We Got By: A Black Family's Journey in the Heartland by Ric S. Sheffield (review)

Reviewed by: We Got By: A Black Family's Journey in the Heartland by Ric S. Sheffield Jordan Zdinak We Got By: A Black Family's Journey in the Heartland By Ric S. Sheffield (Columbus: Ohio State University Press, 2022. Pp. 208. Illustrations, bibliography. Paperbound, 26. 95; e-book, 19. 95. ) Ric S. Sheffield's We Got By: A Black Family's Journey in the Heartland takes the reader through four generations of his family's experiences in rural Ohio, from his grandfather, born in the late nineteenth century, to his own college career in the 1970s. Through interviews, military records, census reports, court documents, birth certificates, newspaper accounts, letters, diaries, and photographs, Sheffield reveals the joyous and traumatic events that demonstrate both his family's suffering and perseverance. Distressing events such as his father's arrest as a young man and later suicide, the murder of his aunt and uncle, and attempted murder of his cousin highlight moments when the intersection of race and class forced the Sheffield family to become a public spectacle. With all these traumatic occurrences, the family "got by" through their love of family, hard work, and by navigating a rural landscape surrounded by whites who failed to acknowledge their own prejudice. Sheffield's objective is to illustrate "how life along the color line in rural Ohio resulted in a population of persons who are both invisible and hyper-visual at one and the same time" (p. xiii). In the introduction, Sheffield acknowledges that many of the stories he shares will resonate with rural white people as well but adds that one aspect always makes his family's experiences different: the color line. He explains the ever-present sense of isolation of a minority living in rural America, as whites perceived his family as different due to their skin color. Although Black Americans face violence by white hands more often in urban areas, a lack of Black community makes rural areas feel more intimidating for Black Americans. Throughout the generations Sheffield discusses, there always existed a lack of awareness among whites of their own racism, rendering the Sheffield family's feeling of isolation even stronger. White Ohioans did not acknowledge the segregation that occurred in restaurants, clubs, and pools, or the need for a separate Black night at the local roller rink. White fathers who would not allow their daughters to date young Black men instilled a sense of inadequacy and unworthiness in these young men. One white mother even tried to murder Sheffield's cousin Norma Jean to ensure that her son would not marry a Black woman. The Sheffields' awareness of white perceptions caused them to attempt a low profile. Many family members tried to follow the law and cultural expectations closely, seeking to avoid the wrath of white society and the criminal justice system that other family members unfortunately experienced. Living with the white need to control the Black community's End Page 169 actions, the Sheffields experienced being hyper-visual while simultaneously isolated and never fully accepted. We Got By is an excellent text for instructors to assign in courses such as African American History, Midwestern History, or any class that seeks to provide insight into Black experiences in rural America. Sheffield provides a detailed telling of his own family's saga, but he also places their story within the context of larger historical events, such as the murder of Martin Luther King Jr. This family's history offers a valuable perspective on race in America and will help students gain a better understanding of the everyday tribulations Black Americans experience. As for the Sheffield family, their story will live on in these pages—as Reverend Sam Sheffield, Ric Sheffield's grandfather, instilled into him, "a man never really dies until he is no longer remembered" (p. xi). Jordan Zdinak Ohio University Copyright © 2024 Trustees of Indiana University