Did you know that the state of Mississippi did not officially abolish slavery until February 7, 2013? Although slaves have not worked Mississippi fields since the end of the Civil War, evidence of racial prejudice is far from gone. On a recent trip to Greenwood, Mississippi, Nikole Hannah-Jones witnessed this ongoing bias and writes, “the Delta can be devastating.” This devastation is addressed in two novels: The Help by Kathryn Stockett and The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man by James Weldon Johnson. Set in Jackson, Mississippi, The Help chronicles the lives of African-American maids who work for white families. The autobiography of a former black man tells the story of a half-black man torn between fitting into white society and showing pride in his African heritage. In each novel the authors demonstrate to the reader that "the Delta can be devastating" through the stories of their minor characters. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay First, the Delta is devastating to Yule May, a black waitress who works for Hilly Holbrook. Yule May is only seventy-five dollars away from sending both of her children to college, but Hilly refuses to lend her the money. She is stuck because as a mother she loves both her children equally and must provide the same opportunities to both. In a letter to Skeeter, she writes, "For ten years, my husband and I saved our money to send to Tougaloo College, but no matter how hard we worked, we still didn't have enough for both of us" (Stockett 293). In desperation, he resorts to theft and pawns one of Hilly's old rings. When Hilly realizes this, Yule May is immediately sent to prison and most of her savings are lost due to the court fine. Therefore, Yule May is condemned by the Delta due to the lack of opportunities for people of her race. Furthermore, Mae Mobley is ultimately a victim of the ignorance and negligence of her mother, Elizabeth Leefolt. Elizabeth is disgusted by Mae Mobley's lack of aesthetics, so she rarely plays with her or cleans up after her. From an early age, Mae Mobley is raised by her black maid, Aibileen, and witnesses discrimination against her (such as when Miss Leefolt decides to build her a separate bathroom). Despite this, Aibileen teaches Mae Mobley to have morals and self-esteem, as demonstrated by the motto “You are kind. You're smart. You matter” (Stockett 521). Therefore, firing Aibileen becomes the most destructive decision Elizabeth has made for her daughter. As Aibileen leaves, Mae Mobley wonders, “Why? Why don't you want to see me anymore? Will you take care of another little girl?" (Stockett 520). Mae Mobley feels the devastation of a loved one leaving her, but she won't see the real devastation, the loss of a role model, until much later. Therefore, the Delta devastates Mae Mobley by depriving her of Aibileen. Last but not least, James Weldon Johnson's devastation is brought to him by his supposed benefactor, a Pullman porter. As he prepares to attend Atlanta University, the school money and the His tie is stolen. Since he can no longer afford to attend school, the doorman kindly lends him some money and suggests that he move to Jacksonville to find work. Later, Johnson recognizes the doorman wearing the stolen tie that it was his "friend" who stole all his money, he says "My amazement and the ironic humor of the situation put everything else out of my mind" (Johnson, 2009.