Author Ed Taylor recently sat down with host Trae Holiday on The Day With Trae to discuss his new book, The Power of the River. The memoir celebrates community resilience and the legacy of Black motherhood, paying homage to the "grace, dignity, and joy" of Black single mothers.

The book’s title itself, The Power of the River, serves as a multi-layered metaphor for Taylor’s life and the broader Black experience. Taylor described the river as a force that can both conceal tracks and provide a clear sense of direction, referencing historical figures like Harriet Tubman as inspiration.

In bringing his stories to the public, Taylor found a platform with the Black-led Hinton Publishing after facing daunting barriers common in the traditional publishing world. He credited Hinton’s Marcus Harrison Green with "knocking over dams" to allow an ordinary person’s story to be told, emphasizing the imperative of such platforms for community healing and connection.

"The story is not so much about me, but it's about the power of stories in our community. And we all have them,” Taylor said.

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