Lynn
was born of white parents, one of four brothers and sisters. After the
death of her biological father, her mother married a Black man who already
had six children. Their marriage produced four children. So Lynn grew
up within a family of many colors and racial origins. This was very
unusual in the traditional culture of South Carolina.
While
growing up, she was not accepted by many in the white community because
of her multi-racial family. In fact, she experienced much of the same
discrimination as suffered by Blacks in SC during the sixties and seventies.
She learned to love the Black community that accepted her, and she took
their culture as her own. In time, she learned to be proud of her 'Blackness.'
Unlike John Howard Griffin's book Black Like Me, Lynn did not
change her pigmentation to live the Black experience. She lived it with
her faith.
She
was able to survive the racial ordeal because of her faith in the brotherhood
of all mankind, one of the basic principles of the Baha'i Faith. Both
of her parents were Baha'is, and they instilled Baha'i principles in
their daughter at a young age. So when Lynn grew older, she had the
strength of character to be able to define her own identity and prevail
in spite of overwhelming odds. She was able to see people of different
races as "flowers of the same garden" to be appreciated, and
not see race as a basis for estrangement.
She,
along with her husband and three children, now live and work happily
in the South Carolina Low Country where her family was once not accepted.
And she has taught over 24 years at the same school that she had chosen
to attend as a child.
Lynn's life is an example of
survival based on faith, an inspiration to anyone who is against prejudice
of all types, including racism. Her story is one of hope and
survival while dealing with two cultures during the turbulent sixties.
A true testimony to the principle of "unity
in diversity."
Lynn is someone you should know,
if only through her book.
Lynn
was born of white parents, one of four brothers and sisters. After the
death of her biological father, her mother married a Black man who already
had six children. Their marriage produced four children. So Lynn grew
up within a family of many colors and racial origins. This was very
unusual in the traditional culture of South Carolina. 
While
growing up, she was not accepted by many in the white community because
of her multi-racial family. In fact, she experienced much of the same
discrimination as suffered by Blacks in SC during the sixties and seventies.
She learned to love the Black community that accepted her, and she took
their culture as her own. In time, she learned to be proud of her 'Blackness.'
Unlike John Howard Griffin's book Black Like Me, Lynn did not
change her pigmentation to live the Black experience. She lived it with
her faith. 
She
was able to survive the racial ordeal because of her faith in the brotherhood
of all mankind, one of the basic principles of the Baha'i Faith. Both
of her parents were Baha'is, and they instilled Baha'i principles in
their daughter at a young age. So when Lynn grew older, she had the
strength of character to be able to define her own identity and prevail
in spite of overwhelming odds. She was able to see people of different
races as "flowers of the same garden" to be appreciated, and
not see race as a basis for estrangement. 
She,
along with her husband and three children, now live and work happily
in the South Carolina Low Country where her family was once not accepted.
And she has taught over 24 years at the same school that she had chosen
to attend as a child.