Legacy: The Currency of Eternity

Abstract

This chapter discusses the intertwined legacies of Mr. Earnest McEwen, Jr., the author's father, and his life-changing relationship with William Faulkner. As his benefactor, Faulkner paid for Mr. McEwen to attend Alcorn A&M College (now Alcorn University), transforming the trajectory of the McEwen family for all time. Faulkner's gift was given with no strings attached; he only asked that Mr. McEwen help someone else when he was able to do so. After Mr. McEwen's untimely death, the author's mother, Mildred Blackmon McEwen, gave her blessing to share the story about her husband's fateful encounter with Faulkner and their subsequent friendship. Infused with gratitude, this chapter lifts up two men who respected one another's dignity and humanity at a time in our nation's history when this behavior was at odds with the cultural, political, and social norms.