Family + Community = Knowledge

Toni Morrison reminds us that we must connect with our ancient properties, “It has to be done; otherwise we are dead. If you kill the ancestors, you’ve just killed everything.” I am fascinated with lineage, and often contemplate my place as the connector between past and present. It is why I am proud to be a mother and, at the same time, give daily thanks to my risk-taking ancestors who sacrificed to provide opportunities for their descendents (like me). Every day I think of Bettina Trapaglia, my dad’s grandmother, who came to this country to wed a stranger, gave birth to five daughters, and carried rocks on her back at a lime quarry just south of Pueblo. While she never was allowed to become an American citizen because she couldn’t read or write in English, she gave birth to several generations of teachers. She pulled weeds in a small garden plot, so that my dad and uncle could do their homework instead of their chores. It was this act of love that taught them the value of education—my familial inheritance.

So when I personally think about my own scholarly journey, I must give homage to my great-grandmother, as well as other ancestors. I recognize that I have the opportunity to bury my nose in a book because my great-grandmother carried rocks on her back. I realize that, from this point of view, scholarly work is a privilege.

This notion of a non-academic scholarly influence is what fascinated me most about our rhetorical lineage project. Our group divided up the direct influences on Dr. Souder. After Dr. Souder told me that AnaLouise Keating was the literary executor of Gloria Anzaldúa’s work and one of her important influences, I eagerly volunteered to connect with and research Dr. Keating. I had the honor of emailing her several times to ask her questions.

When I asked Dr. Keating about her scholarly influences, she mentioned a high school English teacher, Emerson and, of course, Anzaldúa. I emailed her again to ask for any professors who impacted her during her graduate studies. She told me of her dissertation chair, Chadwick Hansen, and explained that her dissertation focused on Emerson. However, she pointedly felt that she was not greatly influenced within the walls of the academy, but instead stated that Anzaldúa was clearly the strongest influence on her scholarship. And, she didn’t meet Anzaldúa until after she had earned her Ph.D.

I think it is significant that Keating felt her greatest scholarly influence happened after her traditional schooling. This highlights the importance of lifelong learning and underscores the co-creative relationship Keating and Anzaldúa shared. While the two individually contribute to the academic discourse, their collective work reminds us of the collaborative beauty of creation and discovery. I am admittedly a fan of Kant, Marx and even Robert Frost. But, I was most excited that one of our family tree “super stars” was Anzaldúa. It reminded me that, even in the midst of our testosterone-laden tree, there is also a matrilineal source to our academic work. I’m proud to add my name to the branch that leads from me to Dr. Souder to Dr. Keating to Gloria Anzaldúa. I’m equally honored to connect my academic work to the non-scholarly sacrifices and lessons of my ancestors like Bettina Trapaglia. And, in an even more profound connection of family and the academy, it was amazing to share this scholarly journey with my recently re-acquainted cousin Marilyn Antenucci.

“If you cut yourself off from the roots, you’ll wither . . . Roots that ignore the branches turn into termite dust.” – Toni Morrison, Paradise