Comparison Of Black Boy And Separate Pasts

The Memoirs of Black Boy and Separate Pasts

In the two audio biography books, each author describes their experience growing up in the time of Jim Crow South. In both books, they illustrate the differences in perspectives in the face of racism during the south, and their front row seats in this period. These two audio biographies are “Black Boy” by Richard Wright, and “Separate Pasts: Growing up White in the Segregated South” by Melton A. McLaurin. What these two books provide for the modern viewer is the perspective of the two-race spectrum: white and blacks. The memoirs recall back to their childhood and young adult lives growing up in the 1920s south, and how they become aware of the segregation in the south. These two books provide a perspective

of racism that can connected to present day racism in some shape or form.
One common theme that the two-books share in common is their economic stability. In regard to Black Boy, Richard says “Watching the white people eat would make my empty stomach churn and I would grow vaguely angry. Why could I not eat when I was hungry? Why did I always have to wait until others were through? I could not understand why some people had enough food and others did not. Wright, Richard. Black Boy” (pp. 17-18). What this quote illustrates is that Richards family do not have a lot money. They were economically disadvantaged. This quote also introduces Richards naïve taste in segregation—although, he is unaware of it. This also brings a lot of contrast to Separate Past point of view. During Melton’s childhood, he talks about the “the black elementary school, which housed grades one through seven. The rambling one-story frame building symbolized the status of blacks in the village. It had no kitchen; its students enjoyed no lunch program. Those with money came to the store at lunch to buy snacks and pop; others carried bag lunches; some went hungry” (p. 23). The glaring factor in the similarities follows the pattern of black’s getting the lowest echelon of society. Majority of blacks don’t have a lot of money and some goes hungry for the entire day.
The second contrast between viewpoints is the awareness of segregation, or the knowledge of one’s own role in society.

When it comes to who is more aware at a much younger age, in Separate Pasts, Melton knew the social status of blacks—as opposed to Richard. In correspondence, Melton says “…all whites knew that blacks were, really, servants. It was their destiny to work at menial tasks, supervised, of course, by benevolent whites. All this was according to God’s plan and was perfectly obvious to all but dimwitted Yankees and Communists” (p. 31). What this shows is that Melton knew about the social roles of black, and already indoctrinated in the mindset of being white is more superior than blacks. In Richards case, he didn’t figure the difference at an early age. This is proven by a conversation between him, and his Mother:

“The ‘white’ man did not whip the ‘black’ boy,” my mother told me. “He beat the ‘black’ boy.”

“But

why?”
“You’re too young to understand.” (p.22).
As the conversation demonstrates, Richards mother didn’t tell him about the racism white’s hold over blacks. This brings in an interesting question to why a young white boy was told about the difference of social hierarchy in early age, whiled the black boy was not.
The third contrast that could compare to another is how each character has their viewpoint on whites thinking they are superior to blacks, and how it impacts their lives.

Furthermore, to what was said, Richard provided a perspective of how southern whites views themselves. Richard describes how “The southern whites would rather have had Negroes who stole, work for them than Negroes who knew, however dimly, the worth of their own humanity. Hence, whites placed a premium upon black deceit; they encouraged irresponsibility; and their rewards were bestowed upon us blacks in the degree that we could make them feel safe and superior” (p. 202). This quote symbolizes the oppression of what whites have on blacks. The fact that southern whites encourage bad behavior towards blacks in order to feel superior—says a lot about how southern society operated in that time. Of course, this in the mindset of the oppressed. What about the white’s frame of mind? In Separate Pasts, Melton expresses his early knowledge in knowing he was superior to blacks. He clarifies this by saying “I knew, for I had been told since birth, that whites were superior to blacks." (p. 30). As you can see, the entirely of blame for whites being racist cannot be one hundred percent true. Some of the many factors that can influence a child’s mind is their environment, and someone telling a young mind that they are superior towards a certain ethnic group—can leave a long-lasting domestication train of thoughts that

will not be easy to get rid of.
Another interesting concept to take note of is that both characters realizes the limitations of how society restrict the education blacks can get. Or, to be more exact, the opportunity to advance towards education. In addition to that, Melton has an inner monologue describing a black man called: Street—a man known to Melton as being street smart, and overly underestimated by the majority of white folks—describes “Had he been given the education needed to develop his native intelligence, had society allowed him the freedom to exercise his talents to their fullest instead of forcing him to obtain small triumphs over racist beliefs through the teaching of a rigidly sectarian dogma, his contributions to the society could have been immense" (p. 63). What this shows is how Melton was aware of Streets potential in the field of education, and how society imposes academic limitations towards a black person. In Black Boys perspective, Richard provides a profound thought that illustrates how he was aware of the southern education system oppression on him. He conveys this by saying “I was building up in me a dream which the entire educational system of the South had been rigged to stifle. I was feeling the very thing that the state of Mississippi had spent millions of dollars to make sure that I would never feel; I was becoming aware of the thing that the Jim Crow laws had been drafted and passed to keep out of my consciousness…” (p. 170). This shines a shade of light towards Jim Crow South. One of the many things that hinder the progression of black advancement is by the limited education they can receive. This shows how both protagonists were aware of constraint in education for blacks.