Summer of '69

In the mid- to late-1960s, not only was the US engaged in the Vietnam War, but on US soil African Americans fought heavily to end segregation, finally putting an end to the myth of “separate but equal.” Separate washrooms, drinking fountains, restaurants, beaches, and transportation, and other effects of white supremacy were outlawed by the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In 1967, Loving v. Virginia noted that banning interracial marriage violated the clauses of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution.

In Summer of ‘69, Kirby participates in the peaceful protest led by civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King in Boston in 1965, which brought attention to these issues. By 1969, much had improved. However, racial prejudice and wariness still occurred. This is evident in Hilderbrand’s novel when Luke makes the racist declaration that Darren is Kirby’s “darkie boyfriend” and Patty’s equation to Kirby’s “preferences.” This historical backdrop affects the suspicion Kirby faces at Inkwell Beach and Dr. Frazier’s concerns about protecting her son, who has a promising future at Harvard. Darren’s feeling comfortable only to take Kirby to the deserted Lobsterville Beach, and his avoidance of being seen with her in public, show that interracial love was still often kept secret because people feared ostracization and violence. Hilderbrand tries to show the more positive, progressive aspects of this dynamic through the love between Mr. Ames and Susanna, Darren and Kirby’s eventual reunion, and Exalta’s insistence that Darren is welcome in her home.