August 26, 2025 • 11 mins
I bought my daddy’s glasses by accident—but every time I put them on, I see his face staring back at me. This episode is about the lenses we inherit: my father, who came from Trinidad in the 1960s chasing the promise of America; my own optimism in 2008 when Barack Obama was elected; and the sharper, harsher vision I have of the world today.Through these glasses, I look at what America once promised, what it is now, and what it could be again.
Along the way, I share books from the 1960s—by Baldwin, King, Malcolm X, Friedan, and C.L.R. James—that help us understand both my father’s era and our own.
📚 This week’s indie bookstore spotlight: Read It Again Bookstore (via Bookshop.org).
📖 Preorder my upcoming historical fiction Fire Sword and Sea—a saga of Black and Indigenous women pirates carving their own freedom. Releases January 13, 2026.✨
Subscribe to Write of Passage to keep seeing the world clearly, and to imagine what it could be again.
Key Words:
My Daddy’s Glasses essay, Vanessa Riley essay, immigrant father story, Trinidad and Tobago independence, Caribbean immigration 1960s, Port of Spain immigrant, American dream story, Civil Rights Movement 1960s, Black father legacy, immigrant family history, 1960s America culture, Star Trek diversity 1960s, The Feminine Mystique 1963, James Baldwin The Fire Next Time, Martin Luther King Jr Why We Can’t Wait, Malcolm X Autobiography, C.L.R. James Beyond a Boundary, Barack Obama 2008 hope, book censorship 2025, National Library Week 2025, banning books in America, federal troops in cities 2025, Kerrville Texas floods 2025, climate change disasters America, Fred Sanford drawer metaphor, optimism vs despair, America shining city on a hill, immigrant vision of America, glasses as metaphor, personal essay on family, reflections on democracy, hope and resilience writing
Episode Notes & Extras
Find my full show notes, behind-the-scenes thoughts, and extras on Substack → vanessariley.substack.com
Join the conversation
Drop your thoughts in the comments — I love hearing from you!
Support & Stay Connected
Along the way, I share books from the 1960s—by Baldwin, King, Malcolm X, Friedan, and C.L.R. James—that help us understand both my father’s era and our own.
📚 This week’s indie bookstore spotlight: Read It Again Bookstore (via Bookshop.org).
📖 Preorder my upcoming historical fiction Fire Sword and Sea—a saga of Black and Indigenous women pirates carving their own freedom. Releases January 13, 2026.✨
Subscribe to Write of Passage to keep seeing the world clearly, and to imagine what it could be again.
Key Words:
My Daddy’s Glasses essay, Vanessa Riley essay, immigrant father story, Trinidad and Tobago independence, Caribbean immigration 1960s, Port of Spain immigrant, American dream story, Civil Rights Movement 1960s, Black father legacy, immigrant family history, 1960s America culture, Star Trek diversity 1960s, The Feminine Mystique 1963, James Baldwin The Fire Next Time, Martin Luther King Jr Why We Can’t Wait, Malcolm X Autobiography, C.L.R. James Beyond a Boundary, Barack Obama 2008 hope, book censorship 2025, National Library Week 2025, banning books in America, federal troops in cities 2025, Kerrville Texas floods 2025, climate change disasters America, Fred Sanford drawer metaphor, optimism vs despair, America shining city on a hill, immigrant vision of America, glasses as metaphor, personal essay on family, reflections on democracy, hope and resilience writing
Episode Notes & Extras
Find my full show notes, behind-the-scenes thoughts, and extras on Substack → vanessariley.substack.com
Join the conversation
Drop your thoughts in the comments — I love hearing from you!
Support & Stay Connected
- Like 👍 if this episode resonated with you
- Share ↗️ with a friend who’d enjoy it
- Subscribe 🔔 so you don’t miss the next one
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Welcome to the Rite of Passage with Vanessa Riley, the
podcast where storytelling meets passion in every page turns into
a new adventure. I'm your host, Vanessa Riley, and together
we'll dive deep into untold histories, reflect on current events
through a historical lands, share behind the scenes writing insights,
(00:29):
and explore the ups and downs of the author's journey
from rich historical novels to unforgettable characters to pop culture's
intrusion on the written word. Hey, we're going to explore
it all. So grab your pen, your notebook, and let's
begin our journey through the written word. Let's start your
(00:54):
Right of passage. My Daddy's glasses. I bought my daddy's
glasses for me. It was completely by accident. I saw
a pair of rectangular frames, dark sort of ebony for
a change. The price was right, and the try on
(01:15):
feature told me they would work the dark frames on
my oval brown face. The description said light weight with structure,
But every time I looked in the mirror, I see
heavy and concerned. I see my daddy staring back at me.
