In the previous post, I discussed how Gaines became inspired by Miss Jane's Oak Tree. Here, the text that Gaines created from that inspiration becomes the inspiration for someone else. Midge and the foundation chose to name the fountain the Miss Jane Pittman Drinking Fountain because at the end of the film version of The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, Cicely Tyson, as Miss Jane, drinks from a "whites only" water fountain as a form of protest. This does not occur at the end of the novel; however, Jimmy Aaron enlists one of the Hebert girls to drink from the fountain in Bayonne.
Even though the scene does not occur in the novel, it does occur in the movie. Talking about the Miss Jane Pittman Drinking Fountain, Midge informed reporters that "[Miss Jane's] story fit right into our project. . . She took that drink--the fountain will symbolize humanity, liberty, and equality" (article in Gaines' papers). Miss Jane embodied these attributes, and they can be seen in the symbol for the Freddie Thomas Foundation and the fountain above. Next month, nearer to the celebration, I will post more information about the fountain and about Freddie Thomas.
Will all of this information, can anyone answer why Rochester, NY serves as a fitting place for the Miss Jane Pittman Drinking Fountain?
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