The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation

I added this to my list after I read The Dead are Rising, a new biography about Malcolm X. I was completely and utterly fascinated by his mother, Louise Little, and wanted to learn more. She was an organizer and activist (for among many things, Garveyism - and I learned in this book she was actually one of his confidantes.) She was an immigrant from the Caribbean (Granada) and insisted on giving her children a global education and make sure they were extremely conscious and aware of how white supremacy and racism would try to constantly affect their psyche. Her story is a story of mental illness - a mother who is so overwhelmed and exploited by society that she becomes completely exhausted and overwhelmed. But instead of *helping* her show more the state puts her in a mental institution. It's constantly trying to take her land, her life insurance money, even her family's money after she passes away. But it's like she's always resisting, but also breaking, and its so raw and real.

I learned more about her story in The Three Mothers along with Alberta King and Berdis Baldwin. I love the premise of this book: let's recognize where three internationally renown and world changing men came from and the influence of the people who raised them, and specifically the people whose stories are so often untold: their mothers. But it was clear that the author, Tubbs, didn't have a lot to work with. How little of these women's stories were documented and kept is such a tragedy, but huge kudos to Tubbs for paving the way (or continuing to pave the way). At times it seemed she was making up for the lack of historical record by projecting her own interpretation of how she hoped the mothers' viewed and experienced life events. But her author's note at the end explains how important it was to her to not harm the families of these women, because their families' stories have been exploited so much by the media, historians, etc. That helped to explain the uplifting, heroic style she used to tell their stories.

The comparison between the three men and their mothers' lives was also interesting. Their lives were so different in terms of class, education, geography, family structure, migration. And it really makes you wonder how that influenced the vision, position, and strategy each man took.

I want more stories like this and I recommend this book. show less

I really wanted to like this book, but I feel like it missed the mark. There is interesting information here, but not actually as much about the three mothers as you might hope. I learned more about the sons than the mothers. Also, the structure was awkward. I think the author really wanted to write about these three women, but didn't always have a clear way to tie them together.

"Black mothers are rarely given the honor and recognition they deserve. Their contributions are taken for granted, and while they are at times acknowledged, they are not seen with the admiration they should engender....may they be seen, may they be celebrated, and may they be thanked while they're still alive to hear it."

The Three Mothers is not getting the recognition it deserves. It's incredibly well-written, researched, and organized, and gives three oft-forgotten yet important women the spotlight they deserve. A must read.

This is a nonfiction account of the three mothers behind 3 of the most pivotal figures who shaped African-American culture in America, fought for Civil Rights and the end of segregation. Berdis Baldwin, Alberta King, and Louise Little were all incredible in their own right. The author shares their stories of strength and grief with the tenderness only a fellow mother could have. She weaves her own experience into the book and issues a call for continued change so that women are not overlooked in their roles, particularly black women. I loved learning about their drastically different lives. From New York to the Midwest to the South, the author compares their childhoods, financial standing, family dynamics, and more to show the impact show more each world had on Malcolm X, James Baldwin, and Martin Luther King, Jr. and the men they became. show less

I'm so glad I took a time-out from my other book to read this. We truly need to celebrate Louise Little, Alberta King, and Berdis Baldwin. And we need to celebrate more mothers. This is one I will read again from time to time to give me a sense of hope. It is time to stop erasing Black Women from US History. Honor their stories already.

This is a fabulous look at the women who birthed and raised three icons. The story of Malcolm X I was familiar with--but I had no idea he even had a mother. Talk about invisibility! The three women were in no way alike outside of their racial heritage, yet they were strongly influential in their sons' upbringing. The story of Malcolm's mother Berdis was heart wrenching. The social networkings of the United States were (are?) cruel and unjust. And Alberta King! I was shocked to hear that she was also assassinated in Ebenizer Baptist Church! One would think this fact would resurface each time a person is killed in their church.

I listened to this book from Audible.com. It sounded very much like a dissertation, and I believe Tubbs mentioned show more that this was the topic of her PhD work from either Oxford or Cambridge. This highlights the weakness of listening to--rather than the reading of--a book. I took one half star off from my ratings because of Tubbs accent: she swallows her "t's." I'm fairly sure this is a regional accent, but I found it annoying. Then I found my irritation annoying! show less

Author Anna Malaika Tubbs uses what little is documented about the mothers of Black icons Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin as a springboard for a discussion of Black life in the U.S. in the twentieth century, with all its injustice and violence. The indominable spirits of women like Alberta King, Louise Little, and Berdis Baldwin gave their children reason for hope despite their often-bleak circumstances. The three mothers passed their self-sufficiency, courage, and resilience on to all their children but especially to their famous sons.

I wish that more could have actually be said about the three rather obscure women in question (to say that the three "shaped a nation," as specified in the subtitle, is an show more overstatement). The book is admirably researched, but Tubbs's discursive and somewhat redundant writing style takes some getting used to. There's a fair amount of editorializing as well. Still, this book is a laudable tribute to three often-overlooked figures. show less