Errin Haines wrote an incredible article for the AP about Recy Taylor’s long struggle for justice and dignity. I think most academics hope that their work has some impact in the “real” world–that somehow all the years of research and endless hours in the archives somehow makes an impact in the lives of ordinary people. All I ever hoped for with this book was to bring the crimes committed against black women to light so that they would get the recognition they deserved for both their courageous stand against racial and sexual terror and for laying a foundation for women around the world to speak out. Okay, I also wanted to make sure their assailants’ names would forever be in print. They may have gotten away and lived their lives without anyone knowing what they did–but we know. And we won’t let anyone forget who they are and what they did.
What I’m trying to say is that I feel really good about this article because the story of Recy Taylor is bigger than my book–it’s about human dignity, love, and survival.
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