IRB Media Summary of Tiya Miles's All That She Carried

Annotation

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. #1 As a young woman with modest means and few prospects, Ruth Middleton transformed her life by moving north. She took a leap into the unknown as a Black woman in the 1910s, and she was still a teenager at the time.#2 The sack that Ruth brought to Philadelphia around 1918 was the only definitive primary source detailing the fate of Rose and Ashley. It does not include any sources or facts, only names, one place, and one date.#3 The story of Rose and Ruth is a prime example of how the past can be recovered if we are willing to search for it. By stitching Rose's belongings, Ruth was able to recover her life conditions and her act of love.#4 The sack Ruth Middleton embroidered in the 1920s is a remarkable example of Black matrilineal heritage. It represents a persistent Black matriline, a continuation of radical vision that was impossible given the logic and enforcement of American enslavement.