It was the summer of 1963 in a small town in Mississippi. The streets were quiet, the days were hot, and most families knew one another. Although the town looked peaceful, it was divided. Black and white families lived in different parts of the town, went to different schools, and were treated differently. 

James was an 11 year-old boy who lived with his parents near the center of the town. James' father owned the small grocery store in town while his mother stayed home and took care of the family and house. James enjoyed riding his bicycle, and fishing. He also had a best friend named Samuel, who he spent a lot of time with. 

Samuel is also an 11 year-old boy who also lived in the same town as James. Samuel lived in a small house with his mother and younger sister. His mother worked long hours cleaning houses to support their family. Samuel loved baseball and fishing, but he wanted to be a teacher one day. Although James and Samuel both lived in the same town, they both grew up differently. 

One hot Mississippi summer afternoon, James grabbed his fishing pole and headed toward a creek bank just outside of town. When he arrived, he noticed Samuel, sitting underneath an oak tree with his fishing pole already in the water. James walked over and asked, "Caught anything yet?" Samuel laughed and said, "Not a thing. I think these fish are smarter than I am." James just smiled and sat down to fish with Samuel. 

James and Samuel had spent almost every summer together since they were little. Whether they were fishing at the creek, playing baseball, or racing their bicycles down the road, they were almost always side by side. In James' eyes, Samuel was always his best friend. He had never given a thought to what Samuel's skin color was or why they attended different schools. As the boys grew older, however, James began noticing things about their town that he used to not question before. 

One afternoon, while the boys were fishing, James asked Samuel a question that had been running through his mind. " Samuel, why do you not go to the same school as me?" Samuel looked at James and replied, "Because I am not allowed to." James looked confused. Samuel explained that black children attend a different school with beat up books, and supplies that are limited. For the first time in their friendship this began to show James that the friends were treated differently.