Parallel Lives

1. How could one “step out of place” during the 1950s and early 1960s?  Can one “step out of place” in 2016?  If so, what are the similarities and the differences between stepping out of place during the 1950s/early 1960s and stepping out of place today?

In the 1950s and 1960s, a black person could step out of place by doing any number of things - by refusing to drink from the ‘Coloreds Only’ water fountain, by swimming in a public pool, by going for a swim in the ocean unsupervised. The famous ‘sit-ins’ at local diners serve as another example of stepping out of place, as the brave young men and women who participated in them were often mocked, beaten, and arrested. Whites who accommodated blacks likewise stepped out of place if they were caught aiding or helping their colored neighbors, such as giving them preference in a hospital setting over other white patients. Here in 2016, though we are no longer segregated, an individual can step out of place if they cheat on a test, rebel against one’s parents, steal, kill someone else - all of which would likewise be stepping out of place in the 1950s. However, today socially we are not concerned with racial discrimination as much as we once were, though in many areas today it still remains a problem (it’s not something on the forefront of our minds in comparison to other political issues). I feel that it’s much harder now for an individual to be punished if they socially step out of place now compared to the 1950s and 60s, because much of the visible legal social strata created based on race has been eliminated.

1. What “small indignities” and “brutal encounters” did Maxwell suffer, and what was his response to these? If these things happened to you today, how would you respond?  Was the way you would respond even possible in the 1950s and 60s?  Why or why not?

On a daily basis, whites acted like they saw nothing when looking at blacks, and Maxwell experienced this on a daily basis when interacting with whites - he was neglected and viewed as inferior, and no eye contact was even made with him. Maxwell suffered the brutal encounters of being elbowed against a wall when he was 14 years old by a white police officer, and was nigger-knocked twice by groups of young white males. He responded to the former by yelling back at the police officer, and the latter by trying to man it out and not crying when his nose got broken from a teen’s belt buckle. If either of those things happened to me today, I would be pretty angry and probably cuss them out - no one would blame me for it. In the 1950s, I don’t know what I would have done, other than stand there and take it; to retaliate could mean I would get even more hurt or end up in jail.

2. Who “cooled” Maxwell’s “growing hatred of white people”? How was this cooling accomplished?  Do you think that Maxwell is still angry at the way he was treated in his youth?  Should he be?

Two adult white ladies, Mrs Hubbard and English teacher Gloria Bonaparte, cooled Maxwell’s growing hatred of white people, as they told him that he was a good reader, and that he could continue his love of words by going to college. I believe Maxwell is still angry at the way he was treated in his youth - who wouldn’t be? -because even today he is speaking about what happened to him; it’s important that the story live on to teach to younger generations the importance of getting rid of racism. This is not your typical forgive and forget scenario.  

3. Beverly Coyle describes herself as “illiterate” concerning the “Whites Only” and “Coloreds Only” signs above water fountains. She writes, “We all looked at those signs without reading them.  Black presence in our lives was so minimal that incidents of racial conflict did not exist in my young perspective.”  How often do you cross paths with people who are racially or culturally different from you?  How and why do your paths cross?  How much do you understand about the lives and experiences of those who are racially or culturally different from you?  Can you see racial or cultural conflicts from “another’s” point of view? How can you better understand the “other’s” point of view?

I cross paths with people from different races and cultures every single day; there is a Muslim girl that rides on my bus every day, a black girl in my algebra class, and two Middle Eastern boys in my ethics class. Quite honestly, I don’t feel I understand their cultural or racial perspective of life, as I’ve never been in their situation before, but lately I have begun to relate events in the news to other culture’s perspectives. By being aware of the many cultural and racial differences shown by others around me, and by being sensitive to their points of view and how they might perceive or take different ideas by asking them what they think and making an effort to speak to and include them, I can better understand their points of view.

4. Towards the end of her essay, Coyle describes the plot of In Troubled Waters, her novel “in which black and white characters struggle to know each other across a divide that still exists.” Do you think a racial divide still exists?    Do you experience a divide in which you struggle to know someone who is racially or culturally different from you?  If so, describe your struggle.

I think a tacit racial divide still exists; there is this unspoken mindset that we are different than those of other colors or cultures, but it’s different when you actually encounter someone from another country on a personal basis. My sister recently started dating an Arab guy at her high school, and it’s been really fun getting to know him; he’s actually been telling us what his parents teach him about culture and traditions in the MIddle East. However, during my mission trip in Mexico, I felt really divided from the other girl missionaries on my trip because of the cultural and language barrier. I wouldn’t know what was going on in a conversation because they were talking about stuff I didn’t know about, and I myself sometimes was seen as the outsider, and felt ostracized many times during conversations and outings.

Generally, essays can adopt this outline:

1. Summary of key content / ideas from the readings and the performance.  
2. Reaction to the readings (paraphrase or quote directly from the text), the performance (describe specific aspects of the performance), and to what you’ve experienced.
3. Connection -- identify and explain a connection to other learning from this or another class or to what you’ve experienced OR Explain:  how has your thinking about the topic or theme been influenced.

During the performance of Parallel Lives, I was captivated by Maxwell and Coyle’s readings of their experiences as youth, growing up in a segregated and bigoted American society. Maxwell, who realized that he was black at a very young age, had a faster paced, much more graphic story to tell than did the more relaxed narration of Coyle, who didn’t realize the racial divide that existed until she was in her late teens. She didn’t fully realize the impact he Jim Crow laws had on the entire African American race until later, though she did experience her parents’ racist opinion of blacks in her childhood, and remembers being confused by it. Maxwell describes what it was like to suffer the trivial indignities and brutal  encounters that he experienced, growing up as a black male, and was angry towards those who has caused his suffering, though later encounters with supportive white teachers cooled his hatred of whites.

Initially, I was shocked that this performance was even happening. Come on, isn’t racism gone from the United States? We can all use the same facilities, get into college, and do what we want to do, right? Wrong. Maxwell and Coyle’s narrative revealed the full impact of racism in America on today’s society, especially here in Gainesville. I didn’t know we were one of the last counties in Florida to amend the Jim Crow laws. Its funny how many people nowadays assume racism is over, because they say race doesn't matter because now everyone is treated the same, but when someone comments on how they think the only reason a black man and a white woman would be together is because they are lovers, you know it’s not really over. The question and answer session at the end was very insightful, and probably where I learned the most from the performance. Maxwell stated that he is realistic, not pessimistic, about the future when he said that he says he thinks there is no hope for improving racism in America, due to the legacy of the Jim Crow laws, along with his situation with fighting in the Vietnam War and being ridiculed for it. The only way for racism in America to end it to talk about it in a safe place, openly and honestly, and then the fear will disappear. I had never thought about this before Maxwell brought it up; to my knowledge, I haven’t done anything racist in the past, but I don’t think I’ve ever made efforts to overcome it in our society either. Coyle mentioned that supporting art and stories are based on race and other cultures are great ways to begin honest conversations about race, and this has piqued my interest in attending more cultural events and supporting cultural art, as they are important components to our society. We can no longer simply acknowledge that fact that we are a diverse population of different skin tones, but also recognizing America as a myriad of people with different backgrounds and reasons for being here that need to be learned about and respected, and overcome barriers and make amends for things that may still be haunting us from the past.