
June 26, 1948:
In Ginger's right hand is a fund-raising instruction booklet titled "Negro College Fund" and falling to the floor are cards that say "Pledge." The United Negro College Fund started four years earlier to help finance such private schools as Tuskegee and Howard universities. Patty-Jo points out the injustice of substandard schools for children who live in the poorer black neighborhoods and argues for federal assistance. To be sure, this cartoon brings a serious message to the funny pages. But it would have been enjoyed for its satirical thrust, especially since the spokesperson is an unlikely one, a child as truth-teller, declaiming on a topic beyond her years.
Eighty-eight Patty-Jo 'n' Ginger cartoons appear in the book. This one has been digitally photographed from the published Pittsburgh Courier newspaper page. Twenty-five of the Patty-Jo 'n' Ginger cartoons in the book are hand-drawn originals. Each cartoon is accompanied by an explanatory text that places the subject matter in historical context, such as the above caption.
