I Aint Noways Tired: Grandma Hands

By Brinase Merritt

A book that is non-fiction about a black family trials and tribulations and triumphs in the south and a black womans traditional calling of midwifery to help her community and women who otherwise would be unable to pay the fee of the white doctor in town to deliver their babies. A story of a family that overcame the odds and made a way out of no way while farming, picking cotton and being treated unfairly but continued to have love and kindness in their community and befriended a white family that the midwife my grandmother would deliver their children as well and they would coexist on the same land amicably. A resurgence of midwifery is taking place in the twenty-first century this tradition of old has never completely vanished especially in third world countries where 75% of babies are delivered by midwives.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 30, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483634531

Book preview

Copyright © 2013 by Brinase Merritt.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2013907931

ISBN:      Hardcover      978-1-4836-3452-4

                Softcover         978-1-4836-3451-7

                Ebook            978-1-4836-3453-1

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

My lecture at the Anacostia Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC

DVD accompanied by music is available upon order request@brinase1221

@hotmail.com

Rev. date: 06/29/2013

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

129976

Contents

Acknowledgment

Chapter 1 The Last Chance

Chapter 2 Thornton And Eliza Barrow

Chapter 3 Harry And Caroline Sistrunk

Chapter 4 Calvin Barrow And Annie (Fannie) Sistrunk

Chapter 5 Joseph And Rachael Martin

Chapter 6 Katie (Caty) Harris Martin

Chapter 7 Elvira Barrow Martin And Philip Martin

Chapter 8 Joe Louis Barrow (Heavyweight Champion)

Chapter 9 James (Buddy) Martin

Chapter 10 Jake (Shug) Martin

Chapter 11 Bill Martin

Chapter 12 Willie (Kidd) Martin

Chapter 13 Bea Martin

Chapter 14 Queen (Sut) Martin Howard

Chapter 15 Mary (Lump) Martin Howard

Chapter 16 John L. Martin

Chapter 17 Eva (Doll) Martin Merritt

Chapter 18 Marie (Honey) Martin Webb

Chapter 19 Unusual Birth In Macon County

Chapter 20 Bell And Chester Story

Chapter 21 Papa Dies

Chapter 22 Midwifery Restrictions

Chapter 23 Grandma Hands

Chapter 24 Mama Dies

Chapter 25 Ora D. Hicks— Conversation With A Twentieth-Century Midwife

Chapter 26 Twenty-First Century/Advocates Of Midwifery

Chapter 27 Descendants Of Elvira Barrow Martin And Philip Martin

Chapter 28 Forgiveness

Chapter 29 Birth Records Of Babies Delivered By Elvira

Chapter 30 A Tribute To Midwives

Thoughts From The Author

East Tech 1972 City Champions And State Champions (My Alma Mater)

Dedications From Great-Granddaughter Bessie Lankford And Great-Great-Granddaughter Catherine Nicole Bradford

To Him Alone

Excerpt From My Lecture At Smithsonian’s Reclaiming Midwives: Pillars Of Community Support

We Are Literally Slaves: An Early Twentieth-Century Black Nanny Sets The Record Straight, The Independent, 1912

