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Welcome to the Sixties
Margaret Leigh Breeden was born to Jeanne Marie Breeden and James Pleasent Breeden in Boston, MA. On a snowy February evening. She was the first born. While in the hospital the nurses cooed over baby Margaret and her rosey complextion. But when they came in to fill out her birth certificate, they had written White as her race and her mother corrected them letting them know her father was black, to which the Irish nurse frowned and wrote Colored. -
Sister, Sister
Jeanne and James adopted a baby girl, Johanna Marie, to Margaret's dismay. She was expecting a baby girl, not an independent toddler.
Due to her parents involvement in the Civil Rights Movement there was a constant flow of adults and teenagers resulting in a very spoiled toddler. Margaret was not ready to share the spotlight and she was not afraid to express it! She told her parents one day that she wanted to kick her newly arrived sister off the porch and "make her dead like Nueve"(dog) -
Picnic or a Picket?
At the age of 3 when told she was going on a picnic, Margaret began marching around singing 'We Shall Overcome'...a true child of the sixties! -
A Baby Brother
Margaret got a baby brother Fredrick Breeden born in New York. Very quickly after the arrival of her sister. Her attittude towards siblings had drastically changed. She became more nurturing because the baby she had wanted finally arrived. -
Education At It's Best
Margaret's parents enrolled her and her two siblings into Highland Park Free School, a community run Afro-centric school. -
Now We're Complete
Margaret's youngest brother arrives at 2 and 1/2. She thought it was the best Christmas present she had ever got and she gloated to her friends. -
Africa Bound
At 11, Margaret and her family pack up and move to Tanzania. Her father got job working at the University of Dar es Salaam. Their first year, the children were enrolled in the local primary school which was taught solely in Swahili. Each day they also had to attend "Mommy School" to supplement their education. -
Africa Rich
Days were filled with an bombardment of newness. Smells, tastes, colors and sounds. From running over a Puff adder (snake) repeatedly their first night to climbing on trees to grab the exotic fruit their classmate told them about the Breeden children had the experience of a lifetime. -
Roadside Mechanics
While on a safari in Tanzania, the Breeden family's VW Camper bus broke down in a Muslim village. It was during Ramadan and so they fasted during the day and ate at night. Children were allowed to eat but Margaret at the Chiefs daughter, who was the same age and spoke english, tried to fast with the grown-ups. They stayed for a week, men lifted the car onto metal bowls and took all the parts out and putting them back. Besides forgeting to connect the reverse wire the car was fixed. -
Home to America
After 2 years in Africa Margaret and her family return to the United States and resided in Lexington, MA -
To Sweden I Go
After making friends with many people in Africa, on the way home Margeret flew alone from Tanzania to Sweden to visit her friend CeCe. She bought beer for the first time, which was legal there due to it's low concentration of alcohol. She ate her first and only chocolate covered ant and fried grasshopper. -
No Child Over Here
On her way to Boston from Sweden, Margaret did not want to wear her child identifying badge because she wanted to be grown-up. She flew from Sweden to Denmark to New York to Boston without it. -
Wait...Where Are We?
