In Sweet Summer, Bebe Moore Campbell tells her own life story, but also brings up many issues that affect many different people. .
African Americans thought that talking as if they were educated and speaking proper English if they were educated and speaking proper English was going to make them seem white. African Americans always felt as if they had to compete with whites, and either be as good or better than them. African Americans automatically thought that "good hair" was white people's hair, and they always tried to make their hair look straight, because then they would have "good hair" and look more white. In the book Sweet Summer by Bebe Moore Campebell, the attempt by African Americans to fit into the "white world" is important because people were putting down their own race for being educated or so called, "acting white.".
African Americans should try to change themselves to be something they are not, change themselves to be something they are not, and talking correct English, should not be considered a negative. Bebe always had her mother and aunt hovering over her, and making her speak proper English, but to Bebe, she considered it "acting white" and felt that in order to be considered black she could not speak in a white manner. Many people felt that they needed to Have power. This occurred in many situations, "Being there(Wagner's) wasn't any more fun than being at the Imperial, but it made me feel more powerful"p.264. Bebe tried to teach her father some things, taking after her mother and aunt, " She corrects everybody. Besides, what's wrong with speaking properly?"p.268. Bebe's grandmother was always putting things into Bebe's head, weather it was good or bad. Nana had an idea that there always had to be competition with whites, "All those white folks down on that job and you get the promotion, and you tellin" me not to brag?" p.227. .
There was always competition with whites and blacks in how they did in school, competing against each other, and either trying to be as good, or better than them, "What the white children learned, that's what her child had to learn.
