Every author’s work is filtered through the lens of their distinctive personal experiences. For Morgan Christie, a former black athlete, her journey as a woman of color navigating America’s sociopolitical landscape molded her vision on her recently released autobiographical essay collection Boolean Logic. Christie’s stories shed hope by using her personal lens to illuminate where we need to heal as a society, so we can build a brighter future together.
Throughout history, the intersecting forces of politics and racism have imposed additional obstacles for black women to surmount in order to thrive. Christie entwines stories of prejudice from her own life to spotlight flaws embedded deeply in the broader cultural milieu. Through intimate memories of childhood, family, mentors, and community, she ingeniously connects the dots back to bigger sociopolitical forces at play.
Essays like “Paper Guns” revisit painful brushes with discrimination growing up that opened Christie’s eyes to injustices perpetuated by those in power. In “Paper Guns,” she offers a window into the ubiquity of police brutality towards the black community through an encounter she unknowingly observed with her father and the police as a child, underscoring the desperate need for reform. Christie humanizes complex issues like racism, sexism, and police violence by illustrating their tangible impacts on real lives.
While Christie draws heavily from personal stories, she uses these as a jumping off point to highlight systemic issues in society. Whether recalling childhood, family, or mentors, Christie connects each story back to the oppressive biases and barriers embedded throughout politics, sports, community, and everyday life. She bridges the personal and political, using autobiographical essays not just for reflection but revelation.
In “That Bridgerton Line,” Christie reflects on the tragic deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of police in 2020. She accentuates how these incidents reveal systemic racism and oppressive structures requiring radical reform, and that they are not isolated occurrences. Christie finds power in bridging the personal and political—using individual lives like Floyd and Taylor’s to tell universal stories of injustice. Her essay highlights that until equity reigns, any experience with law enforcement remains fraught with fear for communities of color. Christie makes clear we must keep fighting for change.
Christie also vulnerably processes the relentless misogyny she faced as a young female athlete in “Sewing Dresses.” Her accounts emphasize that deeply entrenched sexism in sports continues to devalue and marginalize women. By fusing her personal experiences with context on systemic issues, Christie gives voice to the shared struggles of women of color across various sectors.
At its essence, Boolean Logic uses memoir not simply as reflection, but as a vehicle to decisively expose injustice. Christie’s skill in unraveling complicated societal power structures by drawing from lived experience strengthens her role as a compelling champion for progress. She strives to ignite a shared sense of purpose and propel movements challenging the status quo.
Author’s Website: www.morganchristiewrites.com
Nbc/Wxii interview: Triad author Morgan Christie talks new book releasing November 14