Which parts of the story could only have taken place in the 1960s, and which sections are more universally true of childhood? If you grew up in the 1960s, which sections of the novel reminded you of your own childhood?

Which parts of the story could only have taken place in the 1960s, and which sections are more universally true of childhood, in your opinion? Are there things or actions mentioned in the book that no longer exist or have changed significantly over time? If you grew up in the 1960s, which sections of the novel reminded you of your own childhood?

The exclusion of the black child from a church activity was probably specific to the 1960's. If you changed the race to another one, and changed the activity to non-church related, you could be talking about an immigrant or Islamic child today.

So much has changed since that time but so much remains the same. With fuller integration after the Civil Rights Act, more exposure to people who look different happened in schools more so than churches and communities.

The lunch counter sit-ins were a trigger for me as I remember sitting with my family in a diner for breakfast one morning and a young black man came in, sat down at the counter and was asked to leave. The waitress pointed to a sign behind the counter which said "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone." This was probably about 1962 in a small town in the Mid-Atlantic. I was confused and asked my parents about it at the time but was told they would it explain it when we got home.

So many of the events in the story rang true with me and reminded me of my own growing up in the 60s. Today, as scgirl says, substitute a Muslim child and you have a similar situation. And let’s be honest, we have not solved or erased the black racist issues in this country.

I grew up in the 1960;s and novel made reflect on the events of the time period including the riots, the marches, the lunch counter sit-ins and civil rights achievements and failures and yes the draft. But we must not forget not everything was a success and today we are still fighting for human rights.

I grew up in the 60s and this book rang true of that time period. The segregation of blacks and race riots were prevalent in central Illinois.

I do think some of this could only have happened in the fifties and sixties. This book brought back so many memories for me. There were warm memories like the drug store soda fountains and the ice cream places where you picked up your cone at the window (no seating inside). There were also the sadder memories. In about third grade, I lived in Chicago and didn't understand when it was on the news that our Catholic pastor did not want black students attending our grade school. He was not allowed to enforce that, but I remember the black students not being warmly welcomed by my teacher. About that same time, Mahalia Jackson bought her home in Chicago, near our school, and a friend led us to see it one day on our walk home. I remember my mother being upset and stressing that was not a safe thing to do. I remember not understanding because we excitedly watched Mahalia Jackson on tv in our house, and she was a huge star in my eyes! I think it was the adult fear of children ending up in the center of controversy - something I felt this book touched on. We moved to a smaller town while I was still in grade school. I was a senior in high school when I met and got to know a freshman girl on the school bus. I was surprised to find out she was the sister of a grade school classmate. I was astounded when she said our town's pastor decided since she was adopted and multi-racial, it would be better if she did not attend the Catholic school like her brother did. So many memories come back that I don't think my own children would really understand since thankfully they grew up in a more diverse and accepting atmosphere. So, I do think in many ways, things changed for the better. Although I recognize that we are often still far short of the goal of equal acceptance for everyone.

I grew up in the 60’s and was the exact same age as America. As a young black girl in Washington DC the segregation was taken for granted, just like America did. There was only one children’s store that would let my sister and I try on shoes. We couldn’t try on things at the department stores. We couldn’t go to the Glen Echo Amusement Park. We couldn’t stop anywhere to go to the bathroom when we drove south to visit relatives so my mother had a big jar in the car for us if my father was afraid to stop along side the road. I didn’t go to the March on Washington because my mother thought there might be trouble, an attitude similar to America’s mother. One time my father, sister and I stopped at a shopping center in Virginia, just outside of DC. My father went to the drug store and my sister and I went to a soda fountain to get hot dogs to go. Without thinking I sat down to wait and almost immediately a man came from behind the counter to tell me to get up because I wasn’t allowed to sit. My sister and I agreed we would not tell my father because we weren’t sure what he would do.
The more positive memories the book brought to me was baseball! I loved playing baseball on a very small field and listening to the Senators play on the radio. I even got to go to a few games!

I lived in an Iowa town that was so lily white except for the college that race riots weren't a thing, but the few Black families that were there through the years were not universally accepted by everyone, and there were definitely bigots that made life difficult for Black families. I didn't hear about it until much later, but one of my friends' fathers was a Lutheran minister. When a Black family moved to town and showed up to worship (because that was their denomination), they were confronted by the deacony-type folk and told that they needed to find a different place to worship. The minister was livid when he learned that this had happened, and the congregation was spoken to sternly, but it was too late for that family. They never returned.

