Author tells story behind ‘Precious’

At the age of 12, a child was impregnated by her father.

Years later, as a 32-year-old woman taking classes for her GED, she was in need of a babysitter for her 20-year-old daughter with down syndrome. This true story, among many others was told to Ramona Lofton, the author known as Sapphire, who later wrote the novel, “Push.”

“I felt like (I was) hit by a truck,” said Sapphire, recalling the experience of hearing the woman’s story. “Air escaped my body and that incident became the seed for the novel Push.”

Tuesday evening in Warriner Hall’s Plachta Auditorium, a crowd of about 400 people listened as Sapphire read excerpts of “Push,” among other readings from writers who influenced her book.

The poem “Moonchild” by the late Lucille Clifton inspired Sapphire to step out of restrictions that once confounded her.

“That poem helped women step out of boxes that have been prepared for by black men and white women,” she said. “That path to literature was no longer closed to me.”

She discussed how African American sexual violence can be different than white sexual violence because of historical effects such as masters raping through slavery, even though both acts are deplorable.

“African Americans have the highest HIV rates, silence will not save African Americans and that work begins with telling our stories out loud to whoever will listen,” Sapphire said in response to a critic of her book.

Since her novel was published in 1996, she has spoken to thousands of sexually abused women.

“(I will) continue to take stories of women and turn them into fiction,” she said.

In the book, when the protagonist, Precious, attempted to give birth to her first child, her mother kicked her in the head and called her a slut because Precious slept with her mother’s boyfriend, even though Precious was raped by her father.

After being kicked out of school because she was pregnant for the second time from her father and the administrators did not know it was by rape, Precious went to an alternative school.

“I don’t know what an alternative is, but I feel I want to know,” Sapphire said of Precious.

During the question-and-answer segment at Plachta, one student asked where the healing begins after a struggle.

“I truly believe education is one of the ways we can begin to change our life,” Sapphire said.

Lester Booker Jr., Minority Student Services interim assistant director, said Sapphire’s message had relevance to students.

“(She) opened up their eyes to issues that face all races and ethnicities,” Booker said.

Mount Pleasant resident Erna Marquardt said Precious’ story resonated in her heart.

“You never know that there are so many things going on at home,” Marquardt said. “I felt like saying ‘Lord open my heart again’ for the kids and looking to see where their needs are.”