The pink of the protagonist’s dress connects to the flowers she and her sister gather to decorate the broom, as it becomes a link between their heritage and futures. A muted palette with softer borders is employed for flashbacks, such as that of a husband and wife being cruelly separated by a master.
Minter’s striking hand-painted linoleum block prints create a range of physical and emotional settings as the parents reflect on their past and celebrate the significance of being “legal.” Warm brown faces reflect the brilliant golden rays filling the church in a colorful opening imbued with joyous reverence. Papa explains the custom of “jumping the broom”-the ritual enacted by slaves to signify marital commitment: “we put this here broom on the ground, held hands and leaped into life together.” The family then walks to the courthouse where Mama and Papa are married, with Mama holding the broom, which is later hung above the fireplace. After their preacher announces the opportunity to register and be considered legally married, Ellen’s parents and siblings gather around the broom hanging above their hearth. This Reconstruction-era story imagines what that experience would be like.
According to an author’s note, while Lyons was researching family history, she learned of the role played by the Freedmen’s Bureau in authenticating the unregistered marriages of former slaves.
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