Throughout African-American history, we have witness the lost of leaders who stood as the voice among our people in fighting for equality and freedom. In Ernest Gaines' novel, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, two of the novels protagonist characters, Ned and Jimmy stands out as two men willing to be that leader and voice that their town needed but their lives were cut short by the people he saw them as causing trouble. Historically, both men leaderships takes place in two different time frames where wanting to be the voice in African American society was seen as a threat on the Whites. This novel takes a historical approach in the will of two men wanting to lead their people into fighting for what is what but instead find themselves
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He had joined a committee organized by the colored soldiers from the war that wanted to know how the colors were being treated in the South. Talks of Ned being apart of this committee were going around and made it way to the ears of Secesh and threats of killing him were being made. To avoid being killed at this time, Ned leaves home and goes to Kansas and later joins the war in Cuba. He comes back home nearly twenty years later wanted to teach in the South. He believe in the teachings of African American educator, Booker T. Washington. "Mr. Booker T. Washington taught that all colored ought to stay together and try to improve their own lot before they tried to mix with the white folks" (Gaines 105). Although Ned believed in the teachings of Washington, he also had a strong passion for the teachings of Frederick Douglass. Once taking on the last name of Douglass. In similar situation when Ned was younger, the whites kept close eye on Ned and word is going around that he is set to be killed by creole man named Albert Cluveau. The Whites did not want Ned to build the school to teach in. Ned himself says, "I will build my school. I will teach till they kill me" (Gaines 111). One of the most aspiring section in
He had joined a committee organized by the colored soldiers from the war that wanted to know how the colors were being treated in the South. Talks of Ned being apart of this committee were going around and made it way to the ears of Secesh and threats of killing him were being made. To avoid being killed at this time, Ned leaves home and goes to Kansas and later joins the war in Cuba. He comes back home nearly twenty years later wanted to teach in the South. He believe in the teachings of African American educator, Booker T. Washington. "Mr. Booker T. Washington taught that all colored ought to stay together and try to improve their own lot before they tried to mix with the white folks" (Gaines 105). Although Ned believed in the teachings of Washington, he also had a strong passion for the teachings of Frederick Douglass. Once taking on the last name of Douglass. In similar situation when Ned was younger, the whites kept close eye on Ned and word is going around that he is set to be killed by creole man named Albert Cluveau. The Whites did not want Ned to build the school to teach in. Ned himself says, "I will build my school. I will teach till they kill me" (Gaines 111). One of the most aspiring section in