Mercedee: A Black Woman's Struggle during the Early Part of the Century

From an early age, Mercedee witnessed violence and abuse firsthand. Born in Louisiana in 1908, she endured hardships throughout her lifetime. In Mercedee, author M.D. Thomas, Mercedee’s granddaughter, narrates a triumphant tale of one particular woman’s suffering and how she coped with her many challenges. It is a primitive look at the racism and abuse she endured from her husband, friends, and society.

Being severely beaten by her mate, living in a variety of towns and homes, trying to raise her own children, Thomas tells how Mercedee survives.

This story contributes to the understanding of a different and difficult situation that many people experience who are born poor and die the same way.