Is Black Beautiful?
The phrase "Black is Beautiful" that swept the nation in the 1960s was heard frequently in my mother's classroom. Her students were surprised one day to walk in and [...]
18
Sep. 2015
1
Apr. 2015
Small Worlds and Full Circles
Who is that speaking intently with President Johnson back in the early 1960s? It’s my uncle, Herbert Kramer. I’d never seen the picture when I was growing up, but I [...]
3
Feb. 2015
Deciding to Write in Dialect
When my mother started teaching, the word Ebonics hadn’t yet been coined; nobody had grappled in the academic journals as to whether to accept it in the classroom or make [...]
26
Jan. 2015
What makes a story resonate?
My mother was known for being a storyteller. As she grew older, she repeated the stories more and more, but I still listened. I knew exactly what she was going [...]
19
Jan. 2015
Fears About Writing About Race
I’m nervous even as I write this first line. How does a white person write about her interactions with black people in a way that doesn’t offend anyone? There are [...]
12
Jan. 2015
Family Reaction to My Writing
Not very long ago, I wouldn’t have been able to write much about my sister Connie. She’s nine years older than me and I imagine she didn’t find me particularly [...]