About
I had the privilege of growing up in two very different worlds. I was born in a small town in West Virginia in the U.S. I was raised by my grandparents. When they died, I was sent to live with my cousins in South Los Angeles, CA, in the inner city. A year later, I was bused to the Valley to attend school. I met my best friend who was Jewish and her family became powerful role models in my life. Along with my cousins, they gave me a love and appreciation for education. In addition to being a published Author, I am a college Professor and a Social Worker. My Doctorate is in Adult Education. I enjoy teaching English and Writing, but my first love is Theology and History. My books are a reflection of my passions in life, which are God, My Family, a love for history, empowering women, and the education and protection of children. My books, published and unpublished include: "Identifying Ways to Increase Learner Persistence in GED Programs in the U.S."; "The Truth About Angels: Hollywood vs. the Bible"; "The Residue of Slavery"; "Before the King: The Story of Two Mothers"; and "The Drama of Job"
Godwine Kingmaker: Part One of The Last Great Saxon Earls
Description
<p><span><span>Harold Godwineson, the Last Anglo-Saxon King, owed everything to his father. Who was this Godwine, first Earl of Wessex and known as the Kingmaker? Was he an unscrupulous schemer, using King and Witan to gain power? Or was he the greatest of all Saxon Earls, protector of the English against the hated Normans? The answer depends on who you ask. He was befriended by the Danes, raised up by Canute the Great, given an Earldom and a wife from the highest Danish ranks. He sired nine children, among them four Earls, a Queen and a future King. Along with his power came a struggle to keep his enemies at bay, and Godwine's best efforts were brought down by the misdeeds of his eldest son Swegn. Although he became father-in-law to a reluctant Edward the Confessor, his fortunes dwindled as the Normans gained prominence at court. Driven into exile, Godwine regathered his forces and came back even stronger, only to discover that his second son Harold was destined to surpass him in renown and glory.</span></span></p>
Story Behind The Book
In my college dorm in California I was the only black student in residence. In fact, I was the only black student enrolled in my all white private school. Daily questions from my fellow students, who were eager to ask everything they had ever wanted to know about black people, made me more aware of my blackness than ever before. However, my schoolmates' questions created an ever increasing need to know deep down inside of me. Soon I started asking the same questions of myself...where did I come from? Where did my parents, my grandparents, and my great-grandparent come from? Who were they? What race were they? Why were there so many light skin people in my family? My inner city friends had been instructing me to "get back to my roots" for years. I was finally going to take their advice. Reconnecting with my family was the starting point. After meeting my 88 year old Great-Aunt Bunch for the first time in 2006, the pieces of our family puzzle began to come together as I sat in her kitchen listening to her recount our family history, and what I heard was fascinating!
"From White to Black" is an American story. It's the story of a Black family that started off White.
Reviews
<p>~~Dr. Tracy Lewis is a talented writer and expressive biographer. She passionately and enthusiastically tells the story of her unrelenting search to uncover her family history and of meeting her Great-Aunt Bunch for the first time. Even if you are not genetically linked to the Lewis Family Tree, you will fall in love with the wise, witty, and charming Aunt Bunch, who shares touching, funny, and even shocking stories about her family, including “the family’s skeletons!” Dr. Lewis and her remarkable Aunt Bunch do a superb job reconstructing and narrating the story of their family in a way that is both informative and entertaining. I laughed out loud many times as I enjoyed reading this inspiring, truly American story. Kudos to Dr. Lewis for a job well done!</p>
<p>Muriel Burch,<br />
Author of “Mama, Can I Tell You Something?”</p>
