Until not too long ago, blacks and whites were on opposite sides of the fence. Integrating to an all white school in 1959 came with constant bullying and social pressure to not associate oneself with kids that were not the same colour as you. Linda, one of the main characters, developed a friendship with a Negro girl, breaking an unwritten law to prove segregationists wrong. By getting to know a new comrade, and even stepping up for a race other than hers, it freed her long-held opinion about the issue. Racism against blacks was inescapable in America in 1959, especially in an all white school in Virginia. Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley tells the story of two girls who dared to socialize despite cultural pressure forbidding it, and
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Whoever started a conversation with a Negro was branded as the target for mockery. Even though Linda started to believe integration was not wrong, she was afraid to voice her opinion out of fear of what her father and the whole school might say when they found out she was friends with a Negro. Linda writes an editorial;
… I firmly believe that integration has always been, and will always be, a violation of our most deeply held principles. However, I’m coming to believe that … there may be certain smaller changes to our current practices that we may consider. For example, perhaps a few individual Negroes ought to be treated differently from the majority of their kind. … special consideration should be given to the Negro whose innate talents or achievements make him a credit to his race. (165-166)
Her decision of crumpling up and not publishing this passage tells us that she wasn’t ready to share her opinion because of her fear of public ridicule. Later, Linda walked in on Sarah sitting on the washroom floor. Here, we see the first true bond between the two, as they talked about their …show more content…
Both girls overcame enormous social, political & personal challenges in their journey to find their true selves. Being a Negro in 1959 was already a challenge, therefore being a Negro and gay meant the odds were stacked even higher for Sara. As for Linda, being white and sympathetic towards Negroes on the issue of integration in 1959 was taboo, therefore being white and having feelings for a Negro girl was even more shocking to societal values at the time. At the cost of public ridicule, being ostracized by the community, and risking familial ties, Linda and Sara had the strength to pursue their beliefs knowing that true lasting happiness could only come from their decision to be true to
Whoever started a conversation with a Negro was branded as the target for mockery. Even though Linda started to believe integration was not wrong, she was afraid to voice her opinion out of fear of what her father and the whole school might say when they found out she was friends with a Negro. Linda writes an editorial;
… I firmly believe that integration has always been, and will always be, a violation of our most deeply held principles. However, I’m coming to believe that … there may be certain smaller changes to our current practices that we may consider. For example, perhaps a few individual Negroes ought to be treated differently from the majority of their kind. … special consideration should be given to the Negro whose innate talents or achievements make him a credit to his race. (165-166)
Her decision of crumpling up and not publishing this passage tells us that she wasn’t ready to share her opinion because of her fear of public ridicule. Later, Linda walked in on Sarah sitting on the washroom floor. Here, we see the first true bond between the two, as they talked about their …show more content…
Both girls overcame enormous social, political & personal challenges in their journey to find their true selves. Being a Negro in 1959 was already a challenge, therefore being a Negro and gay meant the odds were stacked even higher for Sara. As for Linda, being white and sympathetic towards Negroes on the issue of integration in 1959 was taboo, therefore being white and having feelings for a Negro girl was even more shocking to societal values at the time. At the cost of public ridicule, being ostracized by the community, and risking familial ties, Linda and Sara had the strength to pursue their beliefs knowing that true lasting happiness could only come from their decision to be true to