The Learning Center for Francie Mae’s Blog
My older siblings were my rock. I was proud to be their little sister and tried to emulate them. I was the youngest of five, three boys and two girls. Our ages spanned across 10 years. We lived with our parents in a loving family. We lived in abject poverty but felt we were the …
I was a single parent for twenty three years before I re-married. MaDear and Dad taught me how to be a parent. I invested in my children and tried to be an example for them. Along the way, my daughters married and I gained son in loves. You never know who will enter your life …
Even with parents to guide me, I still made many mistakes and made poor choices along life’s journey. I was still finding my way. The road out of poverty seemed too long. I took some shortcuts and hidden roads. These roads were leading me down the wrong path. I received spiritual spankings and got back …
Man in his natural state does wicked things because he has an evil heart. No one is naturally good. God didn’t create evil. Evil occurs when we remove Him from the situation. Survival is the first concern of a man. Human desire is for the universe to make sense. The Bible is the best known, …
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 …
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. …