![]() ![]() She couldn't embrace her father's teachings. Her mother was part of an elite free community of color in Washington, D.C., that had been free for generations.Īnd Belle had to sacrifice all of that to pass as white. So she's kind of steeped in all of that teaching, and that's paired with this wonderful rich heritage she had from her mother. We could have gotten it right from that moment forward. He was an advocate of the Civil Rights Act of 1875, which, if it had not been overturned by the Supreme Court in the, could have set the stage for equality. He was a man who was dean of Howard Law School, one of the first and only Black professors at the University of South Carolina at a time period when it was integrated for a brief moment.īenedict: Yes, during Reconstruction. There was a tremendous amount of sacrifice and victory, and Victoria and I thought it was really important to explore that in the book.īelle's father was Richard Theodore Greener. Morgan's personal librarian and the ability to really wield a great deal of power. I'm wondering if either of you thinks that passing makes you more free or less free?īenedict: Great question! I mean, I think there are certainly benefits of passing, right? Belle had the ability to rise up and become J.P. This summer, Code Switch is focusing on books that touch on the idea of freedom. It's interesting because the central theme in your book, really, in my opinion, is passing. As I came to know more about her, I knew hers was a story that needed to be told. And, you know, I hadn't started writing at that time, but Belle had started to inhabit my imagination way back when. Did anyone mention Belle da Costa Greene at that point?īenedict: I was so fortunate that a docent who just happened to be in my vicinity mentioned her to me, somebody who had obviously, whether it was through their own research or just word of mouth, knew about the role that Belle had played. Marie, you spent a lot of time browsing through the Morgan when you came to New York in the '90s. This interview has been edited for clarity and length. We talked about Greene's extraordinary career, why she chose to pass as white and the friendship the authors forged while writing the book. I called up authors Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray to discuss The Personal Librarian - the fictionalized account of the very real Belle da Costa Greene. Belle da Costa Greene was quietly passing as white in order to work for one of the most powerful men in the United States. ![]() What most don't know is this: For more than four decades, the library's collections were acquired and curated by a Black woman. The Morgan, as it is now known, welcomes thousands of visitors each year - scholars, researchers, tourists and art lovers - to enjoy the collection. Morgan's son, Jack Morgan, to make the library a gift to New York City. ![]() But shortly after his death, Morgan's personal librarian, a woman named Belle da Costa Greene, convinced J.P. He did it all with the idea of enjoying his collection privately. Morgan amassed a rich collection of antique objects related to the power of the written word: manuscripts, books, artwork. Īt the turn of the 20th century, financier J.P. Next up, a conversation with authors Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray on their book The Personal Librarian. In our last installment, we talked to author Julia Alvarez about her poetry collection The Woman I Kept to Myself and how difficult it can be to share your many selves with the world. ![]() This summer on Code Switch, we're talking to some of our favorite authors about books that taught us about the different dimensions of freedom. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |