The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 Lesson Plan

What does Kenny find in Joey's shoe? Why might Joey carry this in her shoe? What does this tell us about racial tension in the North?

Kenny finds a picture of "a little white boy with a girl's hairdo and a smiling dog." It can be assumed that Joey has a childhood crush of sorts on the boy in the photo; the photo is well-worn, indicating she often carries it with her. Yet, Joey feels the need to hide the photo in her shoe, which suggests a certain shame about it. This may be due to the fact that the boy in the picture is white. Her crush on the boy may bridge the racial divide, but Joey still feels a sense of uncertainty about it. While Joey is only five, it is clear she...