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

“Martin Luther King, Jr., James Baldwin, and Malcolm X are known for their resistance, and in this book you will see how the three women’s teachings, through both words and actions, translated directly into their sons’ writings, speeches, and protests. These men became symbols of resistance by following their mothers’ leads.”

In her Introduction to the book, Tubbs clearly explains her choice to explore the life stories of Alberta, Louise, and Berdis, emphasizing their connection to their celebrated and famous sons and drawing a direct line between each mother’s example and the men’s renown. This opening passage establishes Tubbs’s direct and accessible style, maintained throughout the book.

“Louise would become a warrior and a symbol of resistance because the struggle for freedom pulsed through her genes. The blood of her ancestors carried with it messages of liberation, while the land that held her whispered tales of revolutions it had witnessed over the years. The water all around her held the bodies of fighters who came before her, and she was proud to continue the legacy of her country, her people, and her family. To this day, one of the defining features of Grenadians is their resistance, specifically to white supremacy.”

The above passage situates Louise’s grassroots activism in a long history of resistance against oppression. Louise also inherited her values and ideals through her ancestral history, which forms part of Tubbs’s message of familial influence and example. Because Grenadians manifested their resistance through rebellions against colonialism and white supremacy, this environment formed Louise’s identity and reinforced her revolutionary spirit. Tubbs’s consideration of the Grenadian influence supports her presentation of Black identity as varied and dynamic.

“Black women are the ultimate practitioners of this ability to turn tragedy into opportunity, face fear and persecution with faith and unmatched perseverance, and create something out of nothing, because it has been required of us.”

The passage summarizes Tubbs’s key argument about the Black female experience. Throughout history, Black women have balanced between pain and joy, suffering and survival. To understand their humanity, society must acknowledge both sides of this experience. While they and their families confronted unfathomable tragedies due to racism and violence, they managed to face their struggles with resilience and hope. In doing so, Black women transformed their own and their families’ fates.