What is Lee alluding to when Mrs. Merriweather says, "Mrs. Roosevelt's lost her mind-- just plain lost her mind coming down to Birmingham and tryin' to sit with 'em...." (p. 234)

Lee is referring to the southern Conference in Birmingham that Mrs. Roosevelt attending, during which she sat in the center between whites and African Americans. In doing so, she publicly showed her support for the African Americans and the need for equality.