- mildred taylor was born in jackson, mississippi on september 13, 1943 - although taylor was born...
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
- Mildred Taylor was born in Jackson, Mississippi on September 13, 1943
- Although Taylor was born in the South, she lived there only briefly before moving to Toledo,
Ohio, where she spent most of her childhood
- Taylor is best known for her works exploring the struggle faced by African-American
families in the Deep South.
- Many of Taylor’s stories are based on stories about her family that she heard
while growing up.
- Taylor has written nine novels to date, and five of them are about the fictional Logan
family – the family presented in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
About Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
- Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is the second book in a five-part series about the Logan
family.
- The book was published in 1976, and won the Newbery Medal in 1977.
- The novel is set in 1933 Mississippi – during the Great Depression.
- The main character in the story is Cassie Logan, a 9-year-old African-American girl who is brave, has a fiery temper, and is
very naïve about the facts of racism
- Several violent acts of racism occur or are mentioned in the novel, including
“The Berry Burnings” in chapter one, and the tarring and feathering of Mr. Tatum in
chapter 4
- These two events are examples of lynch mobs and nightmen (two terms that will be
explained momentarily).
About The Great Depression
- The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression that began in 1930 and
lasted until the late 1930’s or mid 1940’s (depending on which nation you lived in).
- The Great Depression was the longest, most widespread, and deepest depression of the
20th century.
- During the Great Depression, roughly 25% of Americans were unemployed
A few terms to be familiar with
Lynch Mob – a group of people who carry out their own justice (often murder) for an alleged crime
by hanging, burning, or shooting the alleged transgressor in order to intimidate, control, or
manipulate a population of people
Nightmen – a group of men who travel through African-American neighborhoods at night in order to terrorize or injure African-American families.
While there have been various groups of “nightmen” over the years, the most well-known
group is the KKK.
A few terms to be familiar with (Cont’d)
Boycott – an act of voluntary abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person,
business, or country as a form of protest.
Racial Segregation – the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant,
drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies,
or in the rental or purchase of a home.
A few terms to be familiar with (Cont’d)
Sharecropper – a farm tenant who pays rent to the land owner with a portion of the crop he (the sharecropper) raises; During the 1930’s, though sharecroppers were not slaves, they often worked for little more than food, clothing, and a meager dwelling.
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