Janice Freeman

The Family Secret Janice Freeman

The Family Secret is a book about segregation as it affected the last three generations of a white family from the deep South. It was through the Civil Rights Movement of the fifties under Dr. King and others that this very wealthy Christian family was affected along with their children and grandchildren. The book shows how people can believe they are following God in the right way while some of that belief system is seriously flawed and they are blinded thinking that what society believes and accepts as right is very wrong. What is very sad is that these improper teachings were exposed to their children and could have damaged them for life if circumstances had not caused them to leave the deep South and come to the North East. In the North East segregation had been somewhat tempered but it took awhile for this tempering to begin reaching down into the soul of this family. Because their children were exposed to different races in the North East, their hearts were opened up to accepting people for who they truly were. This came through schooling and other good influences which could not have been brought about by the wrong influences of the southern culture that they were born in. The story also shows that as Christians, our belief system can be incorrect even though we are trying hard to follow God to the best of our ability. This is why God left his word to lead us and guide us into all truth. Sadly, instead of presenting God's truth, many leaders hold the truths that are traditional (man made). These were picked up through family, church, and educational teachings in school where the truths of the gospel have been veiled. Some of these truths were veiled just a little and others a great deal.