Characters in Ma Lil

Lil -   Lil is the central figure in the story.  She was born in 1865 and dies in 1965.  Lil is the mother of  Mae, Steven, Charles, Julienne and Lucy.  Lil’s husband Buck is killed by the KKK during the Reconstruction era.  She and Buck have one daughter Alexandria , who is called Mae.  Lil , becomes a strong and independent woman after the death of her husband.  She marries, Mr. Paul later in the story and they have four children, Steven, Julienne, Lucy, and Charles.  Lil lives through the Reconstruction era, Jim Crow Segregation in the South and the Civil Rights movement.

Buck -  Lil’s first husband.  Buck is killed by the KKK during the beginning of the Reconstruction era when the KKK experienced a large expansion across the country.  Buck was  the father of Mae, Lil’s first child.

Mr. Paul – Lil’s second husband.  Even though Lil develops emotional problems after the death of her first husband, she remarries.  The emotional problems threaten to strain the marriage.  However, with the love of her husband, and church friends Lil overcomes  these obstacles.

Lil’s Children

Charles -   Youngest son of a  Lil and or Mr. Paul.  Charles is married to an alcoholic, Barbara.  Charles

Is a devoted husband who remains in love with his wife during her nervous breakdown.   He has an affair with his secretary.

Julienne -  is the middle daughter of Mr. Paul and Lil.  She was born at the end of Reconstruction.  She grew up in the Jim Crow era in the south moved to California.  Julienne married Greg a business associate of Jack.  Greg was a wealthy man and a womanizer.

Lucy  -   is the youngest daughter of Mr. Paul and Lil.  She was valedictorian of her  high school graduating class.   She went to the North to become a singer and entertainer against her parents wishes.  She did not have much success but managed to support herself.  She returns to the family farm in Georgia with her mother and siblings.  She meets an old friend and marries.

Mae (Aleander) – Is Lil’s eldest child.  She was born at the end of Reconstruction.    She is the only child of Buck and Lil.  She grew up in the segregated south.  She attends college and marries Jack, a wealthy man from California.  She moves to California with Jack when she completes college.  Mae experiences an entirely different life from her upbringing as a sharecropper on a farm.  She lives to see her children, nieces and nephews thrust into the civil rights era.

Steven -   Steven is Lil’ s oldest son.  He is the son of  Lil and  Mr. Paul ( Lil’s second husband).  Steven is raised in the segregated south of Georgia during Jim Crow.   He leaves the south and moves to Boston.    He marries Cindy and works in insurance.  He is a very bitter and defeated man. He is the father of Nathaniel ( a pre-law student) with a terminal illness who becomes involved in the civil rights protest.    Steven is also the boyfriend of Mabel and the father of their illegitimate son.

Lil’s Grandchildren –

Leroi -   son of Charles and Barbara.  He is a  pre -medical student at Harvard.  He is engaged to Sandra who he attends college with.  She is also studying to become a doctor .  He is the father to an illegitimate child with Nell who is also a student at Harvard.

Mark – Lucy’s husband.  Helps Lucy to open the business of her dreams.

Nathaniel – son of Steven and Cindy.  He was a cancer survivor and marries Vickie.  He was a pre-law college student.  He was a young political activist of the Civil Rights era in the early 1960’s.  He is engaged to Vickie.

Neal -   son of Barbara and Charles.  Lives with Greg and Julienne in California while assisting a researcher with the family genealogy.  Has a relationship with Evelyn , who is researching the family history.  Also,  is engaged  to Samantha, when he meets Evelyn.

Other Characters

Angela- Barbara’s illegitimate daughter.

Bobby-  Barbara’s brother, who is an ex -convict and who  blackmails her.

Bryce Johnson-    great –great grandson of the owner  of the plantation where Lil’s mother Hattie was a slave.  Is a racist.

Deborah or (Debra)- Lil’s cousin and Fannie’s daughter.

Donald – an associate of Evelyn who is helping Lil to research the family genealogy.

Evelyn-  The college researcher who traces the family’s genealogy and writes a research paper about Lil’s family.

Hattie-  a slave was the mother of Fannie and Lil .
Hattie's mother-  a slave and  the mixed race daughter of the plantation owner,Mr. Johnson.  She is the mother of Fannie also.
Jim - Hattie's husband and the father of Fannie and Lil. 

Fannie – Hattie’s daughter  and  Lil’s sister.

Marge -  girlfriend of Greg.  Is involved in an extra marital affair.

Mabel – is the girlfriend of Steven.  She has an extramarital affair with Steven.  Is the mother of his illegitimate child.
Mr. Johnson- Is the owner of the plantation.  The great- grandfather of Lil and the great-great grandfather of Robert and Bryce Johnson.

Mr. Shumate – the store owner who accuses Lil of stealing money from his store during segregation.
Mrs. Brown - Jack's mother.

Nell  - college acquaintance of Leroi and Sandra.  She has an illegitimate child with Leroi. 

Robert Johnson – great-great grandson of the owner of the plantation.  Is a liberal businessman who has moved to the North .  He helps Lil’s children to establish a foundation to educate minority students.
Roy - the family attorney.  He handles Lil's finally wishes regarding her estate and property n Georgia.

Sandra- Leroi’s fiancée.  She also studied medicine at Harvard.

Vickie -  the fiancée of Nathaniel who is a nursing student.

Historical Figures included in the book: You may wish to read more about this people and topics  :

President  Andrew Johnson, p. 137

President Ulysses S.  Grant ,p. 139

Frederick Douglass, p.138

Robert Smalls,p.138

Marcus Garvey , p.35, p.95, p.96

Martin Luther King, p. 16, p.35

Malcolm X- p.35

KKK – p.13., p.14,p.137-138

Historical Institutions included in the book:

Freedman’s Bureau – p.137

Freedman’s Bank-p.138

Freedman’s Schools- p.138

Underground Railroad- p.5

Reconstruction- p.15

Black Codes- p.138

Civil Rights Act of 1875,  p. 138

Black Star Line, p.95

Civil Rights Movement –p.5, p. 102, p.104