The Breeden family experiented major culture shock when they returned to America. Not only was it different then Africa but it was differnt from Roxbury, the place they left. -
One In The Same
Upon arriving in Lexington Margaret attended the Clarke Janoor High School. During gym class one day the kids were running on tot he field and Margaret was running a litle slower that the others. It just so happenes the other student running slower were black aswell. The gym teacher proceeded to suggest that "you guys" should mingle. She told the gym teacher that she was new and didn't know the other students. This was the first time racism was directed at Margaret and she was taken aback. -
Minnisota
The Breeden family took a driving trip to visit Margaret's paternel grandparents. After that visit they continued on to Montana to visit one of James' Harvard students, Lenore Stiffarm. Her father was an Indian Chief and they lived on an Indian Reservation. The Chief didn't have any electricity. She remembers him cooking thick-slabed bacon on an open fire with mountain's in the background. -
First Job
Margaret got her first job at a Nursing home. She had woked before, babysitting, but this job needed more crudenctials. She rememebers having to blend EVERYTHING. One time for someones birthday they got a cake and it had to be blend -
The Start of a Lifelong Career
At 17 Margaret began modeling. It started at Mademoiselle Magazine. Her first shoot was of her roller skating. She was so bad at skating tht the only pictures they had of her were her falling and tiring her skates, sitting down. -
Enid Goldsmith
Modeling Agent. Make-up aritst. Mentor and Life Long Friend. She took Margaret under her wing and exposed her to the world of high fashion modeling. -
Athens, Greece
Traveling to Greece was Margaret's first taste of modeling abroad. A drastic cultural difference that she found insteresting was the amount of smoking. Everyone was a smoker and if you refused a cigarette, as my mother did, they seemed offended. -
Mulan, Italy
Margaret lived with a lot of models in a hotel. It was the first time she lived on her own without knowing anyone. She was with a small agency that didn't have a lot of capital. She learned a lot about Italian cuisine and culure. Returning 8 months later, she stayed with a friend and his girlfriend who had 2 cats, 1 dog all in a 1 bedroom apartment. His girlfrend became Margarets best friend, and still is to this day. This time Margaret was signed with an established agency, Ricardo Gay. -
Too England and Paris I Go
In between Italy and England Margaret worked in New York with Elite Model Management. She flew to England for an editorial shoot with Harper and Queens Magazine. Margaret was able to collaborate with photographers and friends, helping her explore her abilities as a model. It was a cosmopolitian city. Although she didn't know the language, Paris was a big beautiful city. -
Hollywood Fever
Upon her arrival to Hollywood Margaret could see how people could easily get swept up in the Hollywood atmosphere. Everyone wanted to 'make it'. -
Espana
Margaret went to Spain and stayed with really good friend, Kim Kennedy. She did a lot of modeling. She was really able to imerse herself in the culture. Spanish people seemed to really love to live. They're passionate about their family, food and polotics. She enjoyed her trips to Majorca with her friends where they stayed in a villa with 11 people. She started her mornings watching the sun rise over the Mediterainisn and ended with dark starry nights. -
Spain Round 2
Margaret travelled to Spain 2 Summers in a row. Out of the countries she went to, Margaret considered living in Spain. -
We Workout
Margaret was a workout fiend. One day she saw a tall man whom she thought was African prince, due to his high cheekbones and quiet manner. He turned out to be a guy from the projects in Chicago. Margaret did an extra set of abs that day... -
A New Home For Margaret
Margaret moves in Johnny Stevens, which starts a new chapter in her life. -
A Daughter
The most important event in Margarets life was when she gave birth to Johanna Breeden-Stevens in Chhicago, Ill. The doctor reported that she smiled throughout the entire delivery. Anxious to meet her child. After the delivery the nurses cleaned Johanna, me, up and proceeded to hand me to my father, Margaret said "Give me my baby!" She had waited 9 months for this moments and couldn't wait any longer. -
In Love
It became more and more clear how special Johanna was to Margaret, and how much she enjoyed and cherrished being her mother. -
Johanna Flys the Coop
Johanna First Day of School was a day of pride for Margaret and Johnny. Johanna and her friend Morgan were SUPER excited. -
Return to Boston
Margaret and Johanna moved back to Massachusetts due to Margaret and Johnny's seperation. Margaret starts her life as a single parent. -
Search For A New School
Margaret searches for a school worthy of her daughters attendence. She finds Wellesley Public Schools, through METCO. -
More Perminence
After living in Boston for a year, Margaret finally settled on a job near home. It was very child friendly and enabled her to support Johanna is many ways. -
Family Time
Since she has moved east, Margaret has gotten to spend more time with her family. They are smart, caring, funny and loving.
