Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 1, 1994 TAG: 9404240270
SECTION: HORIZON PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: reviewed by Lucy Lee
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
\ No wonder the Delany sisters' story has been on the Best Seller List for so long. It's a heartwarming, inspirational success story that touts favorite American values and soft-pedals the race issue. And its stars, Sadie and Bessie Delany, are something else!
At 102 and 100 respectively (when the initial interviews began in 1991), they have a wealth of memories, advice and insight to impart. Sadie and Bessie attribute their longevity to the fact that they remained single ("We never had husbands to worry us to death!") and that they stay away from doctors, hospitals, and liquor ("Except once in a while, we make Jello-O with wine."). Exercise and proper diet also contribute to their good health. After doing yoga every morning, they swallow a chopped up clove of garlic and a teaspoon of cod liver oil. And they say their prayers every morning and night.
Raised on a black college campus in Raleigh, NC, by a father who was born into slavery but became the first elected "Negro" bishop of the Episcopal Church, U.S.A., and a mother who could pass for white, the Delany sisters' experience was markedly different from other blacks of their time. Sadie was the first black person to teach high school domestic science in New York and Bessie was the second black woman licensed to practice dentistry in New York. Like them, their eight siblings were college-educated professionals.
The Delanys focused on self-improvement through education, civic-mindedness, ethical living and a strong belief in God. The children were taught, "Your job is to help somebody." Sadie and Bessie do not regard their story as "black" or "women's" history, but as American history: "We were good citizens, good Americans! We loved our country, even though it didn't love us back."
Judging by book sales and the numerous requests for appearances, most of America now loves the Delany sisters. No one is more surprised by this groundswell of interest than the sisters themselves. As Bessie says, "I never thought I'd see the day when people would be interested in hearing what two old Negro women have to say."
They see their age as a plus in recounting their experience: "When you get real old, honey, you realize there are certain things that just don't matter anymore. You lay it all on the table. There's a saying: Only little children and old folks tell the truth."
A great deal of "Having Our Say" is about racism. Despite the Delany's candor, I can't help but wonder how much they were comfortable revealing to Hearth, their white interviewer. And how did Hearth's perception of their lives shape the final presentation? Although she used the sisters' own words, she arranged the stories in sequence, and chose what to include and omit.
Each of the book's chapters is introduced by Hearth, then followed by Sadie and/or Bessie's always lively story. They address such subjects as Jim Crow days, living in Harlem during the Harlem Renaissance, and outliving the Rebby Boys (racist white men). Hearth's introductions give structure to the book but are somewhat reminiscent of grade school history lessons. Without doubt, it is the sisters' personalities and insights that carry the book and make it such a delight to read.
"Having Our Say" offers a valid black perspective of the past century, despite the fact that the Delanys were much better educated and more affluent than the majority of their race. Even with such advantages, they suffered constant discrimination. It is important that we hear their perspective since it is one that has not been included in American history books. \
Lucy Lee is a member of a Roanoke discussion group on race, "Spectrum: Women United for Diversity."
by CNB