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Day 1 - Happy Birthday!
This was my original birthday and culturally and socially very important for my maternal family. I was the first grandchild and changed the family dynamic significantly. Without that day, nothing would follow. -
Hometown Artwork
This picture was done by a local artist of the oldest building in my hometown. The town is in Southern Illinois and is home to approximately 1500 people and is strictly homogeneous. I was culturally ignorant from many perspectives and didn't meet a person of color until I was 10 years old. My hometown shaped my early opinions of people that didn't look like me and created a limited perspective of the world. -
Early Childhood
My maternal family was prominent in my hometown and was very in tune with what the neighbors might say or think. Emotions were kept in check, but with my birth, there was an opportunity for safe expression of emotion. My family became more physically affectionate after my birth. This made me feel loved and provided me with a special role in the family. -
Life at the Family Table
The table in my maternal grandparents home was the center of the universe for our family. All of our celebrations happened around that table. Sunday dinners were a weekly event with aunts, uncles, and cousins. After dinner, the men would move to the front porch, but the women set around and gossiped about town events. At this table is where I learned about family dynamics. -
Moving on Up!
My Father started a construction company in our area and quickly became a success. With the increase in money came an increase in status. We had a new home built and new cars were purchased. Nothing spoke to status more in our community than the annual family photo for the church directory. This change in finances provided me with a very secure early childhood. -
My Best Friend
Mary Ellen, the little girl on the lower right in the picture, moved to town in the second grade and quickly became my best friend. Her family was from Chicago and Catholic, which was very different from anything or anyone I had been exposed to up to this point. She was bright and interested in all the books I wanted to read. Her stories of Chicago allowed me to start thinking beyond my small community. This is the first time I began to believe there were bigger opportunities waiting. -
Moving to Texas!
My Father was offered an opportunity to grow his business in Corpus Christi, Tx. We moved when I was 11 years old. This was a turning point in my life. All I had ever known was within a few square miles of my hometown. I lost all my friends and daily access to my maternal family and was forced to start over in the sixth grade. While my world was getting bigger, I was experiencing the loss of all my cultural and social touch points. -
New Neighbors
Sra, Barry, and their two children were our new neighbors in Corpus Christi. Sra became my Mom's best friend and our families interacted frequently. Sra and Barry represented a first for me on many levels. This was the first time I had been exposed to a foreign culture and was the first time I had experienced an interracial couple. This was a turning point for me in understanding that the cultural and social norms I had experienced didn't represent the vast majority of the world. -
Robert Leong
In my teenage years, I was intent on expanding my view of the world. Robert was attending college in Texas and became a dear friend of mine. He asked me and my Mother to take a trip home with him to Malaysia. We said yes and this became one of the most interesting and informative journies of my life. I staying in his multi-generational home and was amazed at the close relationship between all generations. We experienced the beauty of Malaysia and this began my lifelong wanderlust. -
My Lauren
I became a Mother to a sweet little baby girl and carried on the family tradition of being a young mother. My mother had me at 21 and I had Lauren at 20. She redefined who I was as a human being and created an entirely new direction for my life. My world became about her needs and I made the decision to begin a career in real estate. This choice would lead to my decades-long sales career and provide a comfortable living for my family. -
My Son and Little One
I met and married and wonderful African American man in 1992. This was not accepted by the majority of my maternal family and led to a great deal of family conflict. I began to lean more on my in-laws for support and came to appreciate the loving acceptance from my husband's family. My son and daughter were born in 1997 and 1998 respectively and have taught me a great deal about the subtle, and not so subtle racism that exits in our society. -
My Dad
My Father was born in 1929 to a very poor family in St. Louis, MO. He was the oldest of 6 and started working at the age of 14 to support his family. Even though he only had a sixth-grade education, he remained curious and always learning up until his death in 2008 from cancer. My Father was the person I respected most in the world and turned to for advice. When he passed, I lost a dear friend and confidant. This was pivotal point in time for me and led to my decision to finish my educaiton. -
I did it - Graduation Day!
After many years, I graduated from TAMUC in December of last year with an undergraduate degree in Organizational Management. I have had many successes in life, but this was my proudest moment. I was the second person on my maternal side to graduate from college, the first was my oldest daughter Lauren, and I'm proud to say that all my children are in college today. Higher education has become the new norm for my family and has changed the expectation for future generations.
