In “Separated Pasts; Growing up white in the segregated South,” segregation is the obvious theme of the entire book. In the South in the 1950s, segregation was not uncommon and considered normal. The 1950s were about to change, however. Change means the civil rights movement and the fight for the walls of segregation to be torn down. However, McLaurin provides powerful insight into segregation in his hometown of Wade, North Carolina, where it "existed unchallenged and almost uncontested in the rural South" in the early 1950s. McLaurin describes segregation as a mode of normal life from a white perspective, and I believe he does this effectively through his memories of his childhood. In McLaurin's hometown of Wade, North Carolina, segregation was evident and pervasive in the daily routines of life. Segregation often meant that blacks had separate, yet equal, facilities from whites. However, this was often not the case. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Often, public restrooms for whites were well-maintained, nice and clean, whereas if they were for blacks only, they were dirty and dilapidated. The elementary schools described by McLaurin are a good example of the difference between facilities for whites and blacks. The black elementary school was a one-story frame building, had no food program, no indoor plumbing, poor sports equipment, and barely a playground. The white elementary school, however, was a two-story brick building, "a large auditorium and stage, modern indoor plumbing and toilets, a well-equipped kitchen, and a large dining room in which hot lunches were served daily (23)”. It is clear when comparing the two schools that there is a vast difference between the facilities intended for blacks and those set aside middle of paper...in much of the South. time. I believe that McLaurin effectively describes the segregation in his hometown by giving concrete examples that he experienced growing up. He was there, he saw it and he lived it. So I think this book has great historical value. This book provides insight into the perspective of a young boy who grew up in segregation in the South. Usually you hear the black guy's point of view and how horrible it was, but it's interesting to hear it from the other side because as a young boy he really didn't see it as wrong, but that it was just the way they lived. Through McLaurin's memories, the book not only gives a boring textbook on segregation, but also stories and experiences about it, making it an interesting and more enjoyable read. I believe this book provides valuable historical insight into segregation in the South..