Charlene Pritchett-Stevenson
Appearances
Murder on the Towpath with Soledad O’Brien
Married to the Law
I loved Spelman, although they called it, you know, a ranky-dank school. university or college because it was, you know, for people who had money. Well, I didn't have any money. I went on a hope and a prayer.
Murder on the Towpath with Soledad O’Brien
Married to the Law
And ultimately, I found Spelman was a working school. There were as many people there working as I was. Working your way through college. A joyous adventure. It didn't take long for her teachers to notice her. And I met two people, Miss May Neptune of Ohio, Miss Fern Rockefeller. And when you go to Spelman, if you got to meet somebody, meet a Rockefeller.
Murder on the Towpath with Soledad O’Brien
Married to the Law
And it just enlarged me, and I was into everything.
Murder on the Towpath with Soledad O’Brien
Married to the Law
It seemed like it was a type of jealousy. And when Nana would tell, you know, she was talking about wanting to go to school, and she said she kind of made her think that she was high-minded to have those aspirations of wanting to go off to school. Why don't you just, you know, do what you're doing, taking care of houses and things of that nature and the children?
Murder on the Towpath with Soledad O’Brien
Married to the Law
You know, you're a little colored girl. You don't need to be thinking about that. That was the thing that she would tell her.
Murder on the Towpath with Soledad O’Brien
Married to the Law
And that's why she was always talking about paying it forward. She always wanted to give back because people helped her in her life. And so she felt it an honor and a duty to do the same.
Murder on the Towpath with Soledad O’Brien
Married to the Law
You ain't married to nobody but the law. I tell a lot of women law students that. We took men's places.
Murder on the Towpath with Soledad O’Brien
Married to the Law
I got me a nice little apartment. Everything's going on well. And here they say, Robin, where you study at? I said, I study in my home. Where you study at? Because you seem to have a grip on this thing. I said, bring your own sandwiches.
Murder on the Towpath with Soledad O’Brien
Married to the Law
I can't even imagine how it would feel that you're with your children and someone humiliates you in front of them and there is nothing that you can do.
Murder on the Towpath with Soledad O’Brien
Married to the Law
So, of course, when they got there and Grandma's legs were swollen, Mama was crying. As soon as she saw me, she started these tears. That's the way she worked me, you know. She knew I was going to fly off, which I did.
Murder on the Towpath with Soledad O’Brien
Married to the Law
And that, I think, is what propelled her, really, to fight for justice and motivated her to do what she had to do to make change, to bring about a positive change, to make a difference.
Murder on the Towpath with Soledad O’Brien
Married to the Law
I decided to file a suit against the Southern Railroad for all I could get.
Murder on the Towpath with Soledad O’Brien
Married to the Law
Her father died when she was young, very young, and so her grandmother raised them.
Murder on the Towpath with Soledad O’Brien
Married to the Law
They struggled financially. Even if you didn't have, they always came up with a better way of doing something. And you know, even though you may have been poor, it was the love that pushed them forward. It was the love and the nurture and the security. It was safety in that house. It was that bond. that family had, that they prayed together.
Murder on the Towpath with Soledad O’Brien
Married to the Law
They believed in the scriptures and what they were taught from the Sunday school and from church. So they were, to me, they were rich.
Murder on the Towpath with Soledad O’Brien
Married to the Law
She was smart, she was very smart, very brilliant mind, and she understood things. But she was a very beautiful woman. She was small, had long curly hair, beautiful skin, almost olive skin.
Murder on the Towpath with Soledad O’Brien
Married to the Law
She loved her grandmother. Her grandmother was very strict, but she showed her her love for the Lord. And she was a very independent woman. She wanted her to reach her full potential.
Murder on the Towpath with Soledad O’Brien
Married to the Law
She could squeeze a dollar until it turned to ten. And I don't care what your needs were, that dollar was going to become a ten dollar bill. And then she'd go to the market and she would get it changed in and bring back a ten dollar bill for you to see.
Murder on the Towpath with Soledad O’Brien
Married to the Law
Grandma Rachel would make lye soap and just taught her different things about survival.
Murder on the Towpath with Soledad O’Brien
Married to the Law
He was trying to attack her, and he just tore her clothes off her. And she fought him.
Murder on the Towpath with Soledad O’Brien
Married to the Law
But he beat her in one of the scars on her leg. She took to her grave.
Murder on the Towpath with Soledad O’Brien
Married to the Law
Her feet were just big, just swollen, and she didn't get treatment, you know. Well, I guess there was no treatment for that.
Murder on the Towpath with Soledad O’Brien
Married to the Law
The foot was very bad and it never healed. And she kind of walked with a limp from then on.
Murder on the Towpath with Soledad O’Brien
Married to the Law
Grandma didn't show any fear. So I think, to me, that was instilled in her, even though we do have fears, we struggle with things.
Murder on the Towpath with Soledad O’Brien
Married to the Law
And for Dovey... It gave me the opportunity to get mad. if you can comprehend that. I wanted to do something. And I like to think in my legal career, I did do something to right injustice.