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TheLordblessyouandkeepyouTheLordmakehisfacetoshineuponyouandbegracioustoyouTheLordliftuphiscountenanceuponyouandgiveyoupeace.Numbers624-268BODYOFCHRISTNEWSSEPTEMBER2011ByThelmaCraigCALDWELL-KIRKMORTUARYTheWarmthofOtherSuns2101MarionStreetDenverColorado80205303-861-4644VisitourwebsiteatQuarterlySaturdayOctober82011at11a.m.OletaCrainEnrichmentAcademy2102MarionStreetDenverColoradoIcannotdojusticetotheBookTheWarmthofOtherSunsTheEpicStoryofAmericalsGreatMigration.TheauthorIsabelWilkersonmustbefilledwithmuchcompassionandinsighttohavesharedandwrittenthisastoundingandprovocativenon-fictioninsuchapowerfulandpoi-gnantmanner.Thisbookoozesintel-lectyetithasahometown-girlorhometown-boyfeel.AsAfricanAmericansImsuremostofyouheardtheoralhistoriesfromparentsgrandparentsunclesandauntsandhavebeentouchedbyit.Whileweheardthemtalkabouttheirexperiencesofthepastwecouldnothaveimaginedallthatourances-torswitnessedandwentthroughdur-ingtheGreatMigration.TheGreatMigrationreferredtointhisbookwasamovementandtherelocationofmorethan7mil-lionAfricanAmericans.Itwasaselfimposedmigrationandwasnotinitiatedbyagreatleader.AfricanAmericansescapedfromSouthernstatestoNorthernandWesternAmerica.Thisexodusseemedtobeinspiredbyagreatthirstforfreedom.Afterslaveryandduringreconstructionitseemedthatthefreemanwasstillnotfree.JimCrowLawsseparatingblacksandrestrictingeveryaspectoftheirliveswereimposedandappliedfuriously.IknewthatthesepracticesexistedbutIdidnotknowthatthehatredwassopalpablefelttothecore.Theauthorquotedonepersonassayingweareinthehandsofthedevil.AsIreadthisbookIwasstruckbythetremendousemotioncoupledwithawe.WearesurvivorsWeweretech-nicallyfreeyetlivinginconditionsthatseemedmorehorridthanslavery.IoftenbitmylipastheauthorprovidedgruesomestatisticsandaccountscitingBlacksbeinglynchedeveryfourdayswithinatwo-yearperi-od.NotonlywereWElynchedmenwerecastratedandskinnedalivejustforthehellofitandwithoutduepro-cess.Thesemenwerehangedforjustseemingtoactliketheywerewhite.Historyrepeatsitselftheysay.ItremindedmeofthesenselessdeathsofBlackmentodayatthehandsofthepolice.Thesehideousfactsshouldnotdeteryoufromreadingthisbook.Iencourageyoutoreadit.Itispartofourhistoryandthetruthmustbetold.Itiswhatshapesusandinflu-encesuseventoday.Itisastonishinghowweasapeoplesurvivedundersuchconditionsafterslavery.MayaAngelouspoemcomestomindduringmyreadingAndStillIRiseIkeptremindingmyselfofthispoem.Youmaywritemedowninhistory.Theauthordescribedhowweweresubjecttounfairandinhumaneworkingconditionsassharecroppersproducepickersandhouseservants.Nottomentionjustoureverydayexistencewhenwalkingdownthesidewalkwehadtomovetoletthewhitepedestrianpasswehadcoloredonlydrinkingfountainsbackofthebusandtrainridingrules.Thiswasthewayitwas.Nowthisisnottosaythatthemigrationtoothernon-JimCrowStatesintheNorthandtheWestwerefreedomplacesforourpeople.Wehadtoendureotherchallengeswhenwearrived--unfairworkingconditionsintheindustrializedeconomyunfairhousingandinferioreducationalopportunities.StillsomefeltitwasbettertohavelefttheSouth.WilkersoninterviewedthousandsofpeoplefromtheeratocaptureServingtheDenvercommunityfor60years.www.caldwellkirk.comGriefSeminarBOOKREVIEWContinuedonPage10new