Dear Mom, 

You used to be my comfort, but you turned brutal. I ran away, but I would not deny the fact that you are one of the most courageous person I’ve ever known. You committed to Civil Rights Movement when you discovered the penetrated idea of racism. You could sacrifice on so many levels and endure the loneliness that accompanied you throughout your childhood. You would never hide yourself: you admitted your tangible violent nature to Dr. King. You never embraced the term of jazz singer which people recognized you as, while they overlooked your identity as a classical musician. I always wonder if you had become a classical musician if the contributions and sacrifices that we are all benefiting from now would have actually happened. Mom, I had to find my own path, and by doing so, I had to learn to forgive. We want people to know the hidden sides of you, to know who you truly are. That your inspirations will always empower us. 

With love, 

Lisa