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 My books, published and unpublished include: "Identifying Ways to Increase Learner Persistence in GED Programs in the U.S."; "The Truth About Angels: Hollywood vs. the Bible"; "The Residue of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"
Description
<p><span style="color:rgb(15,17,17);font-family:'Amazon Ember', Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;">Richard II found himself under siege not once, but twice in his minority. Crowned king at age ten, he was only fourteen when the Peasants' Revolt terrorized London. But he proved himself every bit the Plantagenet successor, facing Wat Tyler and the rebels when all seemed lost. Alas, his triumph was short-lived, and for the next ten years he struggled to assert himself against his uncles and increasingly hostile nobles. Just like in the days of his great-grandfather Edward II, vengeful magnates strove to separate him from his friends and advisors, and even threatened to depose him if he refused to do their bidding. The Lords Appellant, as they came to be known, purged the royal household with the help of the Merciless Parliament. They murdered his closest allies, leaving the King alone and defenseless. He would never forget his humiliation at the hands of his subjects. Richard's inability to protect his adherents would haunt him for the rest of his life, and he vowed that next time, retribution would be his.</span><br /><span class="a-text-bold" style="color:rgb(15,17,17);font-family:'Amazon Ember', Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:700;">B.R.A.G. Medallion honoree!</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>
