In the 1940s through 1960s, many families lived in poverty. According to research, in 1940 approximately 87% of Black families lived below the poverty line. It decreased to 47% by 1960. From 1960-1980, the poverty level dropped 18 more points. My family and I lived in poverty during those times. There are many reasons for …
My late mom was the strongest woman I knew. This no-nonsense lady guided her five children to success in spite of living in the Jim Crow South. I’m the youngest of five children and remember thinking she was my personal “Fannie Lou Hamer.” We called her MaDear. After MaDear and Dad married, he served in …
Our father loved to write. We called him Dad. He served our country during WWII and after discharge; he did not receive G.I. benefits. We lived in abject poverty in the segregated South. He supported his family by working in cotton fields and as a day laborer. After moving to a military town, he was hired …
Dad was an intelligent man displaced in the Jim Crow South. He served his country during WWII. He was discharged in 1943 and was denied G.I. benefits. He made a cumulative score of 97 on the Civil Service Examination but was denied meaningful employment. He had a wife and five children to provide for, so …
According to the book, They Came Searching, by Eddie Faye Gates, from pre-statehood days to the present, people have come to Tulsa seeking a better way of life. Tulsa had mineral-rich lands and people of all races and nationalities. People from all over the United States went there for a better way of life. Native …
When I was growing up, not many people knew about the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921. Even today, the history is not well-known. We knew about race massacres across the nation but not in Tulsa. One of my older brothers loved history and told us, his younger siblings, about the history. At one time, Ida …
I was asked to present an overview of Juneteenth for our community Black History Month program. I quickly gathered a team together and we presented information to an audience that was willing to listen and learn. Our theme was “Celebrating Freedom Together.” I’m grateful to the awesome singers from a local Black church that supported …
When I was a child, I heard my father calling a pig or hog, Suar. I didn’t know what this word meant. It was not until years later, when I read one of his books, that I learned that this was the name of a foul animal. We couldn’t afford animals, so he went to …
When I was growing up, our parents taught my siblings and me about The Great Depression. We were poor, but that was no excuse not to learn. Our parents earned $3.00 a day chopping cotton in the hot sun during the summer. In the fall, they picked cotton and were paid based on the weight. …
Live Your Best Life! You can choose to succeed in whatever you were meant to be or do. How many times do you meet people who are complaining about what they don’t have instead of enjoying what they do have? There are many opportunities in life. Doors close and windows open. Don’t spend so much …