"Having a separate bathroom for the black domestic was just the way things were done. It had faded out in new homes by the time the '70s and '80s rolled up"

This quote by Kathryn Stockett is describing the racial segregation that was prevalent in the United States throughout the mid-20th century. During this time, it was common for black domestic employees to have a different bathroom from the rest of the family. This was a method of enforcing the racial divide and keeping black people in a lower social class. However, by the 1970s and 1980s, this practice had begun to fade out in more recent homes. This could be credited to the civil liberties motion and the growing acceptance of racial equality. The quote acts as a pointer of the progress that has actually been made in terms of racial equality, however also of the long method that still requires to be traveled.