When Your Roots Are Severed
I was sitting in a writing workshop with a group of writers, and our assignment was to make a family tree. We could employ some creative license in making our trees. I set out putting together my creation, complete with … Continue reading When Your Roots Are Severed
Racist Roots & White Privilege
The best question is, “If I have the ability to help heal a wound or make something right that is wrong (whether because of my ancestors or not), shouldn’t I?” Continue reading Racist Roots & White Privilege
Discovering My Roots: My Personal Journey
If you forget your roots, you’ve lost sight of everything. Walter Payton Whenever you meet someone new, it’s common to ask them, “Where are you from?” It’s just a natural thing to ask. It gives people an idea of who … Continue reading Discovering My Roots: My Personal Journey
Where Do We Go From Here?
“Where do we go from here, where do we go? And is it real or just something we think we know? Where are we going now, where do we go? ‘Cause if it’s the same as yesterday, you know I’m … Continue reading Where Do We Go From Here?
The July Issue, “Roots”
Whether you refer to the fall in the Garden of Eden, America’s original sin, Alex Haley’s wrenching novel and movie series, or the point in your life where innocence was lost, and you discovered that you were different. For some, … Continue reading The July Issue, “Roots”
What we model…
My great-grandmother was generous to a fault. The stories of how her house was a haven for needy people abound. My grandmother inherited this value, and I grew up never knowing who would show up for lunch at her table. … Continue reading What we model…
“The Rosebush and the Root”
The Metaphor: So, I planted a rosebush next to my mailbox. I thought it would be a beautiful thing. I thought it would grow up and have pretty pink flowers and like so many of my neighbors’ mailbox flora would … Continue reading “The Rosebush and the Root”
“Of Thee I Sing”
I love you. I have loved you since before I could write my own name in either cursive or print. As a child, I publicly waxed poetic about you. I pledged allegiance to you every morning. I sang songs to … Continue reading “Of Thee I Sing”
Slavery and the Roots of Racism/White Supremacy
1444 marks the beginning of the Atlantic Slave Trade. This is when the Portuguese transported the first Africans to Europe as slaves. By 1526 they expanded their reach and delivered their first shipload of enslaved Africans to Brazil. In 1619 … Continue reading Slavery and the Roots of Racism/White Supremacy
Three-Fifths 