Tracy L Simmons

As a young girl growing up and attending school in rural Ohio, I was underwhelmed by the representation of African Americans in history books. African Americans were usually depicted as people who voluntarily worked as servants and to be African American was to be without pride and self-worth. Even at the age of nine, I had an inkling that these depictions lacked truth and lacked substance. My great-grandmother, Nanny, always told me fascinating stories about the family members who were posed distinguishably in the framed photographs in our living room. The contrast between my family stories and the stories portrayed in history books ignited a curiosity in me. I felt compelled to learn the truth about my history and my family. The more I learned, the more I became enthralled. Little did I know; the goal I set in grade school was the beginning of a lifelong journey.