In the story Marigolds, Eugenia Collier highlights the importance of friendship and how it can help us to overcome difficult times.
The story is set in the backdrop of racial tension in the United States during the late 1960s. Lizabeth is a young girl who witnesses her family’s struggles to make ends meet. Her mother works as a maid for a wealthy white family but she is paid very little for her work. Because of this, Lizabeth and her family are forced to move from one place to another in order to save money.
However, when they arrive at their new neighbourhood they realise that they are now living amongst white people who are racist towards black people like them. This makes Lizabeth feel anxious and scared about starting at a new school where she knows she will be the only black student. But luckily for her, she soon befriends Minnie, who helps her adjust to her new surroundings by showing her around town and introducing her to other kids at school.
The girls grow close and their friendship blossoms over time until one day when racial tensions boil over again due to an incident involving a white man shooting two black men in public; one of them being Martin.
