My Mother’s Eyes
I was compelled to review Lockhart’s memoir to remember the grounding experience from which her quote grew. Lockhart focused her memoirs on the most seminal and transformative events of her life that helped her break through barriers, but also included traumas that had lifelong impacts on her. In easy to read prose, Lockhart recounted the events that led to her mother separating Gloria from her siblings for what was supposed to be a short time but ended up being permanent. Lockhart was sent to live with a maternal aunt and her husband at the age of five or six years old. Reading Lockhart’s quote within this context, the words pack a particular punch and depth.
Another quote that stood out to me was one from the radio personality of KJLH, Roland Bynum, in which he say:
“My Mother didn’t raise me. When I looked into her eyes, I saw a sad person. She was fearful. But when we did finally get together, she said ‘about time you got home, boy. Welcome home.”
I was left wanting to know what made him say this.
The same was true of State Sen. Holly Mitchell, who said this about her mother:
Clearly there is much more alluded to than is outright told in this book which is why one becomes curious about what comes next.
Fortunately, Through My Mother’s Eyes is part of a larger project that includes a docu-series exploring the relationship between a mother and child. Created by BinionSanders-Johnson, filmmaker Chadwick L. Williams and Brownstone Entertainment, the docu-series examines the unique circumstances and relationships that make us who we are through our relationships. The questions the show asks: What do you see when you look into your mother’s eyes? If your mother were to look into your eyes, what would she see? What influence did your mother have on your life? Tell me about the last time you looked into your mother’s eyes; and tell me about your mother.
The trailer for this docu-series promises to be a good companion to Binion-SandersJohnson’s book while offering insights into
Author Melba Binion-Sanders-Johnson’s page in her book,
the lives of some of the most powerful and culturally significant Southern California-based African-American figures of our time.
About the Author
Binion-Sanders-Johnson is an actress, model, author and a 36-year practitioner and senior teacher of Bikram Hot Yoga and a certified Core Power Yoga instructor. Binion
Sanders-Johnson is also the owner of the yoga apparel line, It’s a Wrap by Melba.
“She was shy and insecure but blossomed into a powerhouse, and A-type personality and became a prison warden. ‘She was something else,’ [Gov.] Jerry Brown once said of her.”
About the Photographer
Moses Mitchell, an Los Angeles-based photographer responsible for the portraits in Through My Mother’s Eyes has been shooting stills since he was five years old. Reflected in the quality of his images are the years he has dedicated to cultivating his craft. Moses’ work largely reflects his concern for poverty and education, his interest in universal spiritual principles and his passion for music. This laserlike focus is reflected in his commercial and documentary projects. Clients include, Diageo, GTM, The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, Michael Beckwith, Interscope Records, Warner Bros, CBS, LA’s BEST, HBO, MTV and BET, among others.
To purchase the book, visit https://tinyurl. com/Through-My-Mothers-Eyes. The book can be purchased in the following formats with the following ISBN numbers:
Paperback: ISBN: 978-1-950936-44-1 $29.95 E-book: ISBN: 978-1-950936-45-8 $19.95 Hardcover: ISBN: 978-1-950936-55-7 $39.95