I Am Nobody‘s Slave

“Harrowing and insightful. . . . A profound work about the Black experience and white oppression.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “This work is vitally important and essential to understanding the magnitude of the impact of racism and violence.”—Library Journal (starred review) “Gripping, thought-provoking, and personal, I Am Nobody‘s Slave will inspire discussion and action in response to its powerful message of inner healing and social justice.”—Booklist A 2022 Pulitzer Prize finalist and former Wall Street Journal writer exhaustively examines his family‘s legacy of post-enslavement trauma and resilience, in this riveting social justice memoir—a soulful, shocking, and spellbinding read that blends the raw power of Natasha Tretheway‘s Memorial Drive and the insights of Clint Smith‘s How the Word is Passed. I Am Nobody‘s Slave tells the story of one Black family‘s pursuit of the American Dream through the impacts of systemic racism and racial violence. This book examines how trauma from enslavement and the Jim Crow South shaped their outlook on thriving in America, influenced each generation, and how they succeeded despite these challenges. To their suburban Minnesotan neighbors, the Hawkinses were an ideal American family, embodying strength and success. However, behind closed doors, they faced the legacy of enslavement and apartheid. Lee Hawkins, Sr. often exhibited rage, leaving his children anxious and curious about his protective view of the world. Thirty years later, his son uncovered the reasons for his father‘s anxiety and occasional violence, tracing a painful line of generational trauma. Through research, he discovered violent deaths in his family for every generation since slavery, mostly due to white-on-Black murders, and how white enslavers impacted the family‘s customs. Hawkins explores the role of racism-triggered childhood trauma and chronic stress in shortening his ancestors‘ lives, using genetic testing, reporting, and historical data to craft a moving family portrait and a vital work of African American history. This book shows how genealogical research can educate and heal Americans of all races, revealing through their story the story of America—a journey of struggle, resilience, and the heavy cost of ultimate success. What happens when a son uncovers the harrowing secrets his father‘s generation was forced to bury? A Son‘s Investigation: Follow a journalist‘s thirty-year quest to understand his father‘s rage, using genetic testing and historical data to connect the dots from a Minnesota suburb back to the brutality of enslavement. The Shadow of the South: Discover how the trauma of enslavement and Jim Crow apartheid in Alabama shaped the Hawkins family, leading to a cycle of violent deaths in every generation. Complex Father-Son Relationships: A raw and honest portrait of Lee Hawkins, Sr., a man wrestling with inner demons, and the son who sought to understand the historical forces that created them. A Story of Resilience: Witness the journey of one family‘s pursuit of the American Dream, showing how they not only survived but ultimately thrived despite the heavy cost of success in a racially unjust America.