Slavery’s Descendants: Shared Legacies of Race and Reconciliation

More than two dozen authors, all members of Coming to the Table, have contributed stories to this anthology, edited by CTTT members Jill Strauss and Dionne Ford. The anthology addresses the shared legacy of racism and slavery in the United States told through the collected stories of descendants of enslaved people and enslavers.  Recurring themes of displacement (literally and figuratively), identity, trauma, shame and guilt, memory and silences across generations, along with generosity, gratitude, and love challenge our understanding of history uncovering personal and collective truths.

The stories of the descendants of enslavers and the enslaved can help heal our past by shedding light on truths that are rarely told.  Coming to the Tables’ programs and resources help writers uncover history and provide them with the support necessary for working collectively and sharing their stories with a wider audience; stories that are vital to healing our nation.

You can order from your local bookstore or online at Amazon, (a portion of sales through this Amazon link go to CTTT), Indie Bound, or directly from Rutgers University Press.

PLEASE NOTE: 75% of author proceeds from this Little Book are donated to Coming to the Table to support the racial healing work described within its pages.

The Editors:

• Dionne Ford is author of the forthcoming memoir, Finding Josephine. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, More the Rumpus, Ebony and won awards from the National Association of Black Journalists and the Newswomen’s Club of New York. She is a 2018 recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Creative Writing and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from New York University. Dionne joined CTTT in 2010 and served as board Vice President from 2013-2014.
• Jill Strauss PhD teaches conflict resolution and communications at the City University of New York and is part of the Historical Dialogue Working Group at the Institute for the Study of Human Rights at Columbia University. Her research involves Restorative Justice Practices and the visual interpretation of narrative and difficult histories. Jill has been following CTTT since its inception and joined the organization in 2014.