The Grimkes: The Legacy of Slavery in an American Family by Kerri K Greenidge

Ready for some Women’s History? I got you! Let’s talk about The Grimkes: The Legacy of Slavery in an American Family by Kerri K Greenidge.

The Grimkes is a fantastic and accessible historical profile on a prominent American family with a dark past! I began reading this book after attending an event where the author spoke about her work & felt compelled to finally read the book that has been on my tbr since it came out in 2023. 

I loved the way Greenidge's writing dove into this history through storytelling. The book opens with Angelina "Nana" Weld Grimke riding a train to Boston which crashed during an oppressive heat wave and the subsequent gossip that followed due to the fact that she was wearing less clothing than her class deemed respectable when she was found in the wreckage. 

Unlike many other books on the Grimkes, this one depicts the family members, white and Black, as nuanced people who simultaneously fought for abolition while upholding white supremacist culture. I appreciated this a lot because I believe it’s best to share the complicated truths of History. The story of the Grimkes is one of enslavement, violence, anti-Blackness, abolition, women’s suffrage, colonialism, colorism, racism, queerness, homophobia, classism, and generational trauma. No one is a hero! Thanks to this approach, I could reflect on the ways in which silence around past suffering usually leads to the next generations inheriting that pain as well as confusion and dishonesty that stems from being disconnected from the truth of their past.

Notes

At times, the narrative confused me because it isn’t entirely chronological and the Black side of the family had some of the same or similar names as the white side. I realized that I needed a visual aid to help me keep all of the family members straight despite the cast of characters being listed in the beginning, so I created a sort of family tree/chart. I recommend y'all use the print book (whether you buy it or borrow it) to guide you, too!

Request this book at your local library and/or purchase it here: https://bookshop.org/lists/30-book-recommendations-for-women-s-history-month-beyond?page=2