Tell Them What You Want

Book excerpt: Tell Them What You Want is an inspirational coming-of-age story of an African-American girl (Bernie) growing up amidst the immense local and national social turmoil of the 1950s to mid 1980s. Her journey begins in an abusive stepfather's 'devil house' and ends in personal and professional triumphs that seemed destined to be out of reach. Sent as a 'State kid' to a South-west Ohio college town, Bernie confronts both personal and institutional obstacles with youthful naivety and determination. A teen-age mother intent on protecting self and son, Bernie encounters many interesting and provocative people, some who put financial, educational, physical, and social obstacles in her way. Others mentor her through the racism, sexism, and politics of the time. A combination of drama and humor, Tell Them What You Want is a story of losing and finding family, of relationships good and bad, acts of heroism large and small, and finally of an adult woman's commitment to a future of protecting the little girl inside her who simply won't let go.