far greater numbers than blacks, at least before many of the New Deal programs were initiated. It should also be pointed out that blacks were less free than whites to move to the cities. They had fewer contacts there, for one thing, and would still be seen as outsiders to a greater extent than whites, who could more readily blend into the great Western European melting pot.
An eternal Southerner, Nate had learned the lessons of race relations the hard way. He explains that if a white tenant farmer has a disagreement with his landlord, the owner will simply fire the farmer. He will then hire a black farmer, at a cheaper rate, and same himself the future aggravation of going "toe to toe" with a tenant. Nate recalls a land owner who told him, "Aw hell, Nate, I don't want no damn white man on my place" (488). Typically, a land owner would inquire of black sharecroppers who would make good tenants. The owner was interested in hiring a family
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