Destiny's Child: Memoirs of a Preacher's Daughter

by Jewelle Taylor Gibbs

Destiny's Memoirs of a Preacher's Daughter delivers a powerful and compelling story about an African American family who survives centuries of racial and social struggles to succeed and achieve upward mobility despite numerous obstacles. Part family history, part memoir, Destiny's Child is a thoroughly researched presentation of author Jewelle Taylor Gibbs's roots, both in terms of her mixed-racial heritage and the other prominent figures that helped her develop her identity over the years. It chronicles more than two hundred years of her paternal family's strides and highlights their contributions to the civil rights movement in the United States, often motivated by such well-known pioneers as Eleanor Roosevelt, Thurgood Marshall, Martin Luther King Jr., and Dorothy Height, who were family friends, role models, and mentors. Gibbs attributes her own success to her family’s legacy and values, which were anchored in religion, education, economic resources, and political activism. An intelligent, informative, and insightful account, Destiny's Child is sure to appeal to students of US history, African American studies, women’s studies, and the social sciences at large. It will inevitably inspire and encourage younger people of color in their efforts to advance equal rights.

468 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2014

Reviews

[Jesus Portillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an amazing woman. Jewelle met Thurgood Marshall when she was 11, went to Radcliffe where she dated Martin Luther King Jr., and then her life got interesting! The number of committees, causes, campaigns, degrees, awards, books and well known friends and acquaintances is mind boggling. She broke a lot of color and gender lines and was among the first in her field, jobs and organizations.

There is a little too much family story for me, but I understand it. This book is meant to be both a memoir and a legacy. She succeeds at both.