"I wish I was White," said my 6-year-old granddaughter Trinity. We had just walked out of the Kroger grocery store when Trinity uttered these words out of the blue. As her MiMi, I was shaken to my core; tears welled up in my eyes and my knees nearly buckled. I asked her what made her say such a thing. She shrugged her shoulders and said, "I don't know." A Heartfelt Tete-a-tete (conversation), Affirmations, and a Journey of Self-discovery Once inside my vehicle, I engaged Trinity in a heartfelt conversation about her self-worth and divine creation. I took her on a journey through the monumental accomplishments of her ancestors. We spoke about family members who served in the military, her great-great grandfather's life as an entrepreneur who owned two thriving businesses in Indianapolis, Indiana during the 1940s and 1950s despite racial prejudices and segregation, and the impactful contributions of her great-great grandmothers. Through these stories, I illustrated that worthiness and success aren't determined by skin color but by one's actions, treatment of others, and the content of their character.
A Marvelous Discovery and a Brief History Lesson While conducting research on Trinity's great-great maternal grandfather, Herbert Hawkins, I uncovered some unknown information about him. I knew he once owned a gas station and a taxicab service, but I wasn't aware of the details. My research revealed that his business was named the Standard Gas Station, also known as Hawkins Filling Station. Most importantly, his gas station was located in the historic cultural area of Indianapolis at 614 Indiana Avenue. In the epilogue of this book, I include more details about Grandpa Hawkins, along with a succinct description of the history of Indiana Avenue and its Crown Jewel, the Madam C. J. Walker Building, now known as the Madam Walker Legacy Center.
