Many of the experiences that Neffie went through were a combination of the things that my great-grandmothers and great-great-grandmothers went through. Although my parents and grandparents couldn’t recall all the slave master names and the people who played a pivotal role in my great-grandmothers’ and great-great-grandmothers’ lives, I took what information was given to me and penned an incredible story. I pretty much took the bits and pieces that were relayed to me and shaped it into an inspiring story.
Yes, there are things in The Chronicles of Neffie that seem a bit daunting, but these are things that took place in many slaves’ lives. Sugarcoating that or watering down what they went through would not be giving them the proper justice when it comes to telling this story.
I had my moments of depression, anger, bitterness, and even guilt as I was writing The Chronicles of Neffie. I became depressed when I would write about the things my great-grandmothers and great-great-grandmothers went through. Even though I was using Neffie as a vessel to tell this story, it didn’t take away the fact that these terrible things did, in fact, happen in their lives. As a matter of fact, these things happened to the great-grandmothers and great-great-grandmothers of millions of other black Americans.
The anger and guilt came when I realized that for most of their lives, there was nothing they could really do to change all of the things that affected them and took place around them. Yes, they were able to change some things, but not everything.
As far as my guilt, the guilt comes from knowing that I, their descendant, have a much better life compared to the life they lived. That is why I want to make sure that I live my life in a way that does not take for granted the sacrifices they made and the things they endured so that I could have a better life than they did.
When it comes to The Chronicles of Neffie, I want readers to put themselves in her shoes and try to imagine what it is like to be treated as less than human just because your skin happens to be of a darker hue or your hair happens to be curly or kinky or the fact that you have broad features that are deemed as unattractive, ugly, or animalistic. It is stories like The Chronicles of Neffie that show readers that racism and hate have no place in the human race.
Yes, based on outward appearances, we are all different, but that should never play a part in how you treat a person. Look at their character, the person that they are within, and then judge from there. Judging someone based on their skin color and outward appearances is not only ignorant, but it is also cruel. Slavery may have ended not too long ago, but there are still many people who are bound by chains of ignorance that they themselves have allowed to take root in their life.
Recommended Articles:
The Chronicles of Neffie – a Review
A. L. Gibson Interview: Writing The Chronicles of Neffie
