Patricia Stephens Due is an African-American civil rights activist born on December 9, 1939 in Quincy, Florida. Her daughter, Tananarive Due, is an American writer born on January 5, 1966 in Tallahassee, Florida. Patricia encountered a great deal of racism and prejudice while attending Florida A&M University, so she started documenting her experiences in a journal. Tananarive endured similar racist beliefs while growing up, even after the Civil Rights Movement.
Patricia and Tananarive came together to write a novel entitled Freedom in the Family. The book switches off from each perspective, thus creating a riveting mother-daughter account that spans two generations of women. This memoir is eye-opening and provocative in its depiction of abuses against African-Americans.
Upon its publication, Freedom in the Family received positive reviews from audiences and critics alike. Publishers Weekly states that Patricia and Tananarive Due write “with an energy that is cathartic in its recounting of past obstacles, and optimistic in its hopes for the future.” Despite the depressing subject matter of the work, it still leaves the reader with a sense of hope by the conclusion.
