From my earliest days, my world has been filled with writing and reading. When I was growing up, my parents had little money to spend on non-essentials, and Christmastime was no exception. New toys were few, with most of Santa’s gifts having been loved before by some other child. Every Christmas, my biggest gift under […]
Category Archives: Inspiration
Harriet Tubman: Forager and Defender and Of Freedom
Toward the end of last year, I made a brief Facebook post about Harriet, the 2019 film chronicling abolitionist Harriet Tubman’s escape from slavery and the dangerous missions she led to liberate hundreds of slaves through the Underground Railroad. This week I’d like to dive deeper into the story of this monumental figure in American […]
Sojourner Truth: Truth is Powerful, and it Prevails
Born in New York in 1797, Isabella Baumfree had been bought and sold four times, suffered countless humiliations, and unspeakable pain. By the time she was 29 years old, she had given birth to five children, her first born died in childhood and one son was illegally sold into slavery. She was able to escape […]
Polly Strong: One for All
Today I want to highlight a woman of incredible resilience who set precedent and greatly impacted the lives of many. Polly Strong is an understated figure; not much is known about her life outside of the critical Strong v. Laselle case, but her impact on American history and legislature is indelible. In 1796, Polly Strong […]
Anna Murray-Douglass: The Woman Behind the Legacy
In honor of Black History Month, I’d like to share with you a heroine who history often overlooks: Anna Murray-Douglass. You will recognize her as the wife of the great abolitionist writer and social reformer, Frederick Douglass, but Anna made her own contributions to the abolitionist movement. As a principal member of the Underground Railroad, […]
Feeling Friday – Feeling Resilient
Like on most mornings on my SMR page, today I posted a motivational quote to accompany yet another spectacular Selma sunrise. I chose an inspirational message from Eleanor Roosevelt. “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” I selected this as it seemed particularly relevant to the week I have had. Through circumstances […]
Sharon’s Daily Inspiration
I was recently asked to share my favorite “writing music”. Turns out it’s a short list: NONE. I need absolute silence – no distractions—when I work, write, etc. I’m ADD. I just simply can’t focus with anything that might distract me from the words on the page. Especially when the subject matter, historical fiction, requires […]
