Sunday, September 7th, we celebrate Grandparents Day—a time to honor the wisdom, sacrifice, and love of those who came before us. My guest today, Walter Pryor, has captured that spirit in a moving new memoir titled This Leaves Me Okay: Race, Legacy, and Letters from My Grandmother.
For nearly 30 years, Walter’s grandmother, Lucille “Mama Celie” Hatch Eldridge, wrote him weekly letters. She was a woman who had only completed the eighth grade, worked as a live-in maid, and yet, with pen and paper, built a bridge of encouragement and hope that carried her grandson from boyhood to manhood. Through her words and Walter’s reflections, the book shines a light on the rural Arkansas Black experience and reminds us of the power of family legacy, resilience, and love across generations.
