The black community are a major part of Harper Lee's novel 'To Kill A Mockingbird', although only on the surface a small part of Scout’s world. The black community live segregated from the white community. The novel helps us to understand the use of racism in America in the 1930's.
In 'To Kill A Mockingbird' the black community are at a great disadvantage in the small town of Maycomb. They were not allowed to have an education. In fact, the only literate, black people were Calpurnia, Zeebo - her son and Reverend Sykes. Calpurnia learnt to read and write from Miss Maudie Atkinson's Aunt and then she taught her son. The black people are also not allowed to vote or be on a jury. This puts them at a great disadvantage it means they have no say in their country and without the black community getting a say in what happens in the 1930's, the racism would continue. Also, they were not allowed to use the community's facilities.
The white community wanted to suppress the black community. They wanted to control what the can and cannot do. This was see as normal at the this time in America. Most people in Maycomb were racist and tried not to associate with the black community, as they live segregated next to the dump in the 'Negro cabins'. However there are a few exceptions to how some of the people of the black and white communities act in the novel.
We are primarily introduced to the black community through Calpuria, who is a servant to the Finch family. People in the black community have jobs that would be seen as 'low down' or even humiliating. This sets up an image of servitude and inferiority, which Atticus fights hard against, in order for Jem and Scout to see that all humans are equal no matter what race they are. Of course, Atticus is successful in this, even if he does have to teach Scout why certain phrases are offensive – she does not realise they are offensive due to the general