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Book Review-“The Parker Sisters: A Border Kidnapping”

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Your neighbors said they’d keep an eye on your house for you this summer.

 

They’d get the mail in, and grab the newspaper while you were on vacation. They’d do everything for you – and, as in the new book “The Parker Sisters: A Border Kidnapping” by Lucy Maddox, you should be glad if they watch your children, too.

 

Along the border between Pennsylvania and Maryland , Thomas McCreary “earned a reputation” as slave catcher, did jail time in 1849 for kidnapping, and was mistrusted by many, Black and white.

 

Still, he’d managed to find work as a mail carrier in both states, which may’ve given him opportunity to observe the comings-and-goings of Elizabeth and Rachel Parker, two free Black children.

 

Elizabeth, somewhere around 10 years old, was a headstrong, “difficult” child who’d left (or been kicked out of) her family’s home years before and had worked and lived with a series of white families.

 

The latest was near-destitute; Maddox hypothesizes that Elizabeth ’s presence in the Donnelly household may have been on purpose, so that McCreary might have an easier chance to snatch her.

 

Two weeks later, Elizabeth ’s older sister, Rachel, was taken in broad daylight, right in front of the family who employed her.

 

Rachel’s abduction, says Maddox, probably made neighbors notice that Elizabeth, who was already on her way to a slave auction in Baltimore, was gone.

 

The man who employed Rachel, Joseph Miller, was outraged over her kidnapping. There had been similar trouble before nearby; the Federal government and individual states had long argued over the laws governing escaped slaves, free Blacks, and slave catchers who generally lied about both.

 

Miller and his neighbors sprang into action and, says Maddox, “Within 24 hours, the abductions of the Parker sisters would no longer be local matters.”

 

Neither would they be resolved happily or quickly. Says author Lucy Maddox, Rachel and Elizabeth spent months in jail, while their legal status and identities were resolved.

 

In the meantime, one man lost his life and another got off “scot-free.”

 

I’m normally not a fan of books that offers dozens of names to keep track of, but that profuseness somehow works in “The Parker Sisters.”

 

That may be because Maddox explains in detail the significance of what happened by telling the history behind the laws that made this event possible (and illegal).

 

Readers will appreciate the story’s movement between North and South, and the clarity of explanation, even on the smallest of details. There are some big surprises in here, too – particularly in what happened to Elizabeth Parker.

 

On the matter of murder, Maddox is rather like a detective, which is another well-done aspect of this book. Officials tried to explain the death as a suicide, but she walks readers through events and clues to prove otherwise.

 

Despite all that’s appealing, and because it’s packed with a lot, this isn’t an easy book to read – but it’s worth it.

 

If you’re a lover of a good tale or a historian, particularly, “The Parker Sisters” is a book you’ll want to keep your eyes on.

 

“The Parker Sisters: A Border Kidnapping” by Lucy Maddox, c 2016, Temple University Press, $28.50; 256 pages.

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Richmond Seniors Still Having a Ball After 25 Years

The Senior Winter Ball is a symbol of the Commission on Aging’s broader mission of providing enriching life experiences to the local senior community, particularly those in need of them. “Besides the social activities, we focus on issues such as housing, transportation and health,” said Michelle Hayes, the commission’s chairperson. “We get things done for our senior population.”

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Myrtle Braxton (l-r), Byran H. Harris, and Michelle Hayes. Photo by Mike Kinney.
Myrtle Braxton (l-r), Byran H. Harris, and Michelle Hayes. Photo by Mike Kinney.

By Mike Kinney
The Richmond Standard

For a quarter century, seniors in the local community have had a prime location in the heart of the city to gather and celebrate the holidays.

That is courtesy of the annual Senior Winter Ball, which will mark a milestone this year when it takes place for the 25th time. The gala will run from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Richmond Memorial Auditorium.

The holiday tradition was started by the City of Richmond’s Commission on Aging in 1999 to entertain and celebrate seniors. The event also raises funds for local senior causes. Attendees wear their finest attire and enjoy dinner and dancing.

“It’s so exciting to see all of the gala attendees all dressed up and seeing their lifetime friends and making new friends as well,” said Bryan M. Harris, secretary for the Commission on Aging. “They will reminisce about old Winter Ball memories and at the same time create new ones.”

Richmond’s very own Chef Josephine Orozco of El Sol Catering will serve at this year’s anniversary dinner. The gala will also feature the band Top Shelf Classics, which plays hits from the 50s through the 80s and has been the gala’s annual performer for the last decade.

The Senior Winter Ball symbolizes the Commission on Aging’s broader mission of providing enriching life experiences to the local senior community, particularly those in need of them.

“Besides the social activities, we focus on issues such as housing, transportation and health,” said Michelle Hayes, the commission’s chairperson. “We get things done for our senior population.”

Myrtle Braxton, 97, has served on the commission for 17 years and is its current vice president. She says her goal is to increase the quality of life for seniors through safe social events.

“So many seniors are isolated and are sometimes forgotten by society,” Braxton said. “So, our commission is their advocate and makes sure they are not left behind.”

Tickets to the 25th Silver Anniversary Annual Senior Winter Ball are $45 per person or $360 for a table of eight. They are available in person via the Main Recreation office at 3230 Macdonald Ave., via email at csdregistration@ci.richmond.ca.us or by phone at 510-620-6793.

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Oakland Post: Week of November 20 – 26, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 20 – 26, 2024

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Oakland Post: Week of November 13 – 19, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 13 – 19, 2024

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