Oprah Winfrey

as this fearless woman, but of all the people, particularly the matriarchs behind you, that allowed you to stand. How were you able to discover so much about the matriarchs in your family?

as this fearless woman, but of all the people, particularly the matriarchs behind you, that allowed you to stand. How were you able to discover so much about the matriarchs in your family?

as this fearless woman, but of all the people, particularly the matriarchs behind you, that allowed you to stand. How were you able to discover so much about the matriarchs in your family?

Well, I have to say that the story that your mother and father were from Weeks Island, Louisiana, your father worked in a salt mine making $9 a week. Your parents' story was so harrowing. I've been... Anytime I ask anybody, I would start talking about this book and I would say... And you got to hear the story about her parents.

Well, I have to say that the story that your mother and father were from Weeks Island, Louisiana, your father worked in a salt mine making $9 a week. Your parents' story was so harrowing. I've been... Anytime I ask anybody, I would start talking about this book and I would say... And you got to hear the story about her parents.

Well, I have to say that the story that your mother and father were from Weeks Island, Louisiana, your father worked in a salt mine making $9 a week. Your parents' story was so harrowing. I've been... Anytime I ask anybody, I would start talking about this book and I would say... And you got to hear the story about her parents.

Can you tell us about your father going to the mine that day and your father and another man, because they were the lowest on the totem pole in the work order, were carrying the dynamite and there was an explosion. And your father was in the explosion and the parts of the mine crumpled completely. And they weren't going to dig for anybody.

Can you tell us about your father going to the mine that day and your father and another man, because they were the lowest on the totem pole in the work order, were carrying the dynamite and there was an explosion. And your father was in the explosion and the parts of the mine crumpled completely. And they weren't going to dig for anybody.

Can you tell us about your father going to the mine that day and your father and another man, because they were the lowest on the totem pole in the work order, were carrying the dynamite and there was an explosion. And your father was in the explosion and the parts of the mine crumpled completely. And they weren't going to dig for anybody.

And told that they had gone against company policy by going back to get your father. Yes. And so then this is what got me. Your father, then a union man comes along and starts talking to your father about, well, if you had been a part of the union, that wouldn't have happened to you. Right.

And told that they had gone against company policy by going back to get your father. Yes. And so then this is what got me. Your father, then a union man comes along and starts talking to your father about, well, if you had been a part of the union, that wouldn't have happened to you. Right.

And told that they had gone against company policy by going back to get your father. Yes. And so then this is what got me. Your father, then a union man comes along and starts talking to your father about, well, if you had been a part of the union, that wouldn't have happened to you. Right.

The town owners, the bosses in charge, realize that the union man has been to see your father and somebody ends up bombing the house. Yes. They threw a firebomb. They threw a firebomb in the house and your parents had to escape. Yes. And that's how your parents ended up in Galveston. Yes. Yeah. And your father ended up becoming a longshoreman and your mother was a seamstress. Yes. Yeah.

The town owners, the bosses in charge, realize that the union man has been to see your father and somebody ends up bombing the house. Yes. They threw a firebomb. They threw a firebomb in the house and your parents had to escape. Yes. And that's how your parents ended up in Galveston. Yes. Yeah. And your father ended up becoming a longshoreman and your mother was a seamstress. Yes. Yeah.

The town owners, the bosses in charge, realize that the union man has been to see your father and somebody ends up bombing the house. Yes. They threw a firebomb. They threw a firebomb in the house and your parents had to escape. Yes. And that's how your parents ended up in Galveston. Yes. Yeah. And your father ended up becoming a longshoreman and your mother was a seamstress. Yes. Yeah.

So you're the baby of seven children, and you paint this vivid picture that you said you didn't feel like you were poor, although you all didn't have much. You said you felt like y'all were millionaires. Right.

So you're the baby of seven children, and you paint this vivid picture that you said you didn't feel like you were poor, although you all didn't have much. You said you felt like y'all were millionaires. Right.

So you're the baby of seven children, and you paint this vivid picture that you said you didn't feel like you were poor, although you all didn't have much. You said you felt like y'all were millionaires. Right.

You and I are born three weeks apart. Mm-hmm. I was same age, born three weeks apart. And I was raised in the South, but I got out. My grandmother became ill. I was sent to live with my mother in Milwaukee just before I started school. Wow. So as I was reading your story, I was thinking, wow, not being raised in a segregated school. is the thing that made all the difference for me.

You and I are born three weeks apart. Mm-hmm. I was same age, born three weeks apart. And I was raised in the South, but I got out. My grandmother became ill. I was sent to live with my mother in Milwaukee just before I started school. Wow. So as I was reading your story, I was thinking, wow, not being raised in a segregated school. is the thing that made all the difference for me.