I really appreciate hearing everyone's stories from that time period. I was a little too young to remember much (born in 1961), just bits and pieces. Thanks for sharing!

I was born in the sixties in South Georgia, so much of this rang true although I was way too young to have first hand knowledge. My Mom had help inside our home and at that time did not work outside of the home (although later she ran a very successful business). I remember how important Mary was to me since she was the one who did so much for me in those early years. The University of Georgia did a documentary on our school system and how they handled integration. We were one of the few small towns that did it with relative ease thanks to the leadership of both blacks and whites working together to make the transition happen. By the time I started school, we were fully integrated. I grew up on a very small island so we only had one school. Again, I can’t offer too many concrete examples, but I so appreciate what others have shared. The 60s brought about the start of many changes, but it is certainly in no way finished. People are still fighting so many of the same prejudices today.

I moved to North Carolina from Massachusetts in 1962. I was amazed that there were water fountains labeled "white only" and "black" in Raleigh at that time. I was considered a "Yankee" in Jr. High School; many of my classmates referred to me in that way. In Massachusetts the Civil Rights movement seemed very distant but in Raleigh, the anxiety and importance of civil rights was up close and personal.

I was the same age as America and Corky in 1964. There was race unrest in my city. We weren't allowed out of our homes. We had our doors locked and we didn't go outside.
Other summers, I played softball in the evening on our street. All the kids played. It was the best summer.
I also remember my first kiss that happened when I was 12 with a boy who was a family friend. It was ackward, but I dreamed about it for three years!!!

I was a young adult in the sixties and witnessed the race riots against "black", now its people from the Middle East and Jewish people. ( yet again)

I grew up in the 1950s on a farm outside a small southern town. People of color weren't allowed to spend the night in the town. Because I was a naive child, I didn't know any better. Reading this book set in the 1960s, was so wonderful. I loved the friendship between the two girls. Fortunately, I left that place when I was 20 years old and moved to a place with many people of color. I made some terrific friends and was shocked at how a person of a different color from me was treated where I grew up. Wow!

The railroad tracks were an important part of the story. Northside vs. Southside. The tracks were the dividing line between Whites and Blacks. They were the dividing line in the town because whites and blacks did not live side by side. Whites rarely crossed over to the southside, but black people were allowed to enter the northside to do their business or if they held jobs, which were often to work for white people. Another dividing line were the churches and schools.

Another change that was taking place in society during the 1960's, was the role of women. Women were realizing that taking care of home and family was not enough to fill their needs. Women wanted to do more outside the realm of their homes and needed to feel like they were contributing to society.

Some universally true aspect of childhood in the 1960's were 1) you respected your parents and did as you were told. The family was the nuclear setting in society. 2) Parents did not talk about certain things. Ex. they did not discuss parental business in front of or with their children. It was private between themselves. 3) Children had to figures somethings out for themselves and some topics, such as rape, were not openly discussed.

Parts of the book did remind me of my own childhood. I played on a girls' softball team. The characters in the book on both teams reminded me of the team I played on as well as the other teams. Going for ice cream after a winning game was a real treat. I didn't grow up Baptist or Methodist, but the church did play an important role in my life growing up. My family attended church every Sunday without exception and the priests knew our family.

I remember the freedom I felt at 13 and riding my bike all over the neighborhood. Not a worry in the world. And I remember when the first black family moved into our neighborhood and attended our school. I wanted so much to meet the new girl and get to know her. And she was very athletic and later in High School she became a track star.

I grew up during the 50s and 60s in Virginia and can remember hearing things that sound so unbelievable. "Don't touch a black person because you will turn black." "Don't say sir or ma'am to black people." In 1964 our high school was opened to all. There were rumors that many of the white students would enroll in private schools. That didn't happen. Black students were welcomed, and they became active in all aspects of high school activities.

As a Catholic, I remember having to leave my 6th grade room when the missionaries came to speak every month. As an adult teaching at a community college in SC,
I dreaded being asked where I went to church. My students had many misconceptions about my religion.

I grew up in the 50’s in the south. The freedom that Corky had to go places by herself in her town probably wouldn’t apply today.