TRIUMPH
Fateful Encounter
My mother married Oscar Lee Allen on 8 October 1949 at the Phenix City, Alabama courthouse, with only her mother in attendance. She was sixteen years old and five months pregnant with twin boys who were born…
My Bloodline
For most of my adult life, I had mistakenly believed that my mother had named me after her husband this brewed resentment in me to a certain extent. While researching for this book, I had numerous discussions with my step-brother…
Alabama – 1950s
My mother’s husband faced legal troubles that led to spending time in jail, including an arrest for cattle rustling alongside another man. It’s unclear how much time he spent in jail for that crime. At the time of my birth, my mother was a teenager with…
Phenix City Story
Phenix City, located in Russell County, Alabama, sits on the west bank of the Chattahoochee River, which separates it from Columbus, Georgia. In 1953, it was the ninth-largest city in Alabama, but it became notorious as “Sin City, USA” due to rampant abuses by organized crime…
Fractured Ties, New Bonds
I moved to Calumet, a working-class community in East Chicago, Indiana, in the summer of 1961 to live with my father and stepmother. The neighborhood, once a welcoming destination for African Americans from the Black …
Blessings in Disguise
In September 1961, I enrolled in Carrie Gosch Elementary School. Although I would have been placed in the sixth grade in Alabama, I was assigned to the fifth grade in Indiana because the Alabama school system was deemed inferior. I still remember my first day of class vividly…
Finding My Way
In the summer of 1967, I moved to Chicago to live with my mother, stepfather, and stepbrothers. In doing so, I traded one segregated community for another—but at least I was finally free of my father’s domination…
A New Beginning
Dominican College of Racine (1957–1972) was founded in 1864 as St. Catherine’s Female Academy. It became The College of Racine (1972–1974). In 1968, the Dominican Sisters transferred management of the college to an independent, nondenominational board…
Defining Moments
After finishing college, my primary goal was to secure employment. Unfortunately, my initial letters to prospective employers yielded no positive responses. I wasn’t discouraged, but my mother was curious why I hadn’t found a job yet. I assured her I was making every effort…
The Cycle of Change
When we relocated to Houston, Texas, I could finally focus on myself and my family with Andrea. My mother questioned my decision: “Why are you moving? What are you running from?” Deep down, she knew as I did that I was running from the ghosts of my past—a past I had yet to …
Family Dynamics
During the twenty years I lived in Houston, my mother visited twice, and my father visited once—to ask me for a loan to help finance his liquor establishment. We loaned him the money because my stepmother promised to repay it, and she did…
