In mid-twentieth century America, tensions regarding race were as high as ever. The nascent civil rights movement is beginning to be met with backlash by whites as blacks seek equality in America. Despite being set in Ohio and not the South, Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison is chock-full of racial and socioeconomic divide. Nothing is more indicative of the racial problems that plague America than the formation of the "Seven Days Group" in this small midwestern town. This group of black men aims to attain revenge on their white counterparts by killing white people after black people have been killed. Guitar joins this group in order to feel as if he is helping to make progress in the battle for equal rights in America. The morality of the group is extremely debatable given the racial tensions in America at this time. On one hand, this group of black men is killing innocent white people, making the entire race look bad and completely epitomizing the "eye for an eye makes the whole world blind" adage. On the other hand, the group is seeking retribution to avenge the deaths of blacks across the country whose murderers are never as much as questioned for their crimes. From someone like Guitar's perspective, I can see how one would find this group to be a noble cause in the struggle for equality as Guitar has struggled with race problems throughout his life. From someone like Milkman's perspective however, I can see how this group would look like a group of crazed murderers as Milkman has not experienced the same kind of struggles as Guitar has. Personally, I don't believe that the "Seven Days Group" is moral as any kind of violence only further exacerbates the race problem in America. As seen in the work of MLK Jr., the best way to achieve equality is through peaceful protests as the public then perceives you as a cause worthy of its respect. In the words of MLK, "Violence as a way of achieving racial justice is both impractical and immoral. I am not unmindful of the fact that violence often brings about momentary results. Nations have frequently won their independence in battle. But in spite of temporary victories, violence never brings permanent peace."
