As we begin the book, I'd like us to think about several questions:
In the 1896 Plessy vs. Ferguson Supreme Court ruling, it was decreed that separate facilities (bathroom, water fountains, schools, etc.) were acceptable as long as they were "equal." This is what allowed Jim Crow laws to exist (mostly but not exclusively in the South). This is what allowed Prince Edward County (among other school districts throughout the US) to have segregated schools. It seems that it was generally white people who wanted segregated schools and black people who wanted desegregated schools (feel free to disagree w/ me if you do). What were the reasons for both views?
Kristen Green says that this is a hybrid genre, a combination of history and memoir. How does she bring her own story into the history? (This is similar to your assignment #4--a text which explores the intersection between the personal and the public).
What was so bad about a desegregated school--in the view of the white leaders of Prince Edward County--that led them to close the public schools? This is a complex question which we should spend time discussing as the semester winds down. In fact, we may want to see how it connects to other questions currently in our lives: For instance, what is the threat of illegal immigrants (including DACA kids who were brought here as children) going to our public colleges? Just so you know that the North isn't completely innocent: Although undocumented immigrants can attend CUNY, winners of academic prizes in CUNY can't receive cash awards.
I think the white leaders at Prince Edward County wanted to stay in power and maintain the social status of their community. They tried to accomplish that by dominating the blacks and barring them from proper education and schools. They didn't want to mix with the blacks and risk losing their dominance over them. Also Kristen Green brings her memoir into the book, because her family had a huge role on the closing of public schools in Prince Edward County. I believe Kristen's memoir shows us, that where we come from, doesn't make us who we are. And even more than that reminds us, that we can try to change where we came from.
ReplyDeleteI believe white people preferred segregated schools because they wanted to always feel superior to blacks. Blacks wanted schools to be desegregated because they wanted to be treated equal and inferior to whites, they were tired of being humiliated.
ReplyDeleteKristen Green explain her book to be a combination of history and memoir because her marriage is interracial. Even though she knows some of her family, friends and people from her hometown will disagree and look down on her family. This pushed her to find out her hometown's darkest secret after she had her daughter. She was scared to have her wedding in her hometown but she did it anyways. After becoming serious about seeking the history of Prince Edward County to write this book she made the decision to move back to Virginia with her family hoping for the best.
What I think about the white leaders at Prince Edward county is that they have their own status of community. Also african people started to domain the school for all the people. However, Africans and white people weren't allow to get married in Washington D.C because of their race. In Kristen Green book, it shows that her memoir has a role on her closing public school.Kristen's memoir show us what country we come from and we could change our personality to different things with our family.
ReplyDeleteIn Virginia, Prince Edward County was very segregated. The white people of that time I believe wanted to keep the races separated out of ignorance. Racism is a learned behavior. I believe this is what they were taught generation after generation. For them they thought that the separation was normal and didn't want to change. They were not open to change at that time. Even when Kristen interviews one of the founders of the all white schools, he still believes that he was doing something right thing.
ReplyDelete