Two Weeks Every Summer Summary

Albany, N.Y. – University of Montana professor Tobin Miller Shearer came to the University at Albany to talk about his new book, “Two Weeks Every Summer: Fresh Air Children and the Problem of Race in America” this past Wednesday. Shearer presentation was a glimpse into 1970s America, amidst the Civil Rights movement and how a group of white Americans believed they were helping under privileged youth, but were actually imposing their white supremacy over the children. This group is known as the Fresh Air Fund, a non-profit agency that was dedicated to giving free summer vacations to inner city kids from New York City. Shearer described it as “The story of white liberalism in the 20th century.” While introducing himself, Shearer showed his audience a picture of a young black girl from the 1970s sitting in a train station and was surrounded by white people staring at her. The words “Sex, Seven, and Sass” then appeared over the picture. These three words would be the main points of his presentation. …show more content…
Knowing that this was the future of America, the Fresh Air Fund began integrating Black and Hispanic children into the camp. They would leave the city and be brought out into the country where they would stay with white suburban families for two weeks. This would become the largest interracial gathering of children and adults in America at the time. Knowing this, the F.A.F. would advertise themselves as “accepting of race” and that the experience would “prevent pent-up frustrations from erupting during the hot summer months,” but Shearer would later show this not to be