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Anybody
Love
By Steve Stephens
Anybody
Love is the story of a black, 14-year-old girl, Emma Bobbie "Anybody"
Love who, in 1942 was raped and impregnated by a white boy. In
a heroic crusade for justice, Anybody¹s "family"
won an unprecedented grand jury indictment against her attacker.
The
story, based on true experiences by author Steve Stephens, is
told through the eyes of 13-year-old Billy Austin, Anybody's best
friend. Billy lives on a farm in Logansport, Louisiana, with his
grandparents (Miss Molly and Joel.) Anybody also lives on the
farm with her grandparents (Aunt Bunch and Uncle Cap) who are
sharecroppers on the farm and considered members of the family.
Anybody
lived in California until her parents were killed two years earlier
in a car accident. Now she is living in the deep South, a severely
segregated world where it is acceptable for white boys and white
men to have their way with the "nigger girls."
The
farm is Anybody's sanctuary where racial segregation and hatred
do not exist. Young Billy Austin and his 10-year-old uncle (JC)
have no understanding of racial prejudice. Miss Molly brought
them up to respect all people equally. Miss Molly is a devout
Christian, and white, who often teaches bible study and preaches
the gospel in the "colored community."
When
Miss Molly finds out Anybody has been raped by 16-year-old Minor
Williams and is now pregnant, she demands justice be served. Even
though the rest of the family agrees that Minor Williams should
be punished for what he did it is well understood that the community
won¹t take kindly to a "colored girl" accusing
a white boy of rape. Joel, Aunt Bunch and Uncle Cap try to convince
Miss Molly to let it drop lest even more harm come upon them.
Miss Molly is undeterred. Being very strong-willed, righteous
and respected in the community she embarks on a crusade to restore
Anybody¹s dignity and force her attacker to support the child.
Even
though Miss Molly knows it¹s an uphill battle she is not
prepared for the extreme resistance from the community. Even a
group of "friends" masquerade as Ku Klux Klansmen and
burn a cross on their front lawn. Even though this incident terrifies
the family, Miss Molly storms outside to confront the "cowards"
and uses her elocution and faith to reduce the men to whimpering
dogs.
Miss
Molly¹s appeals to the authorities fall on deaf ears. The
sheriff won't press charges and the DA will not bring an indictment.
Finally, the family lawyer informs them of a very rarely used
legal procedure whereby the Grand Jury may investigate a case
on their own, serve an indictment and ultimately press charges
against an individual.
It
turns out that the jury foreman is a woman, (Miss Hattie Daniels)
a very rare occurrence. Miss Hattie sympathizes with Miss Molly
and Anybody. She uses brilliant interrogation work to make witnesses
to the rape confess that Minor Williams is guilty.
Miraculously,
Miss Hattie convinces the rest of the all-white, male jury to
indict Minor Williams for rape.
By
the time the headlines hit the newspaper the extended family is
completely shunned by the community.
Before
the case can go to trial, Anybody Love dies shortly after giving
birth to her premature baby who also dies.
A
very moving funeral service ensues at the "colored church."
After Billy pours the first shovel of dirt on Anybody¹s homemade
coffin he wonders if she died for nothing since the indictment
will now be dropped. His grandmother consoles him: "A lesson
was learned and it will be a long time before anything like this
happens again in our part of the country."
This
story gives us a unique glimpse of the deep South in the early
1940s through the eyes of a young white boy when he discovers
the harsh reality of racism in the world that he lives; in a world
he thought was safe and pure. This world may have existed long
ago but its attitudes permeate even today's world. "Anybody
Love" dramatizes the absurdity of racism showing us how far
we've come and still have yet to go.
Price:
$16.00
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