Brief

The journey through a life of racism and sexism experienced by the resilient daughter of a 23-year-old African-American widow and the lessons she wants to pass on to future generations.

What We Liked

This is a rare piece, it's not every day we find the autobiography of a strong black woman born in the 60s. Quincie White is interesting and easy-to-relate to, a character who learned very important lessons by being judged for her color and gender. The book's message is inspiring and helpful.

Quincie White's inspiring journey is a great material for a film adaptation because it has a strong beginning, middle, and end while shining light on very time-sensitive and serious subjects, such as feminism and racism. The protagonist is an interesting and likable character with valuable lessons to share with the world. The story has solid dramatic beats that can create a compelling narrative many can relate to. In addition, there's an interesting visual and creative potential through the time travel between decades. With the right amount of drama, this can be a moving and empowering piece.

Key points:
- Based on true events
- The lead is a strong black woman
- Crucial lessons
- Has the courage to touch on taboo topics like the military and divorce
- Happy ending

Synopsis

Quincie White was just 3 months old when her 23-year-old father died due to an accident on the job, leaving Quincie, her 3-year-old brother, and her 20-year-old mother. Her mother decided to dedicate her life to taking care of the family, going back to school, and later getting a nurse degree—a job that allowed her to raise her children with dignity in the late 60s and 70s. Quincie learned many lessons from her mother, some she only understood many years later as a grown-up. She decided to follow her brother in his military career, and she joined the Army reserve, where she learned how to be more resilient and speak out.

She spent many years in the military before taking some time off to raise her baby daughter from her first marriage. But after 5 years with a civilian job at At&T, she went back to the Army. During this time off, her mother was diagnosed with cancer, and she got a divorce. Her mother eventually passed, and back in the military as a single woman, White experienced sexual harassment from a colleague. She didn’t file a complaint at the time due to being embarrassed and afraid of punishment, but she learned how to better deal with men in her job. She eventually married again and divorced again—and as a single, black woman in the military, she had to deal with other types of harassment, too. Without her mom, she had to rely on her best friend and her family for support, and she did a great job raising a smart, independent young woman.

Growing up with an older brother, Rob, taught Quincie many things about life—and he often got them in trouble with their mom. After he went to the Navy, they didn’t see each other too often. He got married and had twin boys, but after he retired, they began to see each other more frequently and still get along.

Navigating civilian life wasn’t free of discrimination either. Quincie still had to deal with inappropriate, sexist, and racist comments from supervisors. Her time at AT&T was of learning and financial stability. After her mother died, Quincie had a hard time grieving; she lost a lot of weight, and it was only after a wake-up call from her doctor about her own health that she was able to turn things around. Despite her tough grieving, Quincie had always taken good care of herself and always sought physical and mental health over anything else, even when it meant ending a marriage.

Military life made possible for Quincie not only stability but also the opportunity to advance her studies; she even got an MBA. But navigating the Military was difficult, and she had to deal with all sorts of people with different life experiences and personalities. Thankfully, she was raised to be strong by a tough, protective mother. But that didn’t keep her from not knowing how to act when she was mentally, racially, and sexually harassed; these experiences taught her to act more carefully on duty and also pass along her lessons to younger soldiers entering the institution.

Her marital life was also a learning curve; she had two failed marriages before meeting her current husband on vacation on an Island. In this new relationship, she applied all she learned from life, always taking care of her feelings and talking about the issues. In her life, Quincie put to the test and confirmed what her mother always taught her: the world feels threatened by successful black women and often reacts by challenging their competence and labeling them as angry black women. But women need to keep going with determination and always speaking up, and demanding respect.

About The Author

Quincie White was born in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1967, and after a challenging journey through life and a long career in the military, she decided to tell her story. In her autobiography, White hopes to share meaningful experiences and teach younger generations the lessons life taught her.