(01:37):
If you followed me over the years, I didn't talk
about my mother because of her seismic impact on my life.
She gave me my love of literature and writing. Louise
was my first editor. My first winning essay was about
her the struggles of motherhood when she had to step
(01:57):
up and lead our household after my father left. So
there are reasons I don't talk about Daddy as often,
But he shaped me too in quieter ways. My mathematical
mind and my sense of logic, my ability to break
down problems and even find order in chaos that comes
(02:20):
from him. He came to America in the nineteen sixties
a young man with dreams and a head full of ambition.
Trinida and Tobago had just broken free from colonial Britain,
declaring its independence in August nineteen sixty two. My father
(02:41):
left a country in the uncertainty of self rule and
chose the land of milk and honey and bootstraps, the
United States. Independence in Trinidad was marked by parades and
music and celebration, but also in stability and questions about
(03:01):
what freedom would really mean. America, by comparison, was older,
heavy in opportunity and structure. An immigrant from Port of Spain, Trinidad,
who traveled widely on boats to his fellow Caribbean Islands
and London decided to join the American experiment. He chose
(03:25):
to stay because he believed in the vision America was selling.
You worked hard, pulled yourself up by your bootstraps, you
could find economic freedom, and belonged to the great melting pot.
When he slipped on his black frames in the nineteen sixties,
(03:46):
he saw a country flawed but full of possibilities. The
sixties in the United States marked immense change with the
passage of the Civil Rights Act of nineteen sixties and
the Voting Rights Act of nineteen sixty five. We had
the Vietnam War abroad, with America as an active participant
(04:10):
in the world, and the assassinations of JFK and Bobby Kennedy,
Martin Luther King, and Malcolm X. Yet there were cultural
freedom in arts, particularly TV. That Girl with Marlow Thomas,
(04:31):
showing her as an independent, single woman pursuing a career,
was very different from housewives and moms shows of the past.
Star Trek showcased a diverse crew to offer a unified
vision of humanity. The Twilight Zone used storytelling to explore
(04:53):
moral and political issues like McCarthyism and racial prejudice, Yet
were alive and slipped on those glasses a day, would
he even recognize the place My lenses show armed soldiers
patrolling American city streets when no war has been declared,
(05:15):
natural disasters made worse by climate change, and inept officials
unwilling to respond with humanity or clearing red tape. The
sixties marked the first time TV news was the most
trusted source of information. Now wars are escalated by tweets
(05:39):
and we have to figure out if it's deep fake
or AI falsehoods that would shake his head at how
rules bent and broken, and cages being built to house
emigrants that may some day serve as prisons for Americans.
(06:00):
I don't think he'd see America as the shiny city
on the hill of liberty. It's hard for me to
see it. The same energy that put weapons on the
streets of d C and Los Angeles now threaten Chicago
and other urban spots. Because some are confused about fighting
(06:24):
crime that it's the same as punishing those with differing opinions.
But why can't such marshaling forces and money be used
for places like Kerrville, Texas, where in July floods left
families stranded, people drowned, and community suffered, while forms got
(06:48):
shuffled and delays mounted. Image my father, who once saw
America as the land of expanding stories, looking at a
country that now bans them. I didn't exist in the sixties.
I liked the way my glasses looked. In two thousand
and eight, I wore lenses tinted with optimism. High tech
(07:14):
jobs were expanding opportunities, not cutting jobs. Respectability and admiration
were central parts of our leadership. A man named Barack
Obama had just been elected president, and for the first
time in a long time, it felt like nothing was unachievable.
(07:35):
The American narrative was open and limitless. More stories found
ways to be published. Through those lenses, the future shimmered,
It roared, Yes we can. Oh, it was so bright.
