HTX Ties to WWII History, a Conversation with Doug Melville

Imagine for one moment you come from a line of Americans who not only served as the first black generals in our nation’s history but also played a role in helping to desegregate the military. Imagine the story being told in a movie directed by George Lucas but your family’s name is completely left out. That’s what happened to Doug Melville’s family. In 2011 Doug was invited to a screening of Red Tails and after seeing that his family name was left out, he went on a mission. The end result? His first book Invisible Generals. In it, he tells the story of his great grandfather and grandfather Ben Davis Sr and Ben Davis Jr, the latter of whom is the namesake of Davis High School in Aldine ISD.  During this episode we discuss the importance of claiming our families narratives and the importance of being deliberate when naming things after people. Buy Invisible Generals wherever you buy your books. Also, Doug's hosting a book signing at the Buffalo Soldiers Museum on 11/16 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. It's your chance to hear more about his journey to documenting his family's epic story. This episode is brought to you by my agency Speke Podcasting, where we focus on helping businesses and nonprofits share their stories with the world through the art of podcasting. If you have an idea for a show but need some helping getting into the world, check us out at spekepodcasting.com.Support the show: https://cruzthroughhtx.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.