Donald R. Collins Livres

This book outlines a methodology for viewing multiple generations of African Americans, specifically those who were called or called themselves Negro, Colored, Black, or African American (NCBAA). Within this framework, African Americans of varying ages describe their lives and educational experiences, allowing researchers to address a variety of questions: How are social and political contexts woven into the interpretation of life and educational experiences? Given the social, political, and educational climate experienced by each generation, what are the beliefs, assumptions, and intentions underlying the educational experiences of the NCBAA? What differences and/or similarities exist in the constructed perceptions of NCBAA? How does each generation view the experiences of the others? This is an important book for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as instructors and researchers in the field of Black studies.

In this collaborative memoir, a parent and a transgender son recount wrestling with their differences as Donald Collins undertook medical-treatment options to better align his body with his gender identity. As a parent, Mary Collins didn’t agree with her trans son’s decision to physically alter his body, although she supported his right to realize himself as a person. Raw and uncensored, each explains her or his emotional mindset at the time: Mary felt she had lost a daughter; Donald activated his “authentic self.” Both battled to assert their rights. A powerful memoir and resource, At the Broken Places offers a road map for families in transition.