I liked the actress who played Miss Mimi. Something did cross my mind though. I hesitate to ask this, but with segregation in schools at that time being a big issue, would there even be a black woman working as a secretary in the school office? We are talking about a southern state too. A BIG southern state!
Nobody seems to have brought up this subject. I'm curious to know what others think.
I liked the actress who played Miss Mimi. Something did cross my mind though. I hesitate to ask this, but with segregation in schools at that time being a big issue, would there even be a black woman working as a secretary in the school office? We are talking about a southern state too. A BIG southern state!
Nobody seems to have brought up this subject. I'm curious to know what others think.
Hello, Miss Margo,
I remember going to school in Florida in 1960-61, and I can remember a few Black Children in my school. Racial segregation was still the law in such things as lunchrooms laundromats, drinking fountains and restrooms (as in Gentlemen, Ladies, and Colored). So even though Brown vs Board of Education had been decided in 1954, the law still allowed segregation in other venues until the 1964 civil rights law had been passed as the decision only applied in schools.
So, yes; it was conceivable that a Black person would be be working in the school.
Hope this helps. Now, I'm going to have go and watch the series again, so I know who she was.
Thanks for the information. I just wasn't certain if it was common for a black lady to be the office secretary at that time in Texas.
Miss Mimi was elderly and white in the book She was the librarian. Sadie took over for her in the book.
This was changed in the series though. I can understand why. Mimi's character being black did help to underline the racial discrimination in a few scenes.... Jake offering her a cup of coffee and the nasty scene at the gas station.
If you have any more thoughts on this after watching again, please come back and tell me more.
The guy refusing to sell gas to Miss Mimi was reprehensible to me (and most others of my generation) but in those days it would have considered wrong by some Whites to sell it to her. It's hard for me to figure out the rationale for this. Anything I'd say would be guess and probably a poor one at that.
Times have changed and in this case, for the better.
I do sort of remember the way things were then. It seems so foolish and down right disgusting when you look back on it.
It saddens me that there are still white people today with that same mindset.