              
|
|
A John F. Blair, Publisher,
Millie-Christine: |
A Note from Joanne Martell: I met Millie-Christine McKoy at the library in Whiteville, North Carolina, in a nine-page booklet published by the Columbus County Historical Society. "I often wish I could live the life she lived," said a grandnephew in that little biography. I wondered what kind of life conjoined, enslaved female Siamese twins could have possibly lived, to make him say that. My curiosity resulted in this book. Millie-Christine has been all but neglected by historians--even those who specialize in women's and African-American history. Until now, the only other biography of Millie-Christine McKoy was penned by her own hand in 1869. The more I learned about Millie-Christine, the more important I felt it was that her story be told. Millie-Christine was a remarkable woman--or women, depending on your point of view. I refer to her as one because she did so. Millie-Christine was born into slavery on a plantation in Columbus County, North Carolina, in 1851. She died on that same plantation sixty-one years later--only by then, she owned the land. By the time Millie-Christine was four years old, she had been sold, traded, and stolen. In fact, she spent her fourth birthday aboard a ship bound for England in the company of a stranger whose only interest in her was commercial. As if being displayed as a freak of nature wasn't enough, at every city where she was exhibited, the local medical men would insist on a full physical examination as proof that she wasn't a fraud. This continued until Millie-Christine was fourteen years old, at which time she put an end to it. I guess what I find most remarkable about Millie-Christine is her enormous faith in God and her extreme tolerance for her fellow man. Despite the horrible exploitation of her childhood, and despite enduring tens of thousands of people gawking at her, she seems not to have been bitter at all. Instead, she somehow found both the time and the will to cultivate her mind and hone her musical talents so that instead of simply being a curiosity, she became a delightful entertainer. So delightful that Queen Victoria herself invited Millie-Christine for a command performance. That Millie-Christine survived birth and the exploitation of her childhood is remarkable. That she developed her talents to become one of the most renowned performers of her day is amazing. That she overcame what can only be considered a grave physical handicap to flourish into a woman of great character and religious conviction is truly a tale of the triumph of the human spirit. It's not modest of one's
self to speak, Some persons say I must be
two; Two heads, four arms, four
feet, None like me since the
days of Eve-- I'm happy, quite, because
I'm good; Questions to Consider 1. Why do you think so little is known about Millie-Christine? 2. Millie-Christine seems to have charmed all who took the time to converse with her. How do you think she was able to make people feel so comfortable in her presence? 3. Religion obviously played an important role in Millie-Christine's life. Why do you think she was so religious? 4. The relationship between Millie-Christine's family and the Smith family was very amicable--even loving? Why? 5. After the Civil War, Millie-Christine again went out on tour. Why do you think she was willing to provide for both her family and the Smith family? 6. Do you think it was right for the doctors to provide heavy doses of laudanum for Christine when it became apparent that Millie was dying? 7. Although Millie-Christine's body restricted her physically, do you think it liberated her socially? 8. If Millie-Christine were alive today, what sort of
life do you think she would lead? |
