I often find myself lost in the forest of perceptions. It seems I’m always trying to get people to understand the value of my work, as my work is an effort to amplify positive stories and give voice to the fight for equality.
As an activist for equality, I’m regularly faced with resistance from mainstream America. I’m convinced that folks simply do not want to embrace change, which is troubling because change is an inevitable part of life. If you don’t change you remain stagnant and die. This work takes a lot of self-evaluation, prayer, and energy. It’s rare for me to realize when I need to take time to fuel up on hope.
So this past weekend, when I left my home in New Haven to attend a book-signing in New York City as a guest of a friend, I went without really thinking about the content of the book. I went because the author’s daughter-in-law had invited me, and I knew it would be a great opportunity to network. We all have our agendas — but I soon found myself reminded that God has the ultimate agenda.
The friend who invited me was running late to the event, and I knew no one in the room. Sitting quietly, I spotted the author, Sybil Morial, gliding through the room and greeting her guests. I found myself mesmerized by her energy of love and respect. I sat there absorbing it as I remembered how empowering it is to witness another person giving and receiving love. I knew only vaguely who the author was. But it wasn’t until I listened to her opening comments about what prompted her to write her memoirs that I started feeling a shift inside myself, a shift in the perceived significance of my attendance.
A celebrated woman, Mrs. Morial shares a story of comfort as well as challenge in her new memoir, Witness to Change. Her story is at once inspiring and heart wrenching, and puts into perspective the multitudes contained in each of us – especially us Black women.
As our initial impressions of others are largely informed by our narrow perceptions of race, class, gender, and a number of other categories that often serve to alienate us from one and other or simplify the complexity of our individuality, it is easy to forget the other’s human side. So often we forget that everyone has a unique story to tell.
Crystal Emery.
When Mrs. Morial began talking about what prompted her to write her memoir, she spoke about losing her home in New Orleans during hurricane Katrina. She shared with us stories about the hard work that went into recovering what was left of her home. She read excerpts from the book about meeting her husband, Dutch, who became the first Black Mayor of New Orleans; about registering to attend Tulane and Loyola – and being rejected because she was a Negro. Throughout the event, she spoke with a voice of resilience. To me, the most amazing display of Mrs. Morial’s resilience can be seen in the way she utilized her social status and education to work on behalf of a more just world for everyone. Martin Luther King Jr. famously said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” The life work of Mrs. Morial echoes and amplifies this sentiment.
Mrs. Morial also read an excerpt about the daily threats that caused her to live in a constant state of fear for the lives of her family – her husband and children. While at first the threats just seemed like threats, Mrs. Morial explained how the fear took on another level of realness upon the murder of their good friend, Medgar Evers, on June 12, 1963. She told us how she lived in fear of answering the phone. As she spoke, I thought about what it would be like to teach your children how to react to the sound of gunshots, to teach them to drop to the floor, roll under a bed and hide. I thought about what it would be like to live with that fear on a daily basis. That was in the ‘60s, but as she was talking, I realized a common thread: this is the same fear that Black people live with in 2015.
Being Black in America in 2015 is dangerous. We are living in a time of open season on Black people. Every day, Black mothers fear for the lives of their children. Young Black men leave their homes in fear every day. They live in fear of the police, in fear of White people. Fear surrounds them, surrounds us. It is no wonder to me why Black people have such a high rate of hypertension and heart disease. Fear is passed down through generations, embedded in our DNA. Generations of slavery and lynching and oppression have altered our genetic expressions. But perhaps resilience is passed on through generations as well. Maybe Mrs. Morial’s book is a vessel carrying cultural DNA – a vessel that could help to pass on the trait of resilience. Women like Mrs. Morial exemplify the power of resilience more clearly than I’ve ever seen. Her stories carry strength, as do the stories of all Black mothers who regularly fear for the lives of their children. Women are the backbone of so many families; these women are the backbones of our communities and our society. Still, in 2015, so many amazing women go unsung in these roles. So often, we forget to stop and sing for each other.
I went to the event to advance my own mission, but I didn’t expect to find a much needed opportunity for reflection. Instead of looking forward, I was presented with the chance to look back to the path braved by strong women who came before me. I didn’t expect to meet a trailblazer who actually paved the way for me to be able to do the work that I do, for equality and justice. While networking can be valuable, hope can save your life. Bearing witness to the resilience of others – the strength of those who’ve come before you — can give you strength when you think you have none. I was blessed to witness Mrs. Morial’s courage and resilience in the flesh. God met me at that table that afternoon where I sat alone and helped me see the value in my attendance as well as in my work. Listening to Mrs. Morial, I was reminded that first and foremost I must never lose sight of the value of my own work, even when I struggle to make others see the value of my work. Mrs. Morial inspired me to push through this rough patch with help from the fuel of hope. I was reminded again as a filmmaker of the vital significance found in sharing our stories. If we do not tell our stories, who else will and why should they?
If you find yourself facing challenging times, feeling fearful or hopeless in your own life mission, Witness to Change is a rare jewel of a memoir fit to help recalibrate your soul compass and help you see the value of your work even if you struggle to find the external validation we all seek. Reading the words of Sybil Morial will remind you of your purpose in life. Through singing her own song, she sings for all of us.