Biography

Peachie Darden—Granddaughter,

Bess Lankford—Great-granddaughter

Ora D. Thomas—Granddaughter, Betty Graves—Granddaughter,

Geraldine Lord—Granddaughter, Odester Brumsey—Granddaughter

Lois Jones—Granddaughter, Jean Howard—Great-niece

Catherine Anthony—Great-niece, Bea Barnes—Great-niece

NAMES OF ALL THE HANDS ON THE

COVER OF THE BOOK

Danny Merritt—Grandson

Bess Lankford—Great-granddaughter

Catherine Nicole Bradford—Great-great-granddaughter

Denise Martin Roberson—Great-great-granddaughter

Brinase Merritt—Granddaughter

Kimberly Hildreth—Great-granddaughter

Eva Merritt—Daughter

Whitney Williams—Great-granddaughter

Alexis Hawk—Great-granddaughter

Jessica Hawk—Great-granddaughter

Victoria Gaul—Great-great-granddaughter

Patricia Merritt—Granddaughter

Philip Williams—Great-grandson

Jake Williams—Grandson

Peachie Darden—Granddaughter

Carolyn Levy—Great-granddaughter

Kaleah Merritt—Great-granddaughter

Ora Thomas—Granddaughter

Betty Graves—Granddaughter

Palastine Womack—Granddaughter

Geraldine Lord—Granddaughter

Jessica Merritt—Great-granddaughter

Melissa Hildreth—Great-great-granddaughter

Sheryl Thomas—Great-granddaughter

Betty Barrow—Great-niece

Jean Howard—Great-niece

Robyn Hildreth—Great-great-granddaughter

Megan Smith—Great-great-granddaughter

Cameron Smith—Great-great-grandson

Bea Barnes—Great-niece

Taylor Barnes—Great-great-great-niece

Valerie Thompson—Great-great-niece

CREDITS

The names listed below provided important knowledge and historical accounts of the stories, quotes, and documents shared in the book. This is the disclaimer for using quotes throughout the book.

Eva L. Merritt

Peachie Darden

Ora D. Thomas

Shirley Floyd

Ida Jean Burgess

Lonnie Martin

Doll Hargrove

Jake Williams

Clint Campbell

Dave Harris, CEO, Tech4Life (Facilitator of the hands on the cover)

Andrew Smith (Photographer of the hands on the cover)

Betty Story McClendon

A Negro Nurse, The Independent, 1912

World Health Organization

Cleveland Public Library

Call & Post

Annie Lee Story Cole

Jean Howard

Willie (Sonny) Barrow

Montgomery Archives

United States Census

American Midwives Association

Veterans Affairs

United States Military

Ancestry.com

Archives.com

To Be a Slave by Julius Lester

The Willie Lynch Letter

Alabama, Macon County Slave Narratives

Kimberly Todd (King Publishing)

Pawyica Woname (Graphic Artist for book covers)

Image23815.JPG

Acknowledgment

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I would like to give all honor and praise to God, who made this journey possible. Without Him, I am nothing. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have supported me throughout my life and while on this journey of writing my grandmother’s story. This has been a heck of a journey. First, there are so many people I want to thank, but I can’t mention them all for it would become a book itself if I mentioned everyone. Let me start by saying thank you to some of my school teachers, those who taught at schools I attended—from Charles W. Chesnutt to Rawlings Junior High School and East Technical High School. I’ve had many good classmates and teachers throughout my life, some are still here, others have gone over to the other side. God bless them all. Mrs. Catlin, my kindergarten teacher and Mrs. White, my fourth grade teacher—two of the kindest teachers I had in elementary school at Charles W. Chesnutt. Ms. Batosh our music teacher at Chestnutt who tried to instill in us that we could do it. Vivian Jordan, my sixth grade teacher who tried to teach me, and Debra Grant, how to play the piano, but to no avail because I just wanted to sing. My Rawlings Junior High School music teacher, Mr. Joe Lynn, who showed us inner-city kids that we could sing and dream, and Mr. Lynn took us to first place in the all-city choir competition. He also took a few of us to Don King’s house to meet Muhammad Ali. Later we would find out Mr. Lynn was Don Kings half brother.

Mrs. Menefee, who tried to teach us how to speak French. Parlez-vous français? Mrs. Reed, the English teacher who taught us about Greek mythology and sonnets, wow. Mrs. Sewell, who was our cool and pretty gym teacher at Rawlings, who ended up marrying Mr. Coates, our Southern-speaking math teacher. Mr. Cool Plump Forrest, who tried to make science fun along with many other teachers who helped to encourage us along our journey. Dr. Mandel, who tried to teach us poor inner-city kids how to speak Swahili and make us acquainted with our African heritage; he really tried. Thank you to all of these educators.

