159: John Blake: More Than I Imagined

2024-06-06

John Blake’s father was Black. The mother he never knew was white. The two met in Baltimore in the 60’s when interracial marriage was illegal.“I knew I had a white mother,” says the award-winning journalist. “Her name is Shirley, and her family hates black people… that's all I knew.” At age 17, John Blake’s father casually asked him if he’d like to meet his mother for the first time. Three days later, he found himself in the waiting room of a hospital where he uncovered a long held family secret. “The meeting is nothing that I expected,” he recalls. “It's incredibly shocking.” Today,...

John Blake’s father was Black. The mother he never knew was white. The two met in Baltimore in the 60’s when interracial marriage was illegal.

“I knew I had a white mother,” says the award-winning journalist. “Her name is Shirley, and her family hates black people… that's all I knew.”

At age 17, John Blake’s father casually asked him if he’d like to meet his mother for the first time. Three days later, he found himself in the waiting room of a hospital where he uncovered a long held family secret. “The meeting is nothing that I expected,” he recalls. “It's incredibly shocking.”

Today, Blake tells the story of his childhood shedding light on the history of racial prejudice in the United States. He offers wisdom about the ways in which we might find hope and healing in the midst of all kinds of struggle and hostility.

Show Notes:

Resources mentioned this episode

More Than I Imagined by John Blake

PDF of Lee’s Interview Notes

Transcription Link

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