The Civil Rights Movement in The Secret Life of Bees

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The Secret Life of Bees is an incredible book written by Sue Monk Kidd and was published in 2004. It follows the life of a 14 year old girl living in South Carolina in the year of 1964. The novel explores many different themes. These themes include death, relationships, self-discovery, coming of age, and many more. However, some of these things go on to provide social commentary on the south in the year 1964. The book obviously displays racism and the Civil Rights Movement because the height of the Civil Rights movement was during the late 1950s through the 1960s.
Having taken place in South Carolina at the time the racial tensions are very high. This is shown in the book when Lily accompanies Rosaleen to town where Rosaleen intends to register to vote. Some of you may be under the impression that African American women were able to vote since 1920 when the nineteenth amendment was passed. However, in the south it was much more difficult for African American women to vote until the late 1960s. There were measures put in place to make it incredibly difficult for African American women to register to vote. These measures included waiting lines more than 12 hours long, increased prices to register to vote, and a test to show that they could read and completely understand The Constitution. Even with these restrictions Rosaleen still went to register. 
On the way to register Rosaleen got into an altercation with three white men. After spitting tobacco spit on their shoes she was arrested. At the jail all three men were let into the jail and allowed to beat her until she had to be taken to the hospital. Rosaleen’s life was endangered because one of the men would kill her when she got out of jail. 
This part was incredibly hard for me to read. This is a very real and probable situation for the time and place. And to think that it was not even sixty years ago when this was the norm sickens me. The Secret Life of Bees does an amazing job of showing you how hard life could be for African Americans even in recent history

Comments

  1. Taylor ScottOctober 16, 2019 at 8:31 PM

    Wow Griffin! This is crazy for me to read! I would love to read this novel sometime and hear about Rosaleen's experiences as a young black woman in South Carolina back then. From what you have written, I think that it would be pretty disheartening more than anything to read this book. Did she actually get killed or was she attacked and almost died? Maybe I just need to read it myself!

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  2. Phillip OwusuOctober 21, 2019 at 10:52 PM

    It's pretty crazy what black people had to go through back then. Unfortunately things haven't really changed too much from what it was like back then. Can you imagine the effect that Jim Crow still has today. When it comes to voting in SC most black people don't even bother because...Never-mind, I'm not going to go into it. Reality is often disappointing. I can't tell you how many times I've personally been profiled by an officer of the law. It can get scary. Imagine getting shot, beat up, or something else because of your skin color. Every time I see that on the news, I am reminded of the possibility of being killed based off the way I look. People judge me, because of the way I look. I have been taught to be aware that I am an African-American male at all times. I'm hoping one day I can get judged for me.

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