In a heartfelt reflection, Pauline journeys back to Christmas 2023, sharing cherished memories of a resilient rural childhood. She vividly describes festive traditions, from socks hung with care to mistletoe adventures. Amid the challenges of COVID, the appreciation for small gestures and the importance of carrying on family traditions shine through.

Eternal Sister Friends shares the story of three small-town women from Alabama and their deeply-rooted journey of life, love, and longevity in the sisterhood spanning over 90 years.

Nothing in Dr. Gillis’ career as an African historian and professor spanning three decades is more consistent than the gravitational pull of her small-town Virginian roots and her innate ability to “look back” to advance the African American agenda. Sankofa is a word in the Akan language of Ghana that means “go back and get it” and can translate as “to look into one’s past in order to move forward.” This is the common denominator in Dr. Gillis’ personal and professional life – it’s her Sankofa way.

Oklahoma, affectionately known as “The Sooner State”, has such a rich Black history that few people know about. These boroughs provided African Americans a safe haven where they thrived freely from racial prejudices and brutality found in other racially mixed communities of the Midwest and the South. In Oklahoma and Indian Territories, African Americans would establish their own communities for numerous reasons. Liberation from discrimination and abuse would be a motivating factor.

The assignment is togetherness. No one person is bigger than the other. Read along as Pauline stresses the importance of community.

Recent Black deaths at the hands of law enforcement has amplified awareness of racism and stirred up anger in the Black community, and rightfully so. Connie Perry, a mother and grandmother, provides a thoughtful reflection on the Black lives who were lost or innocently incarcerated and convicted.