private school, therefore leaving them without a school to attend taking away from their education all together, thus having a negative impacts on whites as well.
Betty Jean's family was normal before the schools closure because they would have a ordinary day, going and coming from school, having friends over, eating a family dinner and sleeping under the same roof. But when the school's shut down, Betty Jean would be separated from her siblings and only be able to see her parents on the weekend. Her family would sleep under the same roof on holidays only, which isn't typical occurrences. Families, especially those with small children would normally be together, til the kids go off to college or maybe a divorce might happen. But being forced to send you kids away because the county you live in closes down all public schools to stay segregated is not a normal occurrence. And therefore caused a distribution within her family, making it not normal anymore.
ReplyDeleteAfter the school was closed blacks family decided to sent their family to live with relatives in order to get education.Bettyjean family were happy together the siblings enjoy each other company eat together,play,and fight together but after the school was locked because of segregation whites leaders do not wants blacks children attending the school with their children betty brothers were send away to different relatives and all family united on holidays.
ReplyDeleteCh. 8 is titled "Nigger Lovers." Why is it titled this? What do you think about Green, a white woman, titling her chapter this? What do you think about your white professor asking you about this?
ReplyDeleteThe term "Nigger Lover" is not a term that bothers me in fact, in it makes me laugh. Not that I am proud of this, but it reminds me of a skit on the Dave Chappelle's Show. The character that Dave played was Clayton Bigsby a blind white supremacist who didn't know that he was black, at the end of the episode he divorce his white wife because she was a "Nigger Lover".
In a way, through comedy, Dave Chappelle has desensitized the significance of such a term. And although during the time in which Green lived or many years before, it would have been an offensive term.. I take no offense to it and I don't think Green intended to offend any of her readers either. I believe that she used this term as a way to represent what was occurring in the neighborhood to families. The calling out of slurs and offensive terms was common and socially accepted, in fact; the racist won this fight because what the black or mixed families would end up moving out of their communities.
When she said "normal family", I think she means they're used to eat, sleep, seeing each other daily in the house. After the school closed, they don't see each other that often anymore. Closing the schools affected the lower economic class family the most. A lot of white children couldn't go to school due to not able to pay the tuition.
ReplyDeleteKristen does not presented these on interview format, just tell us their story how it did pass at that moment. Betty Jeans Ward's family look like a normal family when they share their diner happily, but when they have to face the separation because public schools were closed, then they have to take different ways. They were not more happy. One sad case was by Ricky Brown who was expecting his turn to start in kindergarten , so he could not because school was closed. Nigger Lover was about the white people that was not agree with the public school closed affect the black student.
ReplyDeleteI think that a mother and daughter relationship is a previous gift and it is really an experience that you could learn about in the future. Else's daughter has good education in her life and she is smart too. The school has poor children in a white school that the children can't go to a private school. A happy family means both parents that is there for you to support you until you are older. Also the family of betty, they weren't happy at all because both parents got divorced and the children got separated from their parents in that way they could get a better education from their dad or mom. In chapter 8, niggers lovers was called because they start talking about beverley's parents and Virginia's southern hospitality towards black people and be equally again with the white people in the future. When the school closed down the children had it to go to a different state and finish the school in another country in that way they could get their education and graduate ontime with a diploma in the future.
ReplyDeleteAlso betty's family was normal because they were sleeping in the same roof on top of the house and her family will sleep on top of the roof only during holidays. During segregation, the school will shut down completely and kids will go away from another country to finish their education and find a school to finish it in that way they get their diploma and go to college next future.
ReplyDelete