Writer Ellen Morris Prewitt Blog

Origin of Black History Month

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on February 28, 2025. Posted in Featured, General, Racism to Reconciliation. 6 Comments on Origin of Black History Month

Today, the last day of February, we’re going to give credit where credit is due. The origin of Black History Month. Q: Who started it? A: Carter Woodson. Woodson was a major American historian living and working during the first half of the 20th century. He founded the predecessor to the Journal of African American History, one of the...

Basquiat Our Patron Saint

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on February 24, 2025. Posted in Featured, General, Racism to Reconciliation. 5 Comments on Basquiat Our Patron Saint

In 2011, we rented an apartment (not a condo; everyone wants to make it a condo) in New Orleans. On the walls lived Jean-Michel Basquiat. For a while, the building had been abandoned and inhabitants used the walls for murals. The developer who bought the dilapidated building leaned into the graffiti and made Basquiat our patron saint of the...

Until August Wilson

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on February 21, 2025. Posted in General, Racism to Reconciliation. 8 Comments on Until August Wilson

I had given up on plays until August Wilson. Much of my social life for decades had included attending plays. New Stage Theater in Jackson. Several theaters in Memphis. At one point, during a performance, I thought, What are you doing here? The play was not engaging. I was not having a good time. Until I discovered August Wilson. I would...

Everything Here is New

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on February 19, 2025. Posted in Featured, General, LOVE. 2 Comments on Everything Here is New

Soon enough, it will be as if it has always been this way. Like the Katrina rabbits who appeared after the storm, hunted by the sauntering bobcat that replaced all the houses. A pulsing chorus of frogs arose—there’s a body of water here somewhere— when the body of the world transformed in the hurricane’s fist. ...

The Work of Julius Chambers

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on February 18, 2025. Posted in Featured, General, Racism to Reconciliation. 2 Comments on The Work of Julius Chambers

When Mother remarried, we moved to my new dad’s home state of North Carolina. We went briefly to Durham then on to our forever-home, Charlotte. We arrived September 1970 when, thanks to the work of Julius Chambers, school across America was about to change. Chambers was a graduate of my alma mater, UNC Law School. Unlike me, he...

The Work of Thurgood Marshall

Written by novagiant on February 17, 2025. Posted in Featured, General, Racism to Reconciliation. 4 Comments on The Work of Thurgood Marshall

From when I was in the fifth grade until I went off to college, the work of Thurgood Marshall dominated my educational experience. Before Marshall was a United States Supreme Court Justice, he was an NAACP lawyer working for the Legal Defense and Educational Fund. He tried Civil Rights cases. Over and over again, he tried them. And he...

Don’t Call Me Miss Ellen

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on February 10, 2025. Posted in Featured, General, Racism to Reconciliation. 6 Comments on Don’t Call Me Miss Ellen

When I was practicing law, I frequently appeared before an administration judge. This one trial, the old dude who the agency hired to act as the judge would call me Miss Ellen. He called the opposition Mr. Cockrell. Me, Miss Ellen. I was a lawyer. The male person on the other side of the case was a lawyer. But I was being talked down to every...

But for Randall Kenan

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on February 7, 2025. Posted in Featured, Racism to Reconciliation. 2 Comments on But for Randall Kenan

I would never have known what literary journalism was but for Randall Kenan. When I saw the subject matter he was teaching, I groaned. I could not imagine something I wanted less to do with. But Randall was at the University of Memphis as a visiting professor. I couldn’t believe I had the chance to learn under him, even if I would only...

My Tennis Role Model

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on February 5, 2025. Posted in Featured, Racism to Reconciliation. 10 Comments on My Tennis Role Model

I played competitive tennis as a child. That’s a fancy way of saying I played in tournaments, traveled to regional cities to compete, and followed my rankings in the Southeast. I began playing at a young age. I was seven years old when my sister began at eight–my mother wanted us to take lessons at the same time, so the pro let me...

Right to Serve

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on February 4, 2025. Posted in Featured, General, Racism to Reconciliation. No Comments on Right to Serve

Twice, I’ve been called to jury duty. The first time, I was dismissed because my ex-law partners were trying the case. The next time, I refused to agree to convict someone if it meant an automatic life sentence without chance for parole. Both times, I was ready and grateful to be on the jury. I wanted to exercise the right to serve. A...