Return to Fuller Street

Description

Return to Fuller Street offers an important glimpse into the lives of people who have lived through difficult times—surviving and, in some cases, thriving. Their stories, experiences, feelings, and opinions were collected through oral histories and provide a collective memory of the people and places in the African American neighborhoods in Lexington, Virginia. The book is a companion to The House on Fuller Street.

“Women’s voices ring with special clarity here, their leadership and sensitivity balancing known community traditions and new cultural change. Their language, labors, and laughter quilt together the vivid textures of Lexington’s local history. Singularly and jointly, they weave neighborly threads that embroider national narratives, witnessing a century of American lives. Families and faith; school days, professional achievements, and artful play; sorrows and celebrations: all are candidly and colorfully rendered in these recollections. Together, these stories affirm the footholds, frameworks, and fresh perspectives that enliven our diverse community histories.”
–Eric Wilson, Executive Director, Rockbridge Historical Society, Director for History, VA Association of Museums

“With this book, author Beverly Tucker has given us a gift. A gift of memory. A present of getting to meet and talk to members of the Lexington community from whom little is heard and less is known. In these pages, we learn of the dreams, hopes, struggles, and triumphs of this cohort and their reliance on faith, family, friends, and education to see them through, and how those factors continue to sustain them today.”
–Clyde Hart, attorney, Trustee of Historic Lexington Foundation