The question of roles within a power couple cannot be asked in isolation. Who takes care of the kids? Is the woman only prominent as a byproduct of the man’s prominence? If the man’s role is critical to society, should the woman simply accept the position of support for the greater good? Is the woman’s calling just as important as her partners?

carry in my body the story and knowledge of my great great grandmother Lizzie Taylor, known to our family as Mama Lizzie, believed to have been born just a year after the end of slavery, who laid the foundation for generational success, developing the knowledge and skills to acquire farm land that would eventually house, feed, employ and sustain not only her own family, but the larger community. Her example is one of resourcefulness and ingenuity.

Shirley Moody-Turner is an associate professor of English and African American Studies and founding co-director with Gabrielle Foreman of the Center for Black Digital Research/#DigBlk. She is an Author and award-winning educator that says, “As a young girl growing up in Buffalo, NY, I felt a deep longing to learn more about my family history. I would listen and ask questions as my family shared stories and talked, but I always felt there was much more to our history — stories laying beneath layers of silence… ”