Braiding My Own Rope

An innocent white girl was eight years old when Martin Luther King Jr. died, and the first African American boy, James, enrolled in her elementary school. His rejection by white people caused her significant confusion and distress, propelling her toward a lifelong goal of lightening the color line. Lori made decisions as a young adult that created an unexpected turn in the road. It would be years later before she would pursue the education necessary to grasp each aspect involved in the color line. As an eccentric, half-century-old nontraditional white female student, she travels abroad alone to Durban, South Africa, seeking real-life experiences that would magnify the depth of racism that still exists. What she finds there changes her life forever. About the Author: Lori J. Cole was born in Battle Creek, Michigan. She moved to Union City, Michigan, at age eighteen and owns a home with her husband of twenty-five years, Delbert. She graduated from Argubright Business College, Kellogg Community College, Western Michigan University, and Southern New Hampshire University. She earned a secretarial certificate, bachelor's degree, and a master's degree in arts, creative nonfiction writing. The author studied abroad in Durban, South Africa, graduating with a certificate in culture and diversity in the Rainbow Nation. She is a member of both the National Society of Leadership and Success, and the Modern Language Association. Relishing critters of every kind in their natural surroundings, she has an extraordinary appreciation for African elephants. Publisher's website: http: //sbprabooks.com/LoriJCole