In To Kill a Mockingbird, how does Reverend Sykes help the children see and hear the trial? Is he right to do so?

Reverend Sykes was the kindly pastor of First Purchase, Calpurnia’s church. When Jem and Scout attend a service with Cal, he gives them a warm welcome and treats them kindly.

In this time, many white people in the South considered African Americans ‘second class citizens.’ Whites passed laws to segregate African Americans in many ways: separate bathrooms, water fountains, housing, stores, etc.  In a courthouse, African Americans were not allowed to sit on the main...

Reverend Sykes was the kindly pastor of First Purchase, Calpurnia’s church. When Jem and Scout attend a service with Cal, he gives them a warm welcome and treats them kindly.

In this time, many white people in the South considered African Americans ‘second class citizens.’ Whites passed laws to segregate African Americans in many ways: separate bathrooms, water fountains, housing, stores, etc.  In a courthouse, African Americans were not allowed to sit on the main floor. That was reserved for the ‘more important’ white people. African Americans could sit in the balcony, which was not considered a favorable place to sit.

Scout and Jem try to find seats on the main floor in order to watch their father Atticus defend Tom Robinson. But every bit of sitting and standing space is taken.  Reverend Sykes sees that the children have no place to sit, so he invites them to join him on the balcony.

Is he right to do so? This is an opinion question. Looking at this query from a general human kindness standpoint, yes, he is justified.  He is making sure Scout and Jem have seats to watch their father during a trial, which has cost their family a lot of stress. He takes a risk in doing so: white people may say negative things about him for bringing white children into the African-American section of the court, and even some African Americans may say Scout and Jem do not belong there.  But Reverend Sykes is looking beyond the color barrier. He understands the children’s’ feelings and wants them to be able to watch their father. No white person on the main floor offered seats.