Throughout African-American history, we have witnessed 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 novel's protagonist characters, Ned and Jimmy stand 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 take 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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Jimmy was born into people considering him the "one" ever since he was born. Jane says, "We picked him because we needed somebody" (Gaines 210). Jimmy's upbringing was always sheltered by his family such as making sure he was protected at all times when it was cold or when it came to playing in dangerous environment as in a ditch. The family wanted him to be a spiritual person and by that they baptized him and later on wanted him to be a preacher. However, preaching wasn't in Jimmy future. Jimmy rather work in the church rather than preach. Most of the people wanted Jimmy to have some type of leadership within the church house but instead Jimmy wanted to just be apart of the church. Everyone so the good in Jimmy. Jane herself quotes what the Creole women would say about Jimmy. Such things as in "He is Very Bright" and "But he must be careful of the white people will kill him, sure" (Gaines 227). Soon after, Jimmy leaves the town to go off to school just right after the bill of disgregation was passed in Washington. This was a time when the civil rights movement were starting to take place in the South. Jimmy comes back home wanting to promote the protesting of equality in public areas. Just a Jimmy was set to make a difference and getting his people equal rights to use the same public areas, he was shot dead not being able to witness the change that he was trying to make during the civil rights
Jimmy was born into people considering him the "one" ever since he was born. Jane says, "We picked him because we needed somebody" (Gaines 210). Jimmy's upbringing was always sheltered by his family such as making sure he was protected at all times when it was cold or when it came to playing in dangerous environment as in a ditch. The family wanted him to be a spiritual person and by that they baptized him and later on wanted him to be a preacher. However, preaching wasn't in Jimmy future. Jimmy rather work in the church rather than preach. Most of the people wanted Jimmy to have some type of leadership within the church house but instead Jimmy wanted to just be apart of the church. Everyone so the good in Jimmy. Jane herself quotes what the Creole women would say about Jimmy. Such things as in "He is Very Bright" and "But he must be careful of the white people will kill him, sure" (Gaines 227). Soon after, Jimmy leaves the town to go off to school just right after the bill of disgregation was passed in Washington. This was a time when the civil rights movement were starting to take place in the South. Jimmy comes back home wanting to promote the protesting of equality in public areas. Just a Jimmy was set to make a difference and getting his people equal rights to use the same public areas, he was shot dead not being able to witness the change that he was trying to make during the civil rights