Earlier today, I finished reading Those Who Saw the Sun: African American Oral Histories from the Jim Crow South by Jaha Nailah Avery. This nonfiction book is a collection of ten oral histories from Black people who grew up in the South during Jim Crow. The author, Jaha Nailah Avery, has family roots in North Carolina dating back 300 years and compiled these interviews as a personal passion project as she's traveled across the South to meet with elders and listen to their stories. Through their oral histories, the interviewees recall their childhoods, educational experiences, and careers, reflect back on how racism and activism affected their lives, share their thoughts on segregation and integration, and answer whether or not they believe Dr. Martin Luther King's dream is possible in America.
Those Who Saw the Sun was excellent. Although I've read a few books about the Civil Rights Movement over the years, this book was the first time I read interviews with Black elders who experienced the hardships of the Jim Crow era. I really enjoyed all ten oral histories and I liked being able to compare and contrast the experiences and opinions of the interviewees. Although they do have similarities, they also have a lot of differences. I particularly found it surprising to learn that there were actually pros to segregation and integration made some things worse. That had never crossed my mind before, but it makes sense that they often felt more supported in their communities. They all faced so many obstacles and I can imagine it was sometimes hard to find joy. It was also interesting how most of them didn't know anyone personally who was lynched. While lynchings are awful, I hadn't expected that. I think it demonstrates how vast the Black community is, but they did suffer in other ways. Another intriguing part of the oral histories was learning if they believed that Dr. King's dream is possible in the U.S. Although some of them were optimistic, quite a few towards the end were pessimistic. In my opinion, that just goes to show that although strides have been made forward, racism is still an issue in this country and it would take an effort to change hearts, not just the law. Although there weren't that many, I loved that this book included photographs. At the end, there is an appendix that briefly describes important people, places, events, groups, organizations, magazines, newspapers, laws, and more. The copy I read is an uncorrected proof. Those Who Saw the Sun shows the importance of recording the memories of Black people, and it's an exceptional choice for anyone who has an interest in Black and civil rights history.
