It is well known fact that African Americans come from a background with a rich oral tradition.
But the downside of this has been that at one time, family history had to rely solely on the spoken word to be handed down to the next generation.
Because reading and writing were forbidden for slaves, these stories generally died out with the oldest living relative.
This situation was further exacerbated by the fact that many of the Elders did not want to talk about the past.
It was just too “unspeakable,” as they called it. The “unspeakable” was generally wrought with pain, along with the understanding that there would be no way to hide the past.
Roseknew the time had come. If she was to escape the harsh reality of her existence, it would have to benow, or never...