A photograph of a Black family with six children in 1936 can make us pause because the picture may look peaceful and happy, while the historical environment surrounding that family was anything but peaceful. In 1936, African Americans in the United States were living under Jim Crow segregation, particularly in the South. Laws and social practices restricted where Black people could live, work, study, travel, eat and even access public facilities. Racial violence and discrimination were real and sometimes deadly.  Yet Black families survived—and often created remarkably strong communities—through family, faith, work, education, cooperation and cultural pride. How could a family with six children survive? 1. The family itself was a survival institution. Parents, grandparents, siblings, cousins and extended relatives often depended upon one another. Children were not raised only by their parents; the wider community could help with food, childcare, work and protection. 2. They worked ...