Battle Fatigue
- With that, Meridian is thrust headlong into the Civil Rights Movement.
- One night, while protesting the awful conditions inside the "black sections of the jail," her group is attacked by police and Truman is arrested (1.12.2). Although he's freed later that night, the police officers take the opportunity to arrest more protesters—Meridian included.
- Another time, she sees Truman get pulled off the street by an officer and driven away.
- Although she becomes more politically involved every day, Meridian is terrified to tell her mother. Eventually, she decides to come clean to Momma Hill with the help of her friends Nelda and Delores.
- But Meridian has another thing she needs to discuss with her mother—the fact that she has just been awarded a full scholarship to Saxon College in Atlanta. That's awesome! It also doesn't hurt that Truman attends a college near Saxon...
- Truman doesn't know about Meridian's kid and she wants to keep it that way. And that's the giant bombshell she needs to drop on her mom—that she's going to "give away her child" (1.12.24).
- This infuriates Mrs. Hill. Although mom fights against it, Meridian is determined to go to Saxon.
- Ironically, it's only now that Meridian starts to feel affection for Eddie Jr., whom she renames Rundi. Why, you ask? Heck if we know!
- Finally, Meridian arrives at Saxon College.