A Family Tree, Taking Root
by Doc Robertson

This epic novel spans 32 years from 1963 to 1995. Roman and his sister Virginia are products of Watts during a period of discontent. Through them we get a glimpse of how the history of the time may have affected black families. Included in the past events are the assassinations of President Kennedy, his brother Bobby, and Martin Luther King, the Watts Riots, the Vietnam War, and the latest proliferation of drugs and gangs into the inner cities. Though these events affect the two main characters there are other factors that also influence their upbringing and that of their children. Both suffer the abuse of a mother, Simone, who takes out her anger toward men on Roman. He responds by lashing out at the world by getting into fights whenever possible. Whoever is na ve enough to think they can take him on is in for a rude awakening. His move into manhood is flawed at best; two kids by two girls before turning 17 shows his ineptness at responsibility. He forgoes a possible football scholarship, and regains the desire to be the man inspired by his beloved grandmother. Roman’s children grow up in a loving home with two parents until the draft board calls and he is off to war. After his return home, he establishes himself in the community but finds that he cannot raise his children in the city he grew up. His sister Virginia faces different obstacles on her way to adulthood. An early marriage ends tragically; her youth prevents her from helping her people; and at times she fails to recognize who is really on her side. Though she becomes an icon in her community, her commitment to help continues. She leads a nationwide effort to better educate inner-city students and finds that her voice is heard. Their support for one another helps them accomplish goals set long before they are realized. As Virginia tells her brother, "We’ve done all right for a couple of nappy headed kids from the ghetto."