Epilogue: Let the Search Continue

A former colleague of mine once expressed distaste for the methodology used in this book. “I prefer dead people,” he quipped.Why?Because using written sources as evidence allowed him to avoid the interpersonal nature of oral history. Unfortunately, too many scholars prefer this disembodied approach to research. If anything, the writings of Patricia Hill Collins have taught me the value of conversations among black women. The process of listening to and recording the experiential knowledge of black warrior mothers has enriched my life. I feel both the privilege and responsibility to pass down this heretofore subjugated knowledge to my