From Liberty to Magnolia
In Search of the American Dream
Janice S. Ellis, Ph.D.
ISBN 978-1-64114-751-4 (paperback)
ISBN 978-1-64114-753-8 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-64114-752-1 (digital)
Copyright 2018 by Janice S. Ellis, Ph.D.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.
Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
832 Park Avenue
Meadville, PA 16335
www.christianfaithpublishing.com
Printed in the United States of America
Dedication
To the women and girls who believe they can be good wives, good lovers, good mothers, and valuable contributors in achieving a better society.
To those men and women who realize that skin color and gender are not negatives but positives, not deficits but assets.
To the many groups of people who have been labeled minorities, but who refuse to be confined by that social ascription because they realize that everyone is a member of a minority in some way, at some time in their lives; and that being a minority is nothing to be ashamed of or feel lesser about, but instead something to be celebrated.
To those who have significantly impacted my lifemy parents, my sisters and brothers, my spouses, and my childrenall have contributed to who I am, intentionally or unintentionally.
Reviews and Awards
In her bookEllis sets her personal battles within the context of the civil rights and feminist movements, both of which helped fuel her determination. She recounts stories of sexual harassment that are especially relevant in todays #MeToo environment. And the early sections offer striking portraits of segregation, as she recounts cross burnings in front of her house and the murder of a friends father who was involved in voter registration. An engrossing personal tale. This account offers an important historical perspective on two continuing struggles.
From Liberty to Magnolia was selected by our Indie Editors to be featured in Kirkus Reviews April 15, 2018 Issue. Congratulations! Your review has appeared as one of the 35 reviews in the Indie section of the magazine which is sent out to over 5,000 industry professionals (librarians, publishers, agents, etc.) Less than 10% of our Indie reviews are chosen for this, so its a great honor.
Kirkus Reviews
From Liberty to Magnolia: In Search of the American Dream received the Gold Award for nonfiction books, the highest award that the Non Fiction Authors Association (NFAA) bestows. Dr. Janice Ellis has written a book that will inspire and challenge you to put forth your best and to not waiver for long when life has its way. Her new book, From Liberty to Magnolia: In Search of the American Dream , brings you to tears at the injustice, tears with her triumphs, and a belief that walking a path of faith can bridge the gap between the two as it paves the way for the next steps. Dr. Elliss book will light a path for young women and young men who want to live a life with purpose, morality, and caring for all fellow human beings.
Non Fiction Authors Association
As a black woman on a cotton farm in Mississippi in the 1960s, Janice Ellis could have resigned herself to a life full of status quo: never speaking up for herself, never speaking out against injustice or racism. Instead, she never let unsettling times define her or hold her back, even as a witness to some of the ugliest racial violence this country has seen. In her candid and thought-provoking memoir, From Liberty to Magnolia: In Search of the American Dream , Ellis vividly depicts her life in the South during the height of the Civil Rights and Womens Rights movements.
Through fluid and skillful writing, Ellis recounts the battles she encountered due to her skin color or due to her gender. The story is hopeful and inspirational, yet there are painful passages for both writer to recount and reader to absorb.
Anyone facing adversity will be moved by this tenacious womans account, which serves as an historical record amid one of the most tumultuous yet empowering eras in American history. Complete with a discussion guide in the Appendix, the book can serve as a text for a college course or a community book club exploring themes of race and gender. Certainly, From Liberty to Magnolia: In Search of the American Dream is a timely and important book. Highly recommended.
Chanticleer Book Reviews
From Liberty to Magnolia was recently selected as the Gold Winner in the Relationship Memoir category by the 2018 Human Relations Indie Book Awards. The focus of the Human Relations Indie Book Awards is to recognize outstanding indie authors who write on human relations topics ranging from personal journeys and self-reflection to professional human relations topics.
Human Relations Indie Book Awards
From Liberty to Magnolia: In Search of the American Dream has been honored as an Award-Winning Finalist in the Womens Issues category of the 2018 Best Book Awards
American Book Fest
Foreword
From Liberty to Magnolia: In Search of the American Dream is a true, powerful, and compelling story about the enduring scourge of racism and sexism in America. It is a personal account of how that bane of evil plays out in the lives of blacks and women despite the great promise of the American Dream being available to and achievable by everyone. It shows how, more often than not, access to the playing field and the rules of the game are not equally and fairly applied among men and women, blacks and whites, even when they come prepared with equal or better qualifications and value sets to play the game.
This book is also hopeful, filled with expectancy. From Liberty to Magnolia will help decent and fair-minded AmericansAmerica as a nationsee how the country has been and continues to be enslaved by its own sense of freedom. This sense of freedom is one that boasts and finds it acceptable to persistently disrespect, deny, marginalize, and minimize the value of two of its largest and greatest assetswomen and people of colorwhen there is overwhelming evidence throughout the landscape that shows America has everything to gain by embracing two groups that make up the majority of its citizenry.
From Liberty to Magnolia : In Search of the American Dream is written for Americans from all walks of life who care deeply about how our great nation can become even greater if we boldly and courageously face our internal, crippling, and unnecessary fearthe fear that we stand to lose rather than gain by embracing and extending mutual respect and supporting equal rights and equal opportunity for our fellow citizens regardless of their race or gender.
The book is a beacon for all who are concerned about Americas future and who want Americas children of all colors to realize their full potential. It will inform the racists and non-racists, the sexists and non-sexists. It will inspire and empower men and women who are in positions that can make a difference and have the will to do soparents, teachers, policymakers, social and human rights activists, journalists, business leaders, faith leaders, and many others. Caring Americans, working together, can break the chains of racism and sexism that keep America bound.
