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Birth
Susan was born in Bethesda, MD. -
Discovered Racism
Susan moved to Louisiana in the 6th grade. It was there she realized people could be racist. She was called names as her skin was very dark after living on the island for four years. -
Voted
Susan turned 18 in 1981. She wanted to make sure her voice was heard for her country and voted for the first time for the Presidential election in 1984. -
Began Attending College
In 1984 she started college. In an education class focusing on special needs students she had to do an obstacle course with various disabilities (blindfolded, on a crutch, in a wheelchair, etc.). This class opened her up to being more understanding and accepting of everyone. It was also at this time she realized she had a passion for working with exceptional children. -
Found Spiritual Family
Susan was exposed to a few different religions in her childhood and young adulthood. She was not overly religious. In 1990 she came to know and join the Universal Unitarian church. The Universal Unitarian church exposed her to many new ideas. It was here she finally found her spiritual place. -
Working With Immigrants
Susan found a new passion after retirement. She began working with immigrants, specifically those seeking asylum. The organization she began to work with is called, "Louisiana Advocates for Immigrants in Detention". In June 2021 she took her first immigrant to the airport. She said of the experience, "I literally felt like I was running the Underground Railroad." -
The Letter
Susan received a very nice letter from a man from Kyrgyzstan thanking us for helping. He said he was so afraid when ICE drove them to Shreveport and that he wept when he realized she and her team were kind people. He said they were the first people he had met in the US that treated him like a person. This was very life changing experience for her. -
A Particularly Rough Day At The Airport
When picking up some men at the airport, another passenger got in their faces accosting them and filming the men that they were there to pick up. Susan said that was the first time she truly felt afraid doing the work she is doing. When she arrived home and calmed down she reaffirmed that she would continue to help, no matter what other people did. -
Feeling Hopeful
Susan and the group she works with were a part of a Bloomberg News interview. The interview was on the ICE detention centers and their conditions. The assertation was made that these people were not prisoners, they were asylum seekers. These were people who were trying to seek refuge in the United States to escape persecution. -
The Future
The election results have worried Susan and her team. She is having a hard time thinking about the future of the project and is worried that decisions would be made that will bring danger to the people she tries to help.