Last week I went to a graduation dinner for my good friend Dr. Sherry Rankins-Robertson. She finished her PhD in English Rhetoric and invited a small gathering of family and friends to celebrate with her at a Italian restaurant in Tempe. Sweet Sherry strategically placed me next to Dr. Keith Miller, an expert in the rhetoric of the civil rights movement. I was seated across from Dr. Duane Roen, an expert in family history writing. Dr. Roen has actually written about his children every single day for longer than I can remember...30, maybe even 40 years. Anyway, I took the opportunity to pick their brains about the book I hope to write and about this research.
Dr Miller recommended that I read "I've Got the Light of Freedom" by Charles Payne. He also recommended a few other biographies like "Coming of Age in Mississippi" by Ann Moody. I ordered "I've Got the Light of Freedom" and it was delivered within a few days. The entire book, over 400 pages, is about the civil rights movement in Greenwood, MS. It's about the people who didn't make it into the history books, the ones who weren't martyred on a national stage. It's a close examination of a true grassroots movement that was pushed along by the efforts of everyday people. I can't believe that an entire book was written on civil rights from the perspective of Greenwood, MS.
The moment I realized that this book was so closely connected to Greenwood, I immediately flipped to the appendix to see if there was a mention of Booker's Place or Booker Wright. Nothing. But hopefully, the book will provide some good sources.
I explained to Dr. Roen and Dr. Miller that I feel daunted by the idea of writing a solid non-fiction book about Booker Wright that would read like good fiction. I feel limited by the truth and the difficulty I'm having corroborating some of the stories I've heard. Dr. Roen expressed that there was still so much research to be done, that I was really at the tip of the iceberg. He asked me if I'd seen the court transcripts from the trial. This hadn't even occurred to me.
The very next day I called the courthouse. I told the woman on the phone that I wanted to look into getting a copy of the court transcripts from the trial of the man who murdered my grandfather, Lloyd Louis Cork. She put me on hold for a few brief minutes. When she got back on the phone she told me that she remembered the trial.
"This was Booker Wright's murder, wasn't it."
"Yes, my grandfather was Booker Wright."
"Well, are you asking for this or is --- (M.W.) asking for this?"
Again, my legitimacy is questioned because everyone in this town associates him with her.
"No, she's not asking. I am Booker's granddaughter from a woman he was married to before (M.W.) I've been in contact with (M.W.). Do I need her to call you to make this request?"
Thankfully, she agreed to send it to me. I guess my acknowledging that I knew M.W. was enough to convince her that I am who I say I am. I really hope that we can get M.W. on board with this project. I get the feeling that people from Greenwood will question the authenticity of this work if we don't have her buy in.
I made the call on Thursday, today is Monday and the file is sitting on my desk.
The moment I realized that this book was so closely connected to Greenwood, I immediately flipped to the appendix to see if there was a mention of Booker's Place or Booker Wright. Nothing. But hopefully, the book will provide some good sources.
I explained to Dr. Roen and Dr. Miller that I feel daunted by the idea of writing a solid non-fiction book about Booker Wright that would read like good fiction. I feel limited by the truth and the difficulty I'm having corroborating some of the stories I've heard. Dr. Roen expressed that there was still so much research to be done, that I was really at the tip of the iceberg. He asked me if I'd seen the court transcripts from the trial. This hadn't even occurred to me.
The very next day I called the courthouse. I told the woman on the phone that I wanted to look into getting a copy of the court transcripts from the trial of the man who murdered my grandfather, Lloyd Louis Cork. She put me on hold for a few brief minutes. When she got back on the phone she told me that she remembered the trial.
"This was Booker Wright's murder, wasn't it."
"Yes, my grandfather was Booker Wright."
"Well, are you asking for this or is --- (M.W.) asking for this?"
Again, my legitimacy is questioned because everyone in this town associates him with her.
"No, she's not asking. I am Booker's granddaughter from a woman he was married to before (M.W.) I've been in contact with (M.W.). Do I need her to call you to make this request?"
Thankfully, she agreed to send it to me. I guess my acknowledging that I knew M.W. was enough to convince her that I am who I say I am. I really hope that we can get M.W. on board with this project. I get the feeling that people from Greenwood will question the authenticity of this work if we don't have her buy in.
I made the call on Thursday, today is Monday and the file is sitting on my desk.
Good Luck I would love to see a book and movie of his life. There was a lot left out, about his years on the plantation. His story will inspire so many.
ReplyDeleteHey there...my book comes out next year. Searching For Booker Wright is being published by Simon and Schuster. Stay connected here or even on Facebook at SearchingForBookerWright.
DeleteTHANK YOU for engaging with this story. People like you keep me going. Take care, Yvette.