Rosa Lee: A Mother and Her Family in Urban America Book

What started out as a project turned into a genuine friendship that made me like this book all the more. Mr. Dash as Rosa Lee liked calling the author Leon Dash interviewed several families before settling on Rosa Lee's family. He initially wanted to write about a few other families, but quickly realised that following that many lives was only going to allow him to skim the surface. He wanted to write about the intimate details, so he had to dive deep becoming devoted to only one family.
While reading this book I became aware of just how little I know about African American history, and it has given me a strong desire to learn more. In my opinion this book shows the lasting effects of slavery, a scar that runs deep through many lower class African American families. A scar that until I read this book was invisible to me.
Rosa Lee told the author Leon Dash that she wanted her story to be told so that it could possibly help someone to avoid the mistakes she has made. Leon kindly let her know that the type of people who would be reading this wouldn't be the ones living the same lifestyle as Rosa Lee. She then told him that was fine as long as someone learned something from her story. I feel that I have learned a great deal, and I thank Rosa Lee for sharing her story.