‘The Broken Road’ is paved with grace
President Gee takes on T&T
Caribbean Life, January 3, 2020 27
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The path your parents first
set you on is not the path you
ended up taking.
Somewhere along the way,
you veered to the left or stepped
to the right. You found your
own groove, made your own
decisions, and made adjustments
while you learned where
you were going. And as in the
new book “The Broken Road” by
Peggy Wallace Kennedy (with
Justice H. Mark Kennedy), it
was essential to know where
you came from.
She never doubted that her
Daddy loved her.
Still, when Peggy Wallace
Kennedy was growing up, her
father was absent more than
he was present, even when he
was in the room: George Wallace’s
political promise to himself
as a young man consumed
him until campaigning became
an obsession. He was away for
much of Kennedy’s early life,
meeting prospective constituents
and asking for votes.
After he lost the 1958 Alabama
Governor’s seat to an
opponent who was “racist to the
heart,” the obsession grew and
festered.
Before then, says Kennedy,
when her father was a judge,
he was known for fairness and
equality in the courtroom but
when Wallace lost that election,
something changed in his mind.
He started telling people that he
was a segregationist, he began
using words that were shocking,
and his behavior attracted
voters to his side. He all but
abandoned his wife and family,
and focused only on winning
the next time.
Kennedy says that once the
Wallaces were ensconced in the
Governor’s Mansion in 1962,
she thought everything was fine
until she learned of the violence
happening throughout their
state and, though she was just
a child and somewhat shielded
from her father’s actions by her
strong, tenderhearted mother,
she couldn’t believe her Daddy
Book cover of “The Broken Road” by Peggy Wallace Kennedy.
would allow that. After her
mother’s death, however, when
Wallace renewed his decision
to run for President, Kennedy’s
eyes were opened and she wished
she could stand for racial equality
by standing up to him.
But by “the fall of 1968,” she
says, “I was neither white nor
black. The color of my skin was
Wallace.”
Absolutely, “The Broken
Road” is a book of a thousand
emotions.
Anger, disgust, outrage – of
course, you may remember
those.
Keep going: deep sadness
rings this tale, but a sense of
satisfaction may be found, too,
as pieces of a 50-plus-year-old
puzzle fall into place. Also in
author Peggy Wallace’s hands,
the story of her mother is told
with steely inspiration, while
other passages hold a tinge of
droll Well-Bless-Your-Heart
zingers that are delightfully
tucked in.
Mostly, though, this book
seems to be about teasing apart
the years, trying to understand
why and how what happened,
happened, and reconciling
what was with what is. It’s a
child’s-eye view of history with
an adult’s careful perspective,
finalized as Kennedy writes of
spiritual generosity and the
forgiveness her father received
toward the end of his life, and
the tender friendships she has
with those he hurt.
Love, politics, the tumultuous
‘60s, current events, it’s
all in this can’t-miss biography.
“The Broken Road” is paved
with grace.
“The Broken Road:
George Wallace and a
Daughter’s Journey to
Reconciliation” by Peggy
Wallace Kennedy with Justice
H. Mark Kennedy
c.2019, Bloomsbury
$28.00 / $38.00
Canada 292 pages
“Borken Road” author Peggy Wallace Kennedy. Stephanie Kennedy
imagine how those of us who
are from here and migrate for
one reason or another, really
feel?” she asked.
Jumping into the ‘J’ouvert’
foray, the vibrant Southerner
teamed up with 4Tune Productions
on a single called, “All
Kinda T’ing.”
In true Trini fashion, President
Gee delves into storytelling
with an honest rhetoric
and zestful spirit. Coupled with
the rhythm’s near monotone
expression, the vibe of a good
J’ouvert morning chip through
the streets, can almost be felt.
“J’ouvert is a very special part
of carnival and while most
artistes tend to give the people
music for the Road March and
fetes, I felt it was important
for me to start off by contributing
to that element of our
culture that’s unique and in
some ways, really kicks off the
beauty of Carnival — the mas,”
said the artist.
Tammy is taking her music
in slow, but carefully calculated
stride. She understands the
competition faced in the Caribbean
music arena and is up
for the challenge. “I’m patient
and hard working. I’m prepared
to push hard and hone
my craft. I’m getting my feet
wet for 2020, and beyond that
I can guarantee, there’ll be no
question as to my dedication to
delivering soca,” she assured.
Continued from Page 25