Whose Town? by Lorenz Bell Graham
"Whose Town?" by Lorenz Bell Graham is a contemporary novel that highlights the complexities of growing up as a Black teenager in a predominantly white community. The protagonist, David Williams, faces significant challenges, including racial prejudice and violence, particularly after an altercation at a local drive-in. Following a violent incident where his friend is killed, David grapples with feelings of alienation and questions of belonging in his town. As he navigates the repercussions of these events, he also confronts the institutional biases present in his school and community, which threaten his educational aspirations despite his strong academic and athletic record.
The narrative unfolds against the backdrop of the 1950s and 1960s, reflecting broader societal issues of race and identity. David's experiences are compounded by his family's struggles, as his parents face economic difficulties exacerbated by systemic racism. Throughout the story, themes of resilience and hope emerge, as David contemplates the messages of various community leaders and ultimately chooses a path of understanding and reconciliation. The novel not only addresses the individual challenges he faces but also serves as a commentary on the necessity of bridging divides between different racial and social groups, making it a significant work for young readers seeking insight into the racial conflicts of the time.
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Subject Terms
Whose Town? by Lorenz Bell Graham
First published: 1969
Type of work: Social realism
Themes: Social issues, race and ethnicity, and coming-of-age
Time of work: The 1960’s
Recommended Ages: 13-15
Locale: North Town, a fictional city in the Northeastern United States
Principal Characters:
David Williams , a black high school senior who must learn to deal with conflicting ideas about racial problemsMr. Williams , his father, a mechanic who has brought his family north in an attempt to give them a better lifeMrs. Williams , his mother, who must go out to work when his father is laid offSam Silverman , a hardware-store owner who hires him to work part-timeJohn Bowman , his friend and coworker, who tries to convince him that it is time for black people to fight backJeanette Lenoir , his girlfriend, a college freshmanBetty Jane Williams , his sister
The Story
Whose Town? is a contemporary novel that sets forth in simple, readable language the story of its young protagonist, David Williams, as he confronts the growing-up problems of a black teenager in a predominantly white Northern community.
After leaving a party, David and a group of friends stop at the Plantation Drive-in for hamburgers, and David is jumped by a group of white boys. His friends, Jimmy Hicks and Lonnie Webster, come to his aid, but the police arrive on the scene, and the white boys accuse David of jumping them. The group of young blacks, including their girlfriends, are taken to the police station, but they are later released to Sergeant Reed, the father of one of the girls.
When they return to Jimmy’s car, which was left parked at a service station, they find that all the glass in the car has been broken, and the attendant denies seeing anyone doing the damage. Later David, Jimmy, and Lonnie return to the service station to try to get the man to give them more information, but instead he orders them away, pulls a gun, and kills Lonnie. David is arrested because the attendant testifies that the three young blacks were attacking him and that he fired only in self-defense.
A normal return to high school life and his part-time job at Sam Silverman’s hardware store seems impossible for David. He questions himself about whose town this is. He finds himself confronted with racial prejudice in the local newspaper and among the white students and faculty. The principal warns him that he may not be allowed to graduate even though he has excellent academic and sports records. Only Coach Henderson, his football coach, seems interested in his side of the story, and even he does not understand that David has feelings of often wanting to join with the blacks who fight back. David tries to explain that he is a victim of race prejudice and hatred, but not even the coach is sympathetic.
David’s father and mother attempt to help him in every way possible, but his father has been laid off from his job at the Foundation Iron and Machine Works, and his mother must return to doing housework for white people. David’s trouble brings more legal and financial problems to their already depleted income.
At the inquest into Lonnie’s death, the jury finds that the action of the attendant was justifiable homicide, but the district attorney does not bring charges against David.
David is graduated, but his thoughts about the incidents of the past year and the problems his parents and other blacks are having continue to make him question himself about many issues. The drowning death of a young black boy, which is believed to have been caused by white teenagers, brings rioting to the neighborhood. The ugly question of whose town it is arises once more in David’s mind. His co worker John Bowman urges him to go to a meeting called by the Reverend Moshombo, who David believes is spreading hatred, while his parents encourage him to attend church, where the Reverend Hayes attempts to calm the people with the message that all white people are not in opposition to the rights of others. David decides that he should choose the message of the Reverend Hayes.
David joins with his boss, Sam, and other workers who begin to rebuild what fire has damaged during the riot. He attempts to understand and sincerely believe that not giving up is a form of success.
Context
Whose Town? is the third volume of a series of four novels by Lorenz Graham which deal with fifteen years in the life of David Williams, a young black man who must confront racial problems as he comes of age in the 1950’s and 1960’s. The series begins with South Town (1958), in which the Williams family, confronted with bigotry and violence, decide that they must leave their home in the South to try to make a better life for themselves. The second and third volumes, North Town (1967) and Whose Town?, continue their story, as they find a better financial way of life but unhappily realize that there is no way of escaping racial conflicts. The last of the series, Return to South Town (1976), relates David’s return to the small town the family left and the problems he encounters as he attempts to establish his medical practice as the first black doctor in the town.
In the series, Graham makes the reader aware of the strong social message he is delivering: Prejudice arises from the lack of understanding of both blacks and whites for the other group. He always creates key characters who attempt to calm disturbing situations and to bring the two sides together. Each book ends with a hopeful look toward a time when race relations will be better.
Graham, the son of a minister, began to write Bible stories for young people after serving as a missionary in Liberia. His strong Christian values are evident throughout the series about the Williams family. Most of the principal characters have a strong belief in God and in the settling of racial problems without resorting to violence.
Graham’s books were among the first to present the problems of young black people for adolescent readers. Through the viewpoint of David Williams, they offer young readers of both races insight into the conflicts young black people must face.