Friendship

The strong friendships among the group members help them to face obstacles, difficulties and attacks as a team dedicated to common goals. Other family members and friends in Jackson work to help the group attain its common goal of getting Moe out of Mississippi and into Chicago. The kind of friendship in the group has been developed from growing up together and dealing with the same problems that all black people share while living during 1941 in Mississippi.

Even among strangers, the black people have an immediate level of friendship. The cleaning woman at the whites-only hospital gives Moe headache medicine and directs the group to Ma Dessie. Ma Dessie takes in Clarence and does all she can do for him. Solomon immediately accepts the group and solves two of their primary problems, fixing the car and getting the train ticket to Chicago for Moe.

Although rare and dangerous...