Mrs. Svenson, who pushed us to take center stage with our poetry writings and readings. Thank you to Mrs. Eleanor Bailey Avery and Mrs. Bertha Hall—two strong black women whom I love dearly and whom I am still in touch with today. These two women had a profound impact on my life, and they let me know I could be whatever I wanted to be and that I was good at sports even though I was full figured. They were right, I was good. Thanks, Mrs. Hall for supporting me throughout this journey and you and Angela traveling to Washington DC from Virginia for the honoring of my grandmother at the Smithsonian midwife exhibit.

Thanks to Ernestine Ross, who kept pride alive at East Tech High booster program and talent shows and took us to Georgia with Ken Hawkins where we met Curtis Mayfield. Thanks, basketball coaches Mr. John Chavers and Mr. Ralph Chabert, who contributed to East Tech High School’s eighteen city championships, including a few state titles and the 1972 state championship. Mr. Chabert, who had been my English teacher at Rawlings Junior High School before he transferred to East Tech and the reason we read Manchild in the Promised Land by Claude Brown and introduced me to Langston Hughes’s Dream Deferred. Thanks to Mr. Honesty, who taught us about our history, black history. East Tech is where I would meet one of my heroes, Mr. Jessie Owens. To all my classmates who are too many to mention, somewhere throughout our lives, we crossed each other’s path with fond memories. Thank you to folk in the neighborhood I grew up in. Thank you, Mrs. Mattie Sims, for exposing us to the importance of voting and politics at an early age even though we were too young to vote. Mrs. Sims had us presenting skits and cheers for Carl B. Stokes, our first black mayor, and Louis Stokes our first black Congressman and others, and boy, we could march our tails off. Mrs. Owens Amanda and Bonnie’s mother, who taught us inner-city children how to swim at Cleveland State University during the summers. Oh, and our wonderful block parties. There were many neighbors who watched out for us. Our next-door neighbor, Mr. and Mrs. Perry, whose house was the first I’d ever saw with an office and a big piano in it. Mr. Perry had his own gas pump in their yard. I remember many evenings, Mr. Perry came home from work in that big truck, and I could count on some lifesavers at least twice a week. Thanks to Honey and Cat, two small feisty women who were good friends and good neighbors of my mothers. Sweet, Betty, Andrew and Sam all part of the Jolly family. The Jollys a family that were good friends of our father, Solomon Merritt, and our family.

Louise, Angie, and Winston were our babies in the neighborhood, now they are all grown up with children of their own. Louise, Angie’s mother is from Tuskegee like my family, knew my grandmother who also waited on some of her family members. Then Angie would marry a Jolly. I grew up during a time when neighbors were neighbors and kids were kids; kids respected their parents and parents made their children stay in their place. The Greers, Mr. and Mrs. Greer, with her good old homemade ice cream. Deera and Vanessa, who allowed Rita and me to tag along with them when they would go downtown to see entertainers like Johnnie Taylor and Millie Jackson when we were just teenagers. Rudolph the Greers cousin who taught us how to speak pig Latin. Big David, hustling, selling us firecrackers, and Man, he was one of our babies too. Freda and Pat (me too), Tit, Ms. Willie Mae, Ms Pearlie Bell, Old Man Hurt (Hun), the Hurt and Hurd families, Tommie Lee and Sunday, Little Bit, Mr. Henry Burton, Old Lady Burton, Mary Ann and Tea, Mary Ann I remember when Pat was babysitting Calvin and you would have Aretha’s Dr. Feelgood playing on the stereo, I still love listening to that song. Other neighborhood families and friends the Palmore’s, Wallace who was my brothers best friend, Junior Brady, Julius Smith and the Smith family, Chump who remains a friend of mine, Ms. Hunt, Bimbo still my buddy, Laura and the Jordans, Val and the Sims, the Perrymans, Archie, Ms. Richardson, Tommie Jones, the Clevelands, Marcella my little sister and my girl, Jenny, Tammy and the Lloyd family, Rita my childhood friend and the Ross family, the Loveladys, the Harrisons, Wanda, Roz, Ralph and Bruce, the Kings, the Daniels and Mr. Davis, who cut all the boys’ hair in the neighborhood. Reverend Hall Arsenio’s father along with Arsenio Hall whom I played with as a little girl, we are proud of you Arsenio. The Byrds can’t forget Harry and Rob and Bill Byrd. There are far too many neighbors and friends and people to mention. I would like to mention my Rawlings Avenue neighbors, Ronald Jackson (Chip) and the Jackson family, the Halls, Jean and the Grady family, the Hemphills, the Smiths, Ms. Mildred who bought me my first bird and bird cage for my birthday, her sister and husband Sarah and Cleve, Ms. Oneil who my uncle David lived with before passing and Wilene and her husband Bob who took me fishing with them. Mr. Danzy and Jane who are still entrepreneurs in the old neighborhood. I don’t’ want to forget Dennis, Minnie and Gertie we all grew up together, and Niecy, Bae Bro, Glenn and Ms. Louise Green, the Willis family on East Seventy Third Street and the Hill family we loved Carol and Linda and Big Hill was alright too, the Richie family. I want to thank Mel and Willie Willis, thanks for not treating us any different after the tragic incident involving our father and your brother we have never forgotten that tragic day and we are truly sorry and so was Daddy. God Bless you and your family.

