The Townsend family is not included in the book, however, the discussion will cover cases in Ohio, Mississippi, Kentucky, Louisiana and South Carolina.

It is time for us to address this issue head on, and Professor Jones makes it clear that in several cases the father's of the mixed race children did attempt to provide for them and the white family members contested the wills.

Excerpt from the book - " It is unclear how much power enslaved women had in their relationships to negotiate for freedom of property for themselves and their children. These were women living under conditions of extreme domination based on their race and gender. If they did not submit to their owners, their lives could be threatened. The notion of autonomy is undercut by their lack of legal standing in lawsuits. " Bernie Jones