The Tangled Web: A Little Girl’s Struggle to Overcome Racism and Poverty

This book is a memoir of the author’s struggle to survive racism and poverty during the Civil Rights Era. Her mother called her Francie Mae. She and her family lived in a world that was confusing, painful and difficult to understand. She lived her entire childhood in poverty and shares her journey of survival. She was a curious child and sought answers to her many questions about inequality. She took a journey through a land showing the dark side while searching for her piece of the American dream. She learned to rely on her faith to help her navigate the rough roads ahead. She became socially conscious and advocated for justice. She prevailed! She was inspired to write the book when her young granddaughter began asking questions about race. She and many other children are living in a similar world now. Racism and poverty exists and children should know why they exist. Racism is a learned behavior and we owe it to our children to teach them it is wrong. Racism may lead to poverty. These are difficult topics to discuss, yet we owe it to our children to engage in age appropriate conversations. As they struggle to understand the world around them they may have unanswered questions. If not answered, children come to their own conclusions and their conclusions may not be correct. Parents shouldn’t remain silent. Avoiding talking about race and poverty will not make it go away. Francie Mae’s parents listened to her questions and provided answers in ways she could understand. Many ideologies were formed many years ago. The way people felt and thought became twisted together like a web. If not challenged, the web tangles more. It is time to join together and untangle the web. We owe it to our current and future generations!