Apr 19, 2018
Writing Letters to Mao
What does it mean to experience a history of trauma and blood in ephemeralities, in residue?
What does it mean to experience a history of trauma and blood in ephemeralities, in residue?
Slaves brought peanuts from Africa and planted them across the South, where they were used as animal feed.
“I once believed that I had creative talent, but I have given up this idea,” Clara Schumann wrote in her diary in 1839.
Richmond could offer a bold challenge to historical narratives about the South, the Confederacy, and American slavery.
The story affirms our goodness by assuring us we did it on our own. The story tells us to not make waves.
“Names bind us to people, places, and histories. As the descendant of enslaved people, my name only goes so far.”
“Once your children know that even one person detests their bones and breath, they know.”
“I realized the work that I had been doing, the work that I was proud of, wasn’t enough.”
Every time someone guesses wrong, I am the one to apologize.
“I felt as though I’d been inducted into a special society of survivors.”
“The emotional trauma of being hunted by a vicious animal can last for generations.”
