Mildred D. Taylor's Roll Of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Mildred D. Taylor’s compelling novel, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, illustrates an African American family’s journey through violent racism in Mississippi in the early 1930s. The Logans, the family focused on in the story, are one of the few African American families in the south during the period to own their own plot of land. Throughout the whole tale, they are battling to keep it. Persevering and continuing to believe in an environment full of negative, racist people is nearly impossible. However, during this hard time, the Logans demonstrate the strength and loyalty that is ideal for every family. Although the Logans have extreme courage and strength, those are not the only things that help carry this family through their crisis. What

But their strength and teamwork might not have been possible without major personal sacrifices from individual family members. One example of this is when Mama Logan sacrifices her career, and risks losing the land in order to begin a boycott. Mama finds out that the Wallaces, a white family, were responsible for the burning of an African American family in their community. Unlike most African Americans in the area, she refuses to sit back and allow the white nightmen to harm the community members. She goes around the town knocking on doors, and pleading that the residents of the town, who are mostly sharecroppers, stop shopping at the store owned by the Wallace family. Instead, she tells them to switch to a store in Vicksburg, and even offers to back their credit at this store. She says this knowing that her family does not have enough money to pay for both their land and the credit, and knowing that the Wallaces are superior to her, and could easily take away her teaching job. Mama Logan puts important things on the line when boycotting the store, and yet she still chooses to follow through with it. Why? For the sake of standing up for her rights and beliefs. It takes a lot to put the greater good above personal wants and belongings, but Mama is strong. That’s why she is able to make these large