In the Pines - an 1800s Black / Native American Novella (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781507744093)

I have wanted to write this story for a long, long time. Naomi Oxendine, born 1784, is a direct ancestor of mine. She endured a staggering amount of hardship in her life. I am extremely fortunate to have reams of records on her, because of a court case that her son, Johnny, was involved in. Much of the court case centers around race, perceptions of race, and interpretations of race. It is powerful, fascinating, depressing, and instructive, all at once. Despite those records, there are still great swaths of information which has been lost over the years. Many records were destroyed during the Civil War. I take liberties with those "holes" to create a compelling story - but I strive to stay true to the known facts. My intention is to authentically present the many traumas that Naomi had to endure. To show my enduring respect for her tenacity and spirit in the face of great challenge. The late 1700s and early 1800s were a tumultuous time in the American South. Irish slavery was just as horrific as African slavery, and yet it's rarely talked about. During those early years, there was often a sense of "we're all in this together" as colonists struggled to survive in a wild, new country. Blacks, whites, Portuguese, Lumbees, and others worked, fought, played, and loved. It was only as life began to become more "civilized" - and there was more to lose - that the whites in power took greater and greater steps to solidify the strata between them and the "others." The topic of slavery, inter-race relations, and why people do what they do to other people is one that entire college degrees are based around. It would be impossible for me to encompass all the myriad of reasons and factors in short novellas. Still, I think the more we can be aware of what our ancestors went through, and where we came from, the better we can try to understand where we are now and make a path to a better future. For us, and for our next generation. I am wholeheartedly proud to have Irish blood, Lumbee blood, African blood, and the many other streams which joined together to make me unique. I would hope that, someday, we can respect all people, of all colors, shapes, sizes, and backgrounds, and treasure them for their unique beauty and style. In the end, we are all kin.