I want those glasses to work again. But my prescription
(07:56):
is what it is. Lenses are cut sharper. They see
starker truths. I witness insecurity, not strength. I wish I
didn't see genocide, violence, and above all, fear. My father
(08:21):
would remind me that humanity has always been fragile. He's
logical like that. So my friends, I don't come with answers,
and if I had them, they'd be lost in my
Fred Sanford drawer of glasses. I'd slip them on, and
then I'd be able to see how to fix everything
(08:44):
that looks so very wrong. And being able to envision
solution and fixes means I have not lost hope, and
I hope you haven't either. This week I picked a
few books from the sixties for our booklist. Beyond a
(09:04):
Boundary by cl R. James. It's not just about cricket,
but about culture, colonialism, and the independence of Trinidad. The
Feminine Mystique by Betty Fredaan. This is another vision of
America from the sixties, how women saw the promises of
(09:27):
the nation versus their live realities. The Fire Next Time
by James Baldwin. This is a piercing letter on race
and America's moral failure. Why Can't We Wait? By Martin
Luther King Junior. This is King's urgent argument for civil rights.
(09:48):
Published during the heat of the Birmingham Struggles. It frames
a hopeful, yet turbulent vision of America in the sixties.
The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X and Alex Hayley.
This is a cornerstone text of Black identity, faith and
survival in America. Pairing King and X together reveals two
(10:12):
different lenses which are necessary for understanding the decade. This week,
I'm highlighting Read It Again Bookstore through their website and
bookshop dot org. We are four and a half months
away from Fire, Sword and Sea. Help me build momentum
(10:33):
for this historical fiction. Please spread the word and pre
order this disruptive narrative about lady pirates. Yes, lady pirates
in the sixteen hundreds. They are women, many are black
and indigenous. All want a better life. Piracy is legal.
(10:55):
It's their answer. The Saga releases January thirteenth, twenty twenty six.
The link on my website shows retailers large and small
who have set up pre orders for this title. Show
notes include a list of books mentioned in this broadcast.
You can find my notes on substack or on my
(11:15):
website Vanesserilly dot com under the podcast link in the
about tab. If you're ready to move with purpose and power,
hit the like button and subscribe to write a passage.
Never miss a moment. We have work to do. Let
me help you recharge. Thank you for listening. Hopefully you'll
(11:39):
come again. This is Vanessa Railey
Welcome to the Rite of Passage with Vanessa Riley, the
podcast where storytelling meets passion in every page turns into
a new adventure. I'm your host, Vanessa Riley, and together
we'll dive deep into untold histories, reflect on current events
through a historical lands, share behind the scenes writing insights,
(00:29):
and explore the ups and downs of the author's journey
from rich historical novels to unforgettable characters to pop culture's
intrusion on the written word. Hey, we're going to explore
it all. So grab your pen, your notebook, and let's
begin our journey through the written word. Let's start your
(00:54):
Right of passage. My Daddy's glasses. I bought my daddy's
glasses for me. It was completely by accident. I saw
a pair of rectangular frames, dark sort of ebony for
a change. The price was right, and the try on
(01:15):
feature told me they would work the dark frames on
my oval brown face. The description said light weight with structure,
But every time I looked in the mirror, I see
heavy and concerned. I see my daddy staring back at me.
(01:37):
If you followed me over the years, I didn't talk
about my mother because of her seismic impact on my life.
She gave me my love of literature and writing. Louise
was my first editor. My first winning essay was about
her the struggles of motherhood when she had to step
(01:57):
up and lead our household after my father left. So
there are reasons I don't talk about Daddy as often,
But he shaped me too in quieter ways. My mathematical
mind and my sense of logic, my ability to break
down problems and even find order in chaos that comes
(02:20):
from him. He came to America in the nineteen sixties
a young man with dreams and a head full of ambition.
Trinida and Tobago had just broken free from colonial Britain,
declaring its independence in August nineteen sixty two. My father
(02:41):
left a country in the uncertainty of self rule and
chose the land of milk and honey and bootstraps, the
United States. Independence in Trinidad was marked by parades and
music and celebration, but also in stability and questions about
(03:01):
what freedom would really mean. America, by comparison, was older,
heavy in opportunity and structure. An immigrant from Port of Spain, Trinidad,
who traveled widely on boats to his fellow Caribbean Islands
and London decided to join the American experiment. He chose
(03:25):
to stay because he believed in the vision America was selling.
You worked hard, pulled yourself up by your bootstraps, you
could find economic freedom, and belonged to the great melting pot.
When he slipped on his black frames in the nineteen sixties,
(03:46):
he saw a country flawed but full of possibilities. The
sixties in the United States marked immense change with the
passage of the Civil Rights Act of nineteen sixties and
the Voting Rights Act of nineteen sixty five. We had
the Vietnam War abroad, with America as an active participant
(04:10):
in the world, and the assassinations of JFK and Bobby Kennedy,
Martin Luther King, and Malcolm X. Yet there were cultural
freedom in arts, particularly TV. That Girl with Marlow Thomas,
(04:31):
showing her as an independent, single woman pursuing a career,
was very different from housewives and moms shows of the past.
