Within the black community, oral history and documented memorabilia are the primary ways we have preserved our stories from generation to generation. Without them, the true history of this country and what some of our enslaved ancestors had to endure would be completely erased. Bettye Kearse takes us on an in-depth journey to not merely prove her link to President Madison, but to emphasize how her family’s history has been kept alive by family griots/griottes for over 100 years.   

As Bettye details her travels throughout the years to connect the dots of her family tree, it was bittersweet to read. Bitter because it’s a reminder of how our origins, presence, and contributions to this country have been obscured. Sweet because when one actually has the means to piece their family history together dating back to slavery it allows for a deeper connection to who they are. Kearse does an exceptional job detailing the transatlantic slave trade and the lives of black folk during the Jim Crow and Reconstruction Era. 

Throughout the book Kearse highlights her struggle with reconciling how her bloodline consists of not only the enslaved but also slaveholder; with that understanding comes the pain of how her bloodline came to be. Engaging with the horrific parts of black history are uncomfortable, but our shared pain does not define who we are as people. The Other Madisons is a testament to how there is freedom in learning to fully embrace the knowledge of who you are and where you come from.