Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry A novel by Mildred Taylor

1. Roll of Thunder, Hear My CryA novel by Mildred Taylor EDSC 304: Eighth Grade English Teacher Lecture by Katie Cunningham http://jsd.k12.ca.us/bf/bflibrary/images/rollofthunder.jpg

2. Main Characters The Logans: an African American family living in the South Cassie: protagonist/narrator; 9 years old; strong sense of justice Stacey: 12 year-old brother; leader of the children; moral and just Christopher-John: 7 year-old brother Little Man: 6 year-old brother Papa: leader of the family; strong and brave; absent from family for much of the year to work on the railroad Mama: works as a teacher; wise and knowledgeable; tries to teach her children self-respect Uncle Hammer: Papa’s brother who moved to Chicago; proud and quick-tempered; not afraid to fight for what he thinks is right Big Ma: grandmother; runs the family farm; smart, but very cautious when it comes to danger

3. Additional Characters T.J.: acquaintance of the Logan children; trouble-maker; often displays poor judgment Mr. Morrison: friend of Papa’s; physically strong; comes to work on the Logan farm and to provide protection when Papa is away Kaleb Wallace: White owner of the Wallace General Store Harlan Granger: White plantation owner; pressures the Logans to sell their land to him

4. Setting • Mississippi, 1933: What is happening at this time in history? http://www.blackhistory.noaa.gov/images/segregation-signs.jpg

5. Context: The Great Depression • Stock market crashes in October, 1929 • By 1933, 11,000 of the nation’s 25,000 banks had failed • 12-15 million people were out of work—almost 30% of the work force • Widespread hunger and poverty • Many people are desperate The Crash of 1929 http://dailycapitalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/great-depression.jpg

6. Context: Segregation in the South • African Americans are separated from Whites in most places: restaurants, movie theatres, hotels, restrooms, etc. • African American facilities tend to be less-than-adequate • African Americans live in poor areas, make less money, have limited access to education • The South is still known for its systematic violence against African Americans -- Lynchings are still common, and used to terrorize the African American community

7. Separate but Equal? • Plessy v. Ferguson: Supreme Court case that legalizes segregation--separate but equal public facilities upheld by the Constitution. (Not overturned until Brown v. Board of Education in 1954) • The separate schools for African Americans were clearly not equal (see image) • What kind of place is Jefferson Davis School (where the Logan children attend)? How does it differ from the White public school? Explain the incident regarding the textbooks—how does this exemplify the injustice of separate but equal? http://www.foreveryoungproduction.com/images/black%20school%20%20NEW%20new2.jpg

8. Images of Segregation http://pmgentry.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/segregation20drinking20fountain2.jpg

9. Threat of Violence in Roll of Thunder… • The Barry family (African American sharecroppers) are attacked by the Wallaces (White)—the Barrys are doused with kerosene and set on fire; one man dies, the others disfigured • White store owner in the town of Strawberry threatens Cassie when she complains about having to wait for White customers first • Mr. Morrison tells a story of how his family died at the hands of an angry White mob • On a trip to Vicksburg, Papa, Mr. Morrison, and Stacey are attacked; a bullet nearly misses Papa • T.J. is tricked by the Avery brothers and is attacked; later he is threatened by a White mob which tries to lynch him • Papa and Mama warn against the “Night Riders”—another name for the Ku Klux Klan

10. How does fear affect our actions? • How does the threat of violence influence the actions and decisions of specific members of the Logan family? (Example: How does Big Ma respond to Cassie’s treatment in the town of Strawberry? Why does she behave this way?) • Have you ever done something based on fear or intimidation? Do you know someone who has? Lynching victim: 1925 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynching

11. How does Cassie respond to racism? • Cassie is confused by the racism around her. She does not understand why African Americans are treated differently from Whites • Cassie becomes very angry when she sees the “new” class textbooks are the rejects from White students: defiantly talks back to her teacher and gets in trouble • When racism is directed specifically at her, she is very surprised • When she accidentally bumps into Lillian Jean (White), she is shocked by Lillian Jean’s angry response; hurt and humiliated • Cassie has difficulty accepting things as they are; often reacts with anger, frustration, retaliation • Does Cassie react to racism in a positive or negative way? Do her reactions help or hurt her? • Do you relate to Cassie’s feelings? Would you react in the same way? Why or why not?

12. What is Mildred Taylor’s Message? • Mildred Taylor grew up in the 1940s and 50s • Taylor lived in Toledo, Ohio, but much of her family lived in segregated Mississippi • Taylor saw many examples of racism first-hand • Taylor: “Each trip down [to Mississippi] reminded us that the South into which we had been born still remained…Every sign we saw proclaimed our second-class citizenship.” • Why is it still important to read Roll of Thunder… today? • Segregation is now illegal—what are some contemporary forms of racism? • Do you think that Roll of Thunder…has a message that is relevant in this day in age? What is this message?

13. Resources • The Great Depression. English.Illinois.edu. Retrieved June 4, 2010: http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/depression/depression.htm • Racial Segregation. Wikipedia.com: Retrieved June 4, 2010: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racial_segregation • Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Book Notes. BookRags.com. Retrieved June 4, 2010: http://www.bookrags.com/notes/roth/ • Rozakis, Laurie. A Reading Guide to Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. New York: Scholastic Inc, 2003. • Taylor, Mildred D. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. New York: Puffin Books, 1976.