ABOUT THE AUTHOR

- Mildred Taylor was born in Jackson, Mississippi on September 13, 1943

- Although Taylor was born in the South, she lived there only briefly before moving to Toledo,

Ohio, where she spent most of her childhood

- Taylor is best known for her works exploring the struggle faced by African-American

families in the Deep South.

- Many of Taylor’s stories are based on stories about her family that she heard

while growing up.

- Taylor has written nine novels to date, and five of them are about the fictional Logan

family – the family presented in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

About Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

- Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is the second book in a five-part series about the Logan

family.

- The book was published in 1976, and won the Newbery Medal in 1977.

- The novel is set in 1933 Mississippi – during the Great Depression.

- The main character in the story is Cassie Logan, a 9-year-old African-American girl who is brave, has a fiery temper, and is

very naïve about the facts of racism

- Several violent acts of racism occur or are mentioned in the novel, including

“The Berry Burnings” in chapter one, and the tarring and feathering of Mr. Tatum in

chapter 4

- These two events are examples of lynch mobs and nightmen (two terms that will be

explained momentarily).

About The Great Depression

- The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression that began in 1930 and

lasted until the late 1930’s or mid 1940’s (depending on which nation you lived in).

- The Great Depression was the longest, most widespread, and deepest depression of the

20th century.

- During the Great Depression, roughly 25% of Americans were unemployed

A few terms to be familiar with

Lynch Mob – a group of people who carry out their own justice (often murder) for an alleged crime

by hanging, burning, or shooting the alleged transgressor in order to intimidate, control, or

manipulate a population of people

Nightmen – a group of men who travel through African-American neighborhoods at night in order to terrorize or injure African-American families.

While there have been various groups of “nightmen” over the years, the most well-known

group is the KKK.

A few terms to be familiar with (Cont’d)

Boycott – an act of voluntary abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person,

business, or country as a form of protest.

Racial Segregation – the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant,

drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies,

or in the rental or purchase of a home.

A few terms to be familiar with (Cont’d)

Sharecropper – a farm tenant who pays rent to the land owner with a portion of the crop he (the sharecropper) raises; During the 1930’s, though sharecroppers were not slaves, they often worked for little more than food, clothing, and a meager dwelling.