Living in the country had a lot of disadvantages. I could not participate in after-school activities, because we lived too far away from Conroe where I went to school. It was the belief of most of my teachers that nothing good could come from Tamina. One teacher however, Mrs. Tommy West, believed in my potential and tutored me. Despite having a rural upbringing, my mother, Della, exposed me to a world that I had never known existed — Girl Scouts, 4-H Club, opera, musical entertainment, the arts, and much more. 

Joining the 4-H Club in the mid ’60s was something that I did not want to be involved with, but since my mother was one of the group leaders, I had no choice. It was clear we were not going to be treated fairly, because we were black. No matter how original our projects were, the judges always ignored our presentations. 

In 1969, the county extension agent advised all seniors to submit an application for a four-year college scholarship. I was not interested. After all, I always faced unfairness by most of the 4-H Club leaders. But at the insistence of my mother, I applied anyway. 

As I expected, the club chose a white girl, a friend of mine, to receive the scholarship. Its sponsor surprised me though. It turned out that Mrs. Bess Fish of Houston disagreed with the decision and told the committee if a scholarship was not offered to me as well, she would refuse her funding. As a result, my friend and I both received full four-year scholarships to Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, where we both earned degrees and then became teachers. 

Now a retired teacher, I have taken over my grandmother’s legacy of keeping the family together, and I organize reunions, gathering family members from all over the country. 

Family history is not always good news, but it is our news and our history in the making.