Soledad O'Brien

By the time of Mary's murder, Dovey was 50 years old. She had her own law practice with a colleague. She had accomplished so much in a half century, even though she wasn't allowed to drink from the same water fountain as white folks. She'd won some high-profile legal cases, including a bus segregation case that laid the foundation for Rosa Parks.

How had a Black woman in the segregated South gotten this far in 1964? Her story is even more unlikely than it seems. Dovey was born in 1914. After her father passed away, Dovey's mother and two sisters moved in with her grandparents in Charlotte, North Carolina. She was raised by her grandmother. That's Dovey's daughter, Charlene Pritchett-Stevenson.

How had a Black woman in the segregated South gotten this far in 1964? Her story is even more unlikely than it seems. Dovey was born in 1914. After her father passed away, Dovey's mother and two sisters moved in with her grandparents in Charlotte, North Carolina. She was raised by her grandmother. That's Dovey's daughter, Charlene Pritchett-Stevenson.

She and Dovey met at church, but they grew so close that Dovey would eventually call Charlene her chosen daughter.

She and Dovey met at church, but they grew so close that Dovey would eventually call Charlene her chosen daughter.

Her father died in the influenza epidemic of 1919. She was just five years old. They lived in Brooklyn, a neighborhood in Charlotte that was the thriving center of Black life there. It was almost a city within a city, complete with its own downtown. Dovey's family was poor, but some of her neighbors had money. It wasn't uncommon to find shotgun houses next to mansions.

Her father died in the influenza epidemic of 1919. She was just five years old. They lived in Brooklyn, a neighborhood in Charlotte that was the thriving center of Black life there. It was almost a city within a city, complete with its own downtown. Dovey's family was poor, but some of her neighbors had money. It wasn't uncommon to find shotgun houses next to mansions.

But in the 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan haunted Charlotte. As a kid, Dovey remembered them riding through the neighborhood, keeping the hate, not the peace. Her grandma, Rachel, would tell the children to get down on the floor. Dovey would shutter the windows before she hopped under. Her grandmother had reason to be terrified that the Klan had murdered her first husband, Dovey's grandfather.

But in the 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan haunted Charlotte. As a kid, Dovey remembered them riding through the neighborhood, keeping the hate, not the peace. Her grandma, Rachel, would tell the children to get down on the floor. Dovey would shutter the windows before she hopped under. Her grandmother had reason to be terrified that the Klan had murdered her first husband, Dovey's grandfather.

Rachel said goodbye to him one day as he was heading north. He never returned. So when the Klan came around, Black people like Dovey took cover.

Rachel said goodbye to him one day as he was heading north. He never returned. So when the Klan came around, Black people like Dovey took cover.

But Dovey had one distinct advantage in life, her grandmother, Rachel. Well, the first thing I'm going to say about her is, She was brilliant. That's Dovey Roundtree herself. She died in 2018 at the ripe age of 104. But about a decade before her passing, she sat down for an interview with an organization called the National Visionary Leadership Project.

But Dovey had one distinct advantage in life, her grandmother, Rachel. Well, the first thing I'm going to say about her is, She was brilliant. That's Dovey Roundtree herself. She died in 2018 at the ripe age of 104. But about a decade before her passing, she sat down for an interview with an organization called the National Visionary Leadership Project.

She lit up when she talked about her grandma.

She lit up when she talked about her grandma.

She was beautiful. Dovey talked about her grandmother as if she walked on water, like she was superhuman. When you're a kid, that's how many of us see our parents and grandparents. I know I do.

She was beautiful. Dovey talked about her grandmother as if she walked on water, like she was superhuman. When you're a kid, that's how many of us see our parents and grandparents. I know I do.

As a girl, Dovey didn't know how the outside world saw Rachel, how society treated poor, uneducated Black women like her. But Rachel was determined to make a good life for her family.

As a girl, Dovey didn't know how the outside world saw Rachel, how society treated poor, uneducated Black women like her. But Rachel was determined to make a good life for her family.

I'm Soledad O'Brien, and on my podcast, Murder on the Towpath, I'm taking you back to the 1960s. Mary Pinchot Meyer was a painter who lived in Georgetown in Washington, D.C. Every day, she took a daily walk along the towpath near the E&O Canal.