Thanks to my girls, Deborah Mumphord, Rita Ross, and Evelyn Spears, for singing with me and making us look and feel like stars. I think we called ourselves the Soul Inspirations. I miss you Deborah Mumphord. Deborah you have two fine daughters and beautiful grandchildren. I miss your mom and Dee Dee too. Debra Grant you were my first elementary school friend, and we always called each other by our full name, love you Debra Grant. To all of those I went to school with and grew up around in the neighborhood of Grand Avenue and East Seventy-fifth Street, Rawlings, Kinsman, Woodland, East Fifty-fifth, and the projects way too many too mention, but you all know who you are. You all have played an important part in my life’s journey from the very beginning. Boy, did we paaaarty! On fifty-five and Scovil there is a school that raise a lot of well, well, well, well, East Tech, Tech, Tech, Tech, Tech East Tech, Tech, our school is big our school is bad if you don’t watch out East Tech will whip your ahhhhhhhh, East Tech, Tech, Tech, Tech, Tech East Tech, Tech. Whose House, Techs House. And don’t ya’ll get it twisted. I love all of your babies, I knew them before they came into the world and I just want the best for all of them.

Thanks, Cindy, for being my friend for thirty-six years and for being a constant support of mine through the good times and bad and always being there for me as a shoulder to lean on. Your kindness and generosity will never be forgotten. Thanks for helping me drive you, Michelle and Jason, to meet my first cousins on the Merritt side of the family. Our long-distance conversations into the wee hours of the night have been therapeutic for both of us. Cynthia you are and have been my best friend and a great friend. Cindy you and Michelle are blessed to still have both your parents, Ms. Benford and Mr. Benford. Bonnie, thanks for helping me drive and riding to Tuskegee with me to meet my first cousins, Willie and Charlie, for the first time ever and for being a good friend. You’ve been through a lot, but you are a survivor. Thanks, Bonnie, Betty, Keith, and Willie for helping me drive to Tuskegee to assist me with clearing out Aunt Honey’s house after her death. Thanks Janet for always being a good friend and being around through the good and bad times and for sticking by my side to the end. I think you and Cindy know more of my family members than anyone. We’ve been good friends since Andre was born that’s a looong time. Glad I knew Mr. Lloyd and know Mrs. Lloyd, who makes the best lemon tarts and the Lloyd family and I can’t leave out your cousin Mickey. Mrs. Davis Bonnie’s mom hang in there you are a trooper. Annette, I’m proud of you and our friendship, you and Tyrone have done a good job raising Ty. Thank you Clarence Mills one of my long time supportive friends. Darlene Hawkins, you’re awesome thank you for your friendship.

I want to thank Jackie, for helping me drive to Atlanta to see Nicole graduate from Spelman College and to visit my brother, Solomon Jr., in the hospital in Birmingham. Visiting him was priceless and would