While slavery had ended, blacks were still not treated equally. The two stories selected to express this to children are
Fishing Day
by A. Pinkney and
Uncle Jed’s Barbershop
by M. Mitchell. These stories are both uplifting and inspiring. Not only do they deal with desegregation but also with people who overcame obstacles to achieve success and friendships.
Fishing Day
draws on the Jim Crow laws of the South. It is about a poor white family and a middle class black family. While their parents try to keep their distance, their children learn to get along. When reading the story, ask questions to help students’ comprehension. Questions to ask include: Why do you think the families have never spoken to each other? What do you think “keep with this side of things” means? Why do you think Pigeon (Peter) threw the rock at Reenie? If you were Reenie, would you help Pigeon? Do you think Peter would have talked to Reenie if his Dad was around and why (why not)?
Uncle Jed’s Barbershop is about a little girl named Sarah Jean who becomes very ill, and her Uncle Jed, who dreams of opening a barbershop. Because blacks and whites were segregated, when Sarah Jean became ill, she had to wait in the “colored” waiting room. She learned she needed a very expensive operation. Her favorite Uncle, Jed, provides her family with the money to cover the cost of the operation. Despite the cost of the operation and hard times during the Great Depression, Uncle Jed saves up enough money to open his barbershop on his 79th birthday.
During and after reading, ask the students questions that focus on the way blacks were treated such as why black people had to travel 30 miles to get a haircut. Ask students to think about this story and
Fishing Day
, both of which take place in the South. Inquire about whether it was harder for a black family who lived in the South than a family who lived in the North and why. Ask students to think about the way blacks and whites interact today. How is today different from when the stories took place? After reading the stories, present the paintings
Our Gang
(1886, Joseph Decker) and
The Card Trick
(1880’s, John George Brown).
Our Gang
(1886, Joseph Decker). This painting was originally titled
Accused
. The African-American boy in this painting is obviously uneasy as he is surrounded by the gang of white children. Ask students why the boy might be afraid. The white children have him surrounded, up against a wall. One is carrying a bat or walking stick. Another has a stick and is crouching down beside the black boy’s dog. Even the dog looks frightened. Judging on the time of the painting and on the stories the students have listened to, ask students what they think prompted this scene. Did white people and black people get along at this point in history? Ask children how they think the artist feels about the African-American boy. The boy is centered in the painting. The artist wants the viewer to sympathize with the black boy, as if he were wrongfully accused.
The Card Trick (1880’s, John George Brown). In this painting, the mood is much more relaxed. It is obvious that the black boy is friends with the three white children. The black boy is showing his friends a card trick. The white boys are obviously delighted by the trick, as they are all smiling widely. While the black boy is not centered, the viewer’s attention is drawn to him because the white boys are looking at him. Ask students to compare this painting to
Our Gang
. In both paintings, there’s only one black boy with several white boys. In
Our Gang
, the mood is tense with a sense of distrust. The boys are not on friendly terms. In
The Card Trick
, the boys are friendly and happy to be together.
Talk about how Reenie and Peter from
Fishing Day
mistrusted each other until Reenie’s act of kindness. Ask students to think of ways to be kind to one another. Then have them write and draw about their thoughts. Their drawings can be compiled into a classroom book, read aloud, and discussed.