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I learned so much and am inspired by these three strong women in history. Say their names, know their stories and walk in their footsteps.
This book contributes important people to American history: the mother of MLK, JR., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin. The conclusion section outlines important policies that would have remedied some of the hardships mentioned throughout the book and is just as important as the preceding chapters.
Interesting premise to look at the lives of the mothers of three powerful and influential African American men. I appreciated the historical background but the writing was a bit stilted.
This is a great read. Some reviews mention the author speculating too much, but I found the author had grounds for what she said. There is so little known about these women comparatively, but the author provides great detail and context for the world these women grew up and raised families in. The book details a lot of horrible history, which I appreciated because so often a lot of the horrible details feel like they happened so far in the past, when in actuality they happened fairly recently.
The text is gripping and illuminating. The content is heartbreaking, horrifying and infuriating. This is a reminder that great men come from somewhere, and their fathers are not the only influence upon their lives. In fact, in the cases of each of these greats: Malcolm X, Martin Luther King and James Baldwin, their mothers were critical to their senses of self worth and self-respect, and their education and strength.
These mothers were Berdis Baldwin, Alberta King and Louise Little. Each of these women came from different economic backgrounds, and had to deal with so much adversity personally, while raising their families amidst a culture that brutalized and murdered all African Americans. The author does a fantastic job of telling each woman's story, and showing how they were instrumental in keeping their families together to the best of their abilities and how they were sources of inspiration for their children and for their communities. This was a terrific book, a necessary book, and a reminder of the great importance and impact of Black women and mothers on society.
These mothers were Berdis Baldwin, Alberta King and Louise Little. Each of these women came from different economic backgrounds, and had to deal with so much adversity personally, while raising their families amidst a culture that brutalized and murdered all African Americans. The author does a fantastic job of telling each woman's story, and showing how they were instrumental in keeping their families together to the best of their abilities and how they were sources of inspiration for their children and for their communities. This was a terrific book, a necessary book, and a reminder of the great importance and impact of Black women and mothers on society.
incredibly insightful and a fantastic transmission of the resilience these women carried with them
I've been teetering between a solid 3-star rating and something closer to a lukewarm 2.5.
Tubbs sets out to tackle an undoubtedly important topic—how the mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin shaped not only the lives of their iconic sons but also the course of American history. But here's the rub—while the subject matter is undoubtedly compelling, I can't help but feel that Tubbs falls short of her mark, and doesn't accomplish what she sets out to do.
Now, don't get me wrong—there's no denying the influence these mothers had on their sons' lives. But too often, it feels like Tubbs is merely scratching the surface, offering up superficial insights rather than delving deep into the complexities of their relationships. The lack of primary sources and substantial information on these women leaves much to be desired, resulting in a narrative that feels more like speculation than substantive exploration.
So, while there's no denying the importance of the subject matter, I can't help but feel that Tubbs fails to do it justice. I just don't know if there is enough information to do a proper deep dive on these women, as influential as they may be.
Tubbs sets out to tackle an undoubtedly important topic—how the mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin shaped not only the lives of their iconic sons but also the course of American history. But here's the rub—while the subject matter is undoubtedly compelling, I can't help but feel that Tubbs falls short of her mark, and doesn't accomplish what she sets out to do.
Now, don't get me wrong—there's no denying the influence these mothers had on their sons' lives. But too often, it feels like Tubbs is merely scratching the surface, offering up superficial insights rather than delving deep into the complexities of their relationships. The lack of primary sources and substantial information on these women leaves much to be desired, resulting in a narrative that feels more like speculation than substantive exploration.
So, while there's no denying the importance of the subject matter, I can't help but feel that Tubbs fails to do it justice. I just don't know if there is enough information to do a proper deep dive on these women, as influential as they may be.
This book reads like a doctoral dissertation and since the three women the book is about is what she is writing her dissertation on, this should not be surprising. I found it a dry read. Though the information about how Blacks and Black women have been treated by society is shocking, it was not surprising. Even the title of the book shows how women in general are treated. We see the names of their sons but not the names Alberta King, Louise Little and Berdis Baldwin. The author worked with scraps of information and gives the reader an impression of their lives. She adds stories about the experiences of other Black women to illustrate the indignities done to them and their sons and husbands. I wish there could have been more detail but these women lived long enough ago that there is little eye witness information and though two had universally educations and one worked with the Marcus Garvey movement, they left no memoirs.
I never thought about the mothers of these amazing heroes that shaped our nation. As a woman, I am actually ashamed that I didn't even know their names. Then again we weren't taught about them in school either, so no surprise that I was unaware until I read this book.
This goes back through history on their various lives in an unconventional way. It did some jumping around from person to person w/in the chapter which I didn't care for & thought was a bit confusing. The important thing is what I learned & imagine you will too. I was astounded by what I learned about them too & you will find yourself pretty intrigued by what you discover as well. Some things may shock you of course considering the lack of anything that Black women had access to. They all came from different parts & lived different lives but how their sons became a part of a movement is just the tip of the iceberg. So this author goes through all their lives & how they got to where they did well before the importance of their children. So yes quite the important read.
This goes back through history on their various lives in an unconventional way. It did some jumping around from person to person w/in the chapter which I didn't care for & thought was a bit confusing. The important thing is what I learned & imagine you will too. I was astounded by what I learned about them too & you will find yourself pretty intrigued by what you discover as well. Some things may shock you of course considering the lack of anything that Black women had access to. They all came from different parts & lived different lives but how their sons became a part of a movement is just the tip of the iceberg. So this author goes through all their lives & how they got to where they did well before the importance of their children. So yes quite the important read.
Tubbs is absolutely right that society seeks to efface Black mothers from history, and this book struggles to redress that injustice. By writing a social history inclusive of racialized gender violence, she locates each woman in her everyday context to show how she might have behaved. Unfortunately, if you know something about these women's sons, you will not learn much new here. That is all the more reason we need more efforts like this to reclaim these lost stories of perseverance and courage.