Rome’s/J&M Content Block 4

Mildred and John tried to protect their four children—John, Michael, Judy, and Carolyn—from racism by focusing life on the family and the store. The children attended Mater Christi School and participated in extracurricular activities but were not permitted to hang out in the neighborhood or walk alone. They did their homework in the room behind the store until their parents were ready to go home for the day.  

More than the other children, Judy McLaurin’s life revolved around the store. Even as a young child, she helped out, and by high school, she managed it. The work exposed her to prejudice that her mother used as a lesson in personal power and resilience.