An author whose work has been inspired by her Romani heritage will speak at Mountain Light Unitarian Universalist Church.
The lecture by Glenda Bailey-Mershon will take place Sunday, April 7, at the Ellijay church located at 2502 Tails Creek Road. It is free to attend and open to the public, confirmed Melba Gandy, church member.
“We are denomination inclusive so anyone from any denomination is welcome, as is anyone of no denomination at all,” said Gandy.
Mershon is the author of numerous books including “Eve’s Garden,” a novel about three generations of Romani women living in the deep south, and “Weaver’s Knot,” a collection of poems about life in Appalachia. She also coaches writers through teaching and workshops while advocating for various humanitarian causes.
“She’s a wonderful author. I was fascinated by her personal history, which is a combination of Scottish and Cherokee and two tribes of Roma,” said Gandy. “She does speeches and goes around the country advocating for causes she’s interested in. She grew up in South Carolina in the lower Appalachians, so she’s very much from our area.”
Mershon’s presentation will focus on the history of the Romani people, stereotypes that have dogged the ethnic group over time and how they’ve survived despite persecution and discrimination.
“Romani is an adjective. It’s like saying Greek or French. The Roma come from India, and there were several migrations out of India. Most of them had to do with the wars that were happening,” Mershon said. “Today, more than 12 million Roma live in Europe, where they’re the largest and poorest minority. The European Roma and more than 1 million Roma in North America all have origins among India’s ancient tribes. ”
Although the term “gypsy” has been generally applied to them over time, Mershon said that term actually has a derogatory context to many Roma. The term originated during the Crusades, after Europeans mistook the Roma for Egyptians, she noted.
“I tell people it’s better not to use the term ‘gypsy’ unless you know who you’re speaking to or about,” Mershon said. “At first, the Europeans welcomed them, but when they figured out they weren’t Egyptians, they considered them invaders and began to forbid them to settle. That’s why the early Roma traveled from place to place. They weren’t allowed to settle. During that time, the Europeans changed the name to ‘gypsies.’”
Mershon said her father was Romani, and both her parents were millworkers. Having “portable occupations” is among the ways the Romani people have survived, she noted.
“If you can’t settle anywhere, you still have to make a living. How do you do that? Different groups have done different things, but primarily it’s been by having portable occupations,” Mershon said. “As they were driven from town to town, they could still find a way to make a living.”
The Mountain Light church welcomes various guest speakers for its weekly services. The service with Merson’s lecture will begin at 11 a.m., but everyone is welcome to come early for coffee and fellowship starting at 10 a.m., Gandy noted.
“We have a guest speaker every Sunday. We welcome every religion, and we have speakers from every religion, as well as speakers who aren’t from any religion,” she added. “The church is based on seven principles, and we try to select speakers who talk about one or another of those seven principles. The one (Mershon) fits into the most is the worth and dignity of every individual.”