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BLOG: A Voice In The World - from the Heart of Ginny Dye

April 11, 2014

The Day My Brother Was Beaten...

I get one question over and over again... Ginny, how did you turn out so different from your family??

My only exposures to African-Americans when I was growing up were the large numbers of black people I saw whenever I went to downtown Charlotte, and my family's maid, Ruth. I will never forget her.

Ruth was tall and slender, with proud dark eyes that always looked at me with kindness - something coveted by an abused child. I don't remember much about her, but I do remember I felt safe with her. I used to set up my little ironing board beside hers whenever she ironed. I don't use that skill very much :), but I do have it!

Fast forward to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school system in the early 70's - the beginning of bussing and integration.

Sheryl was my first black friend. I've been an athlete all my life - playing just about any sport they would let me play; and many that I only got to play because my two older brothers knew I was as good as they were! The first black students showed up at my junior high school when I was in the 7th grade. I was almost at my height of 6 feet by then, and the queen of the basketball court. Until Sheryl showed up... She was GOOD! I didn't care what color she was - we just had fun playing. And then fun laughing... and talking. She reminded me of Ruth.

Looking back now, I can only imagine how hard it must have been for her to be one of about a dozen black students at this WHITE junior high school. Without having any clue I was doing it, I knew I gave her a friend when she thought she would only have enemies. And I helped pave the way for her with my other friends. I had no idea I was doing anything unique - I was just befriending a fellow athlete.

Two years later, the underlying tensions over segregation boiled over into a year of violent riots in almost every area high school. I was in my last year of junior high (9th grade), but both my brothers were in high school. It was also the year I took my first steps toward faith.

I will never forget the day I was called out of Algebra and told one of my brothers had been badly beaten during a riot. I was to get my things and be ready when my mother arrived to take me to the emergency room. I can remember my heart racing. I can remember fear pulsing through me. And I remember something else... the roots of hatred and prejudice taking hold. They had hurt my brother!

Just as I was leaving, my very wise Algebra teacher called me aside, took my hands and gazed into my eyes. "You have a choice right now, Ginny. You can choose to hate or..." she let her words trail off as her blue eyes held mine, "you can choose NOT to hate." She didn't tell me to choose love - I'm sure she knew I couldn't even comprehend that - she simply told me I could choose NOT to hate. Over her shoulder, I could see Sheryl looking at me with very sad eyes.

I made a decision that day. I made a decision NOT to hate.

That same year I was introduced to a singing group called The New Directions. They may have been the first inter-racial singing group in the South; made up of teenagers who wanted to share the message of God's love. I loved their music and singing! I also had the opportunity to become friends with some of them. What a blessing!

Those friendships grew and expanded. One of the members had a little sister four years younger than me that sometimes hung out with them. She became my "little sister" as well. When I got my drivers license I would drive the 90 minutes to her house for the weekend. I never thought anything about spending weekends in a black section of their town. I laughed, talked and played basketball. It wasn't any different from home.

Until my father found out what I was doing. Whew! He laid down the law and refused to let me go there anymore. I looked into his eyes, and saw the hatred and prejudice I had chosen to never live with. My father didn't live with us, so it was relatively easy to do what I wanted to anyway. Yes, I was born rebellious - though I choose to see it as my determination to live my life under my own code of ethics and morals.

My relationship with all the New Directions and my "little sister" continued to be very important to me. Each day taught me more and more that being black simply meant they didn't have to work as hard for a tan as I did! :) They were my friends, and I loved them.

My college was mostly white, but I was close to The New Directions' hometown, so I kept my world balanced.

Fast forward to my decision to write an historical novel series... I knew if I was going to write about the Civil War that I had to do it from everyone's perspective. Some people have asked me how I can write from a black person's perspective. It's no more difficult than writing from a white person who lived in the 1860's! Other than the color of our skin, we shared nothing in common. Our worlds are totally different.

Just as research has given me perspective into Carrie's world, it has done the same into Rose and Moses' world. Understanding human nature fills in the rest of the gaps. People, no matter what period of history we're talking about, are still the same. Our basic wants and needs have never changed. History might mandate the circumstances under which we pursue them, but they don't change the basic needs, wants, fears, actions, etc.

I believe that people are people.

It's also the reason I love writing this series because I can carry people through all the circumstances history throws in their face.

Another question I get is how far in advance I plan the next book in the series. I'll be back next week to answer that one! :)

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Have you made me cry?? Or laugh?? Or made me so very glad I have the best readers in the world??

If you've written a review of one of my books, you probably did. :) Every time I get a little overwhelmed by the pressures of research or writing, I go to Amazon and read my Reviews. They never fail to give me the motivation and energy to continue forward.

As I press through to finish Carried Forward By Hope, it would mean the world to me if you would go and leave a review for one (or more) of The Bregdan Chronicles. I will consider it a personal message from you to me...

I'm even going to make it easy for you. :)

Two of the reviews I received this week:

I loved this story and can't wait to start the next book. The characters came alive and I fell in love with most of them. I hope that Robert changes his opinion about slavery and finds his true love. I hope Moses lives a long happy life and raises many children and all become free.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the rich details of southern living with some history thrown in. Excellent reading!!

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Moreso than any other book, I did not want Dark Chaos to end....I found myself losing track of time as I was reading until 4 or 5 in the morning. A history buff from the word go, this series has brought the reality of the Civil War into my heart. The books have also shown me that warfare and politics of today have changed little send then.

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Thank you! I'm diving back into research and writing. Thank you in advance for your reviews that will keep me going!

Blessings,

Ginny Dye

Release Date:

May 15th!