Star Trek showcased a diverse crew to offer a unified
vision of humanity. The Twilight Zone used storytelling to explore
(04:53):
moral and political issues like McCarthyism and racial prejudice, Yet
were alive and slipped on those glasses a day, would
he even recognize the place My lenses show armed soldiers
patrolling American city streets when no war has been declared,
(05:15):
natural disasters made worse by climate change, and inept officials
unwilling to respond with humanity or clearing red tape. The
sixties marked the first time TV news was the most
trusted source of information. Now wars are escalated by tweets
(05:39):
and we have to figure out if it's deep fake
or AI falsehoods that would shake his head at how
rules bent and broken, and cages being built to house
emigrants that may some day serve as prisons for Americans.
(06:00):
I don't think he'd see America as the shiny city
on the hill of liberty. It's hard for me to
see it. The same energy that put weapons on the
streets of d C and Los Angeles now threaten Chicago
and other urban spots. Because some are confused about fighting
(06:24):
crime that it's the same as punishing those with differing opinions.
But why can't such marshaling forces and money be used
for places like Kerrville, Texas, where in July floods left
families stranded, people drowned, and community suffered, while forms got
(06:48):
shuffled and delays mounted. Image my father, who once saw
America as the land of expanding stories, looking at a
country that now bans them. I didn't exist in the sixties.
I liked the way my glasses looked. In two thousand
and eight, I wore lenses tinted with optimism. High tech
(07:14):
jobs were expanding opportunities, not cutting jobs. Respectability and admiration
were central parts of our leadership. A man named Barack
Obama had just been elected president, and for the first
time in a long time, it felt like nothing was unachievable.
(07:35):
The American narrative was open and limitless. More stories found
ways to be published. Through those lenses, the future shimmered,
It roared, Yes we can. Oh, it was so bright.
I want those glasses to work again. But my prescription
(07:56):
is what it is. Lenses are cut sharper. They see
starker truths. I witness insecurity, not strength. I wish I
didn't see genocide, violence, and above all, fear. My father
(08:21):
would remind me that humanity has always been fragile. He's
logical like that. So my friends, I don't come with answers,
and if I had them, they'd be lost in my
Fred Sanford drawer of glasses. I'd slip them on, and
then I'd be able to see how to fix everything
(08:44):
that looks so very wrong. And being able to envision
solution and fixes means I have not lost hope, and
I hope you haven't either. This week I picked a
few books from the sixties for our booklist. Beyond a
(09:04):
Boundary by cl R. James. It's not just about cricket,
but about culture, colonialism, and the independence of Trinidad. The
Feminine Mystique by Betty Fredaan. This is another vision of
America from the sixties, how women saw the promises of
(09:27):
the nation versus their live realities. The Fire Next Time
by James Baldwin. This is a piercing letter on race
and America's moral failure. Why Can't We Wait? By Martin
Luther King Junior. This is King's urgent argument for civil rights.
(09:48):
Published during the heat of the Birmingham Struggles. It frames
a hopeful, yet turbulent vision of America in the sixties.
The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X and Alex Hayley.
This is a cornerstone text of Black identity, faith and
survival in America. Pairing King and X together reveals two
(10:12):
different lenses which are necessary for understanding the decade. This week,
I'm highlighting Read It Again Bookstore through their website and
bookshop dot org. We are four and a half months
away from Fire, Sword and Sea. Help me build momentum
(10:33):
for this historical fiction. Please spread the word and pre
order this disruptive narrative about lady pirates. Yes, lady pirates
in the sixteen hundreds. They are women, many are black
and indigenous. All want a better life. Piracy is legal.
(10:55):
It's their answer. The Saga releases January thirteenth, twenty twenty six.
The link on my website shows retailers large and small
who have set up pre orders for this title. Show
notes include a list of books mentioned in this broadcast.
You can find my notes on substack or on my
(11:15):
website Vanesserilly dot com under the podcast link in the
about tab. If you're ready to move with purpose and power,
hit the like button and subscribe to write a passage.
Never miss a moment. We have work to do. Let
me help you recharge. Thank you for listening. Hopefully you'll
(11:39):
come again. This is Vanessa Railey
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