Dark
Light

Suggestions

Reflections of a Prodigal Daughter #962

January 13, 2024
2 mins read

Reflections of a Prodigal Daughter

By Lisa B. Thompson | @DrLisaBThompson | with thanks to NewBlackMan (in Exile)

Monday, September 10, 2018.

My new play Monroe is dedicated to my maternal great uncle, Aubrey C. Holmes, the gentlest man that I have ever known. He grew up the son of a preacher in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, the site of the fifth highest number of lynchings in the US from 1877 to 1950. It breaks my heart to know that my maternal relatives came of age in a city steeped in violence against men and women who looked like them. Just like my grandmother, mother, and father, my Uncle Aubrey moved to the San Francisco Bay Area during the Great Migration. I still wonder how he remained so kind and caring despite coming from a place mired in such horror.

Growing up in California in the 1970s did not shelter me from racial violence. When I was a child, I discovered my father’s copy of Ralph Ginzberg’s 100 Years of Lynchings. I felt both aghast and fascinated by the numerous accounts of those killed “at the hands of persons unknown.” I also recall overhearing stories about “trouble” back home during Sunday morning breakfasts of grits, eggs, bacon, biscuits and fresh squeezed orange juice while the San Francisco fog rolled in.

As a new professor, I poured over the lynching photos in James Allen’s Without Sanctuary but my mind did not linger on the vicious white mobs that brutalized black people. Instead, I imagined the family and friends of the victims who were also terrorized by these heinous crimes. How did they survive, love and dream in the aftermath of such agony?

I find it remarkable that my parents and I never spoke directly about lynching. I just stored what I overheard, read, and saw deep inside me. Those images are intertwined with my curiosity about my family choosing California as their destination when they fled the south for a better life. I’m the cousin, niece, grandchild, and daughter of those who abandoned the south for the west coast. Now, as part of what is considered the reverse Great Migration, I’m raising my son in the south. I wonder what stories he’s storing inside his soul as a black boy growing up in Texas and what he will eventually do with them?

During rehearsal, I carried a list of all the lynching victims in Monroe with me. I needed their names near. I pray that this play honors their lives and their memory. I hope thatMonroe inspires us to more bravely encounter what Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison describes as “unspeakable things unspoken.” Here’s to speaking the unspeakable, listening to history, and imagining a better future.

***

Lisa B. Thompson is a playwright and a professor of African & African Diaspora Studies at UT Austin. She is the author of Beyond the Black Lady: Sexuality and the African American Middle Class and the playsSingle Black Female, Underground, and The Mamalogues. The world premiere of her new play Monroe runs September 7-30, 2018 at the Austin Playhouse.

Post Views: 175

108 Comments

  2. Ńпортзалы ĐĽĐľŃква открыты ĐĽĐľŃква Ń‚Ń€Ńдовая
    карта автоŃалон официальный
    дилер киа ĐĽĐľŃква официальный дилер ĐżŃтевки в Ń‚Ńрцию от Đ°Đ˝ĐµĐşŃ Ń‚ŃŃ€ из ĐĽĐľŃквы

    Reply

  3. проиŃхождение фамилии марцинкевич таро ŃправедливоŃŃ‚ŃŚ и король мечей картинки Ńозвездий
    Ń Đ˝Đ°Đ·Đ˛Đ°Đ˝Đ¸ŃŹĐĽĐ¸ инпот ŃовмеŃтимоŃŃ‚ŃŚ тропики
    раŃтения, раŃтения в ботаничеŃком ŃĐ°Đ´Ń

    Reply

  4. Great read! The author’s perspective was fascinating and left me with a lot to think about. I’m looking forward to hearing what others think. Feel free to visit my profile for more discussions.

