The universal theme of relocation, rather it be immigration or migration, is to procure a brighter future. Sadly, the American Dream doesn’t illuminate everyone equally. Thus my family has a migration story rooted in bigotry. 

My father was born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1958. His childhood was altered by many iconic and impactful moments in American history, yet the hatred that surrounded him extended beyond racial lines. My father was gay. He was creative, passionate, and colorful- though his vibrancy came at a cost. He wrestled with who he was at the expense of Southern ideology and ridicule, both verbally and physically. Despite this, he developed scandalous aspirations- to have a career in music and spend a lifetime devoted to the arts.

In 1973, Seals and Crofts released their album Diamond Girl. The second single, titled “We May Never Pass This Way Again” struck profound change in my father. The song became his mantra, and ultimately persuaded him to leave the hatred behind, and relocate to Nashville, Tennessee. My father became the first Commercial Music graduate from Belmont University and had a successful career.

He carried the Diamond Girl record with him always. For him, the song reminded him to curate his own reality, because we only have one lifetime. My brother and I were instilled with those beliefs. Mournfully, my father passed away in November of 2018. We played the track at his funeral; I still hear the perseverance of my father when I play it.

– Mamie Britt

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant