Chapter 7 Summary

Cassie and Papa are sitting on the front porch. They talk about the incident with Uncle Hammer and Jeremy's picture. Papa tells Cassie that everything Uncle Hammer says is true, even if he acts a little hard on her. Papa then explains that his grandfather was a white slave owner, the owner of his father's mother. He uses this as an example of how white men can act with black women. They take advantage of black women.

He then mentions that boys will start courting Cassie very soon, but Cassie inwardly protests. She wants to remain friends with the boys she knows. The conversation turns again to race, and Papa suggest that everyone is of a mixed race in some way. No one can pick who his ancestors are. He then wishes for the day when white people will just leave black people...