Big Ma and Uncle Hammer

    Uncle Hammer and Big Ma act quite differently to racist situations, but they still think in similar ways. They both think that racism and discrimination is not right, even though they show it in different ways. Also they both care a lot about their family. For example, when Little Man came crying to Big Ma telling her that the bus had splashed mud all over him, Big Ma acted sweetly like she never did and explained him why they didn't have a bus and that even though she couldn't do anything that she knew it was wrong. Uncle Hammer, though, shows that he feels this way by acting. Uncle Hammer is more outspoken, he is even willing to use violence to stop racist and discriminatory acts. However, even though they might think similarly, they act completely different to situations. 

    Big Ma is a very submissive person. During her life she might of have seen many people die or get hurt because of racism and discrimination. Even though she knows discrimination is wrong she keeps it to herself to avoid trouble and to protect her family. Big Ma is obedient; she obeys the law in order to protect the ones she cares for. In the book, for example, when Cassie accidentally bumps in to Lillie Jean, Big Ma came and forced her to apologize: Big Ma looked at me again, her voice cracking as she spoke. “Go on, child…apologize.”
“But, Big Ma—”
Her voice hardened. “Do like I say.”
Even though I seemed like Big Ma didn't agree with Cassie apologizing, she forced her to do it because she didn't want Cassie to get hurt.  

    On the other hand, Uncle Hammer is more like an activist. Uncle Hammer came from the North to visit his family in the South, he has gone to the war and has a lot of experience with racism. He is the kind of person that is unafraid of authority and someone who is capable of killing for justice. When Cassie tells him about her trip to strawberry and gets furious. He says, " Unnecessary trouble! You think my brother died and I got my leg half blown off in their German war to have some red-neck knock Cassie anytime it suits him?" After this happened he got his gun and headed to the Simms. He was willing ti risk his life to defend his family.

I Wish I Could Stay for Long

I hate to go away,

but I have to,

if I want them to survive.

No matter what I'll have to do,

I will always be standing,

trying, always giving my best,

I can't wait to go back home.

I want to hug them all,

I want to see my kids' faces filling with excitement

I want to see my wife and my mom smiling

I want to forget about work and focus on love

I want to fill my heart of  joy instead of fear

And what I really wish is to stay,

Stay for long

   When Papa comes home

     Cassie's father is a lot like my father. Even though he doesn't go away for such a long time as Papa, the situation is similar. When my father comes home I can see his face turning completely cheerful and happy. I know he really cares about us and that he will do anything for us, just like Papa would do for his kids. I know he doesn't enjoy being far away from us, that he is only doing it for us to have a good life.

    My sister and I also get really excited when he comes back home, just like Cassie and her brothers. As soon as my dad enters the door we go running to hug him. We really dislike when he goes to another country, but we know that he has to do it because its part of his job. We really like having him at home, even though he works almost all day, we can see him at night and least spend some time with him. However, Papa may be confronting many problems and dangers when he goes to work. On the other hand, I know my father is safe.

                                                                  Vocabulary Summary

      When the African American slaves were set free in the Southern states, Americans didn't feel comfortable with all of them being near them. They felt like these slaves were inferior and that they shouldn't have the same rights as they did. For these reasons the Jim Crow laws were created. Their purpose was to keep African Americans and Americans completely separate. It was like they were living in two separate worlds.  It was supposed to use the concept of "separate but equal," but this didn't really happen. There was a lot of inequality. Inequality is not being treated the same as the others. This happened because African American's schools, restaurants, etc, were worse than the ones for Americans, so because of this between the 1950-60s there was a great civil rights movement that finally ended segregation.

     Segregation is the behavior of society dividing by skin color, age, nationality. A very serious case of segregation was in South Africa. This segregation was called the Apartheid. This was an official policy saying that white skin people and dark skin people had to be apart. It was very similar to the Jim Crow laws. This continued until Nelson Mandela became the first black president of South Africa. He completely changed South Africa by ending the apartheid.
 
       Discrimination today forms a great part of our society. Before, there was a lot of discrimination because of racism. Racism is is the discrimination of a human being because of their skin color. Today there is still racism, but there are many other types of discrimination. On these days there is a lot of discrimination because of having a disability of any type, being a boy or a girl, or simply because of being different. Even though some types of discrimination have even sometimes been prohibited it will never be ceased.