Becoming Talitha

Talitha was my great-grandmother. She was born in 1878 and died in 1960, and lived in Missouri and Oklahoma. She married a 60 year old man at age 17, and had 8 children with him. Mysteriously, one day she just left the family, without a trace for 30 years, returning at the end of her life (to make amends?). Why did she leave? Why did she return? Who was this woman? What did she long for?

Known as a "half-breed" in her time because of her Cherokee parentage, I wonder what she was able to make of her own identity. Did she have words for it? Did she love the Ozark mountains where she was born the way I love the mountains where I live? Was she driven mad by the shrill of children, longing for silence and stillness?

Upon learning about her story recently through some family history research, she has come to occupy my soul. Thus, I am beginning a novel about her life. As I humbly place one foot in front of the other on this ambitious journey, I will come to know her, at least as a fictionalized character. I will also come to know my grandmother, father, and all those other hillbilly/outlaw/alcoholics that are my family. The spirits of these cowboys and indians who drank, fought, and stole will visit, whispering secrets in my ear about the one true thing we all long for - knowledge of self.

The time is right

What can I say that hasn't already been said about the history that was made last Tuesday? In my academic work I dabble in social movement studies and so it is through that lens (and others) that I find Barack Obama's election particularly hopeful. What researchers have discerned is that change or reform happens when the political opportunity structures are present. So that, it is not just about how community organizers do the work that they do, it is the case that the external political realities matter a lot. People elected to office, people trying to stay in office, disasters, scandals, and other current events of the day play a significant role in whether the efforts of organizers will be successful or not. Some of the activists of the 60s were successful not just because of their organizing tactics but because there was democratic leadership in office that left the door open for change.

The time is right for organizers to step forward; the political opportunities are there. But, success will only happen if organizers do what they do. And new activists must also be born. The frustration of the last 8 years can be replaced with hope and renewed commitments. Electoral politics has its limits. Some of the most important change will happen not because of something that the politicians we elect initiate; it will happen because citizens define the agenda, push for change, and don't relent.