The Evolution of Hazel Elizabeth Deborah Parker

Toni Cade Bambara was born, Miltonia Mirkin Cade on, March 25, 1939. Cade and her brother, Walter were raised by their mother in New York City. Her mother raised her children to think for themselves, use their own judgment and she enforced the importance of knowing their black history and was adamant about it being taught to her children in school. After finding a sketchbook in her grandmother’s trunk with Bambara scribed on it, Cade discovered that her grandmother had adopted the name and decided to use it as part of her own name (Gates 2305-6). Bambara published her first short story, “Sweet Town,” at age 20. However, it was not until 1970 that Bambara began taking her writing seriously. In 1972, her first collection of short stories, Gorilla My Love, was published. It was in this collection that her short stories, “Gorilla, My Love” and “Raymond’s Run” appear.