All the Women in My Family Sing by Deborah Santana
Deborah Santana was not only married legendary musician Carlos Santana, she’s also an activist, business manager and a highly successful author. Her first book, a memoir, titled Space Between the Stars was published in 2005, and now she is editor of a new book, All the Women in My Family Sing: Women Write the World: Essays on Equality, Justice, and Freedom (Nothing But the Truth So Help Me God).
All The Women In My Family is an anthology of narratives by women of color, detailing their experiences in a world that is often cruel to them, their bodies and their cultures. Each selection communicates strength and triumph through hardship, as well as redemption through leadership and a resilience that is often ignored.
I talked with Santana about this edited collection that features pieces by actress America Fererra (“Ugly Betty”) and others from all walks of life and fields of expertise. At the time, I didn’t know she was the “Black Magic Woman,” her husband speaks of on my mother’s favorite album; instead, it was just a regular conversation with an author about a book all women (and men) should read. Now that I know, I will forever hear those songs differently but in the same spirit conveyed in this book.
This was an absolutely outstanding interview each reading of her book sets my world focus to become the woman I was intended to be.