    Reply

  9. патриоттық әндер Ńкачать минŃŃ, қазақŃŃ‚Đ°Đ˝ әні Ńкачать бұлтты бақылаŃ, қарды Đ±Đ°Ň›Ń‹Đ»Đ°Ń Đ±Đ°Đ»Đ°Đ±Đ°Ň›ŃĐ°Đ´Đ° Đ°Ň“Ń‹ĐĽĐ´Đ°Ň“Ń‹ тарифті қайта қоŃŃ Đ°Đ»Ń‚ĐµĐ»,
    алтел тарифы 1790 безлимит 2022 ыбырай
    алтынŃарин ананың ŃŇŻŃŽŃ– Đ°Ńдио, ыбырай алтынŃарин өлеңдері жаз

    Reply

  10. Đş Ń‡ĐµĐĽŃ ŃнитŃŃŹ что ŃтонŃла ĐĽĐ°Ń‚ŃŚ Đş Ń‡ĐµĐĽŃ ŃнитŃŃŹ вŃи в голове Ń Ńебя и Ń ĐĽŃжа Đş Ń‡ĐµĐĽŃ ŃнятŃŃŹ занозы в Ń€Ńках
    Ńзел порчи два Ńзла знак зодиака рак металлы

    Reply

  16. ұлт мұраты ұлттық қаŃŃ–ĐżŃŃ–Đ·Đ´Ń–Đş ŃŤŃŃе, ұлттық қаŃŃ–ĐżŃŃ–Đ·Đ´Ń–Đş негіздері Ń‚Đ°ŇŁ намазы
    Ńақыты рядом казалинŃĐş,
    намаз Ńакыты казалы мерей ĐĽŃратович
    Ńтоматолог, Ńтоматология на навои алматы ŇŻŃŃ–Đ˝ŃŃ– тұлға деген не,
    зиян деген не

    Reply

  18. алтын Đ°Đ´Đ°ĐĽ деген ол менің браттарым Ńкачать ремикŃ, Ń‚Đ°Ń Đ±Ń€Đ°Ń‚Ń‚Đ°Ń€Ń‹ĐĽ маченŃкий
    Ńкачать Ńенім Ń‚Ńралы ŃŤŃŃе, Ńенім жоқ жерде ақпарат құпиялығының қаŃіптері
    түрлері, ақпараттық қаŃіптер
    Ń€ŃŃтамбек бегметов номер
    телефона

    Reply

  21. работа белая калитва подработка
    разовые подработки приложение работа на лето в домах отдыха
    подработка ŃŃ‚Ńдентам Ńвободный график

    Reply

  22. диŃтанционная работа по интернет замените ŃловоŃочетание работой
    по Đ´ĐľĐĽŃ ŃĐľ Ńвязью ŃоглаŃование
    работа в камыŃине подработка роŃŃельхозбанк работа Ńдаленно ваканŃии

    Reply

  23. работа Ńдаленно для бŃхгалтера
    ваканŃии работа на Đ´ĐľĐĽŃ Đ˛ адыгеи работа Ńчетчик
    ревизор подработка креŃло мягкое для дома для работы

    Reply

  24. что такое заговор от ŃĐşŃлы овен какие ĐĽŃжчины
    подходят молитва о продаже щенка
    когда выŃла аркана на вр молитва на радио правоŃлавное

    Reply

  25. теплый Ńов для деревянного дома цена работ Ń„Ń€Đ¸Đ»Đ°Đ˝Ń Ń€Đ°Đ±ĐľŃ‚Đ° в интернете подроŃŃ‚ĐşŃ ĐżĐľĐ´Ń€Đ°Đ±ĐľŃ‚ĐşĐ° 14 лет челябинŃĐş ленинŃкий район заработок в интернете беŃплатный заработок в
    интернете без вложений

    Reply

  27. найти Ń€Đ°Đ±ĐľŃ‚Ń ĐżĐľ Ńдаленке на Đ´ĐľĐĽŃ ĐżĐľĐ´Ń€Đ°Đ±ĐľŃ‚ĐşĐ° пенза ваканŃии Ńвободный график пенза подработка в
    белгороде Ńвежие ваканŃии Ń ĐµĐ¶ĐµĐ´Đ˝ĐµĐ˛Đ˝ĐľĐą оплатой белгород подработка на коломенŃком хлебокомбинате

    Reply

  28. бейорганикалық тыңайтқыŃŃ‚Đ°Ń€, тыңайтқыŃŃ‚Đ°Ń€ презентация new english file elementary students book audio, new english file beginner команда зета 1 Ńмотреть онлайн,
    омаров канат байтенович биография газовая ŃĐ»Ńжба алматы алмалинŃкий район, алматы газ алатаŃŃкий район
    контакты

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Previous Story

Nigerian-British Playwright tackles Immigration, Deportations and the Windrush Scandal, in IlĂ© La WĂ

Next Story

“It don’t change nothin’”: The Return of Queen Sugar

Latest from Blog