Grammy told us that back in the day in Greenville, it was illegal for Black women to stay at home.” “What do you mean, illegal?” Hendrix frowns. “They passed an ordinance requiring Black women to work. During the First World War, Black soldiers would send money home to their families. For some of their wives, it meant they didn’t have to work outside the home for the first time.” “What was wrong with that?” Yasmen asks, sitting up, leaning forward. “When white women in town asked them to clean their houses and look after their kids, they didn’t need the money and refused.” I laugh, shaking my
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