Rohan Sinha

6/16/13

L.A. Glory Field writing assignment

group 1

Glory Field Writing Assignment

Tommy and Luvenia Lewis come to age in two different time periods in two very
different societies. Tommy Lewis grows up in Johnson City, South Carolina in the 1960s, while
Luvenia grows up in Chicago during the 1930s. There are many similarities and differences in
the way blacks and whites treat and view each other, racial equality, and equal opportunity.
Life for blacks in the 1930s was hard on blacks everywhere. Most blacks could not get a
good education. Many of them had low paying job (Luvenia is a maid who works for the
Deetss). It was also harder for a black person to get into college during that time period.
Luvenia faces many obstacles when trying to get into college. She needs a loan, but needs her
employer to sign a document saying that she will have a job for four years that has a salary of
$11 or more an hour. For most blacks at the time, a salary of $11 and hour was rare. At the time,
blacks were afraid to stand up for themselves and fight the segregation and racial in-equality they
were being put through.
The 1960s were slightly better, but still blacks were still considered inferior my most
whites. During this time period, segregation and racism was still running strong. Whites called
blacks boy or uncle. More blacks were protesting and participating in marches like the
integration march led by Reverend McKinnon. Even though there was still segregation (the white
hospital and the black hospital, the black church and the white church.) some whites were
comfortable with blacks around them. Some of them like Skeeter Jackson even befriended
blacks, and participated in their protests and marches.

Even though these are two very different societies, they both share many elements.
In both whites feel the blacks are inferior, and the whites are racist to the blacks. During
Tommys time and Luvenias time there are white supremacist groups who are in favor of
segregation and the fact that whites are better. During the 1930s and 1960s many fountains,
churches, restaurants, and other building were divided into a section for whites and a section for
blacks (which tended to be worse than the one for the whites). In Luvenias time, there was less
protesting by the blacks, while in Tommys time there were organized marches protesting against
discrimination against blacks. Another difference is that 1960 blacks had better chances to
become successful. In Luvenias time, it was rare for blacks to go to college. In Tommys time,
they were giving scholarships to blacks so they can go to a white college.
Even though Tommy grows up in South Carolina during the 1960s, and Luvenia grows
up in Chicago during the 1930s, they still face much racism and hardship to become successful.
They both face the same problems like segregation and racism, but also those of their time
period.