Virgil Pulliam

Father's Day Virgil Pulliam

A poor, black Mississippi sharecropper is forced to flee to the North when his demand for a fair accounting of his year's production places him at odds with his boss, a wealthy landowner. Father's Day looks at the challenges faced by three generations of this black family. First, we see their escape from the grinding poverty and life-draining reality of life as sharecroppers in rural Mississippi. Later we witness the family's struggles against poverty, racism and the rough and tumble world of ethnic politics in Chicago. As the story moves from one generation to the next, we learn of the unique problems that the family encounters as they attempt to forge their way into a better life. This story captures the universal aspects of the experiences of thousands of black families whose forbearers made the difficult transition from the South to the North during the early to middle years of twentieth century America. The author draws on his personal experiences and observances, as well as the experiences of others he has encountered during his many years in Chicago.