An unforgettable journey through racism and faith across the generations. January 15, 1959-a day that changed one family forever. White supremacists kidnapped and severely beat rural Alabama preacher Israel Page, nearly killing him because he had sued a White sheriff's deputy for injuries suffered in a car crash. After "they" "got Daddy," Israel Page's children began leaving the Jim Crow South, the event leaving an indelible mark on the family and its future. Decades later, the events of that day fueled journalist Sharon Tubbs's epic quest to learn who had "gotten" her mother's daddy and why. They Got Daddy follows Tubbs on her moving journey from Fort Wayne, Indiana, to the back roads and rural churches of Alabama. A powerful revelation of the sustaining and redemptive power of faith and unflinching testimony to the deeply embedded effects of racism across the generations, it demonstrates how the search for the truth can offer a chance at true healing.
Sharon Tubbs began her professional career as a newspaper reporter and editor. In a career that spanned seventeen years, she worked briefly for the Philadelphia Inquirer then for the Tampa Bay Times. As a journalist, she covered various beats that included small-town government, local crime, and national religious issues. Today, Sharon Tubbs is a writer, inspirational speaker, and the director of a nonprofit organization that empowers under-resourced residents in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to live healthier lives.
Introduction 1. Gone, Just Gone 2. History Breathes Again 3. Drilling Deep 4. Migrating to a New Life 5. Getting Religion 6. A Different Kind of Shout 7. Policing Moonshine and Murder 8. A Country Lawyer 9. Good Times Meets the Brady Bunch 10. A Black Man's Capital Crime 11. He Was That 12. Fake Preachers and Winding Roads 13. The Klan and Me 14. Faith vs. Fear 15. Turning Mess into Ministry 16. Vengeance Is His Notes
After reading They Got Daddy, now it's my turn to use this deeper understanding of the reality of the past to explore my personal role standing next to Sharon and others in solidarity. We have a long road ahead to acknowledge the unspeakable horrors of the past and there is no single solution. But rather than ask ourselves when will the hatred end, perhaps the better question is, where can I help the healing start? (The Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne) An exceptionally well written, organized and presented combination of Black History and Biography, They Got Daddy: One Family's Reckoning with Racism and Faith is a compelling story and one that is especially and unreservedly recommended... (Midwest Book Review)
