When did Walker's mother show her temper?

In her essay "In Search of Our Mother's Gardens," Alice Walker talks about her mother's resilience in the face of racism and poverty. Walker's mother and father were sharecroppers in Georgia. However, despite their lowly circumstances, Walker's mother expected more for her children and insisted that Alice, particularly, get the education that was not accessible to her.

Mrs. Walker loses her temper when their white landlord dares to say that her children need not progress beyond their status as field hands :

And this is how I came to know my mother: she seemed a large, soft, loving-eyed woman who was rarely impatient in our home. Her quick violent temper was on view only a few times a year, when she battled with the white landlord who had the misfortune to suggest to her that her children did not need to go to school.

Walker's mother is very tender and loving, particularly toward her family. Loving them also requires her to defend them against those who seek to circumscribe their lives. "The white landlord" makes this mistake.