The World According to Fannie Davis By Bridgette M. Davis

by

Ginaya Donnette

The World According to Fannie Davis gives us a peek into the untold profession of a number runner in Detroit during the 70’s.  Fannie not only provided well for her family but she used her prosperity to be a beacon of support for the entire community.  Her home was a center where anyone could find a place of refuge or a good meal.  This was not the story of illegal enterprise but one of extreme bravery, resilience and leadership where a Black woman living in an era of aggressive racism and discrimination found a way to overcome these hardships and be successful. 
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As a young girl, my grandmother was in the Cleveland numbers and entrepreneur so these heartfelt stories brought nostalgia. I do remember plenty of conversation around the three and four digit box straight combinations as she talked on the phone.  She would recollect a dream and know all the exact numbers combinations that it represented, something the author reminded me of in the midst of a chapter.  Her depictions of life for African Americans didn’t start or stop in the numbers.  Although what resonates was Fannie’s way of living life on her own terms and to the fullest.