Nanny with Child

Nanny with Child

In this undated photo we see an older African American woman right next to, in fact touching, the young white girl of about 6 or 7, the woman’s clothes seem to indicate being a servant, her expression is not happy. This photo raises a key point about segregation: while it was a system of separation reinforced by law, custom and violence, blacks who were subservient to whites were in fact expected to be physically close.