Black History Month - In Honor of Senior African American
Women by Mrs. Dorothy Barron
In honor of Black History Month, I wish to pay honor to Senior
African American Women, especially those who quietly go about their communities
utilizing their abilities, time and talents to make a positive difference and
note the deeds of one woman in particular. Such emphasizes the positive
difference one individual can make within a community and within the lives of
others.
As Co-founder and Director of the Organization, Parents
Focused on Education and prior to becoming injured and disabled in a bus
accident a valuable lesson about poverty (false assertion and propaganda that
the poor do not want to work) was reaffirmed and I was privileged to have met a
very special African American Senior Woman. Let me take a few minutes to share
a situation which emphasized both. Many women in an impoverished community,
which sat in the heart of a major city wanted jobs and approached our
organization for assistance. Most did not have adequate attire to wear for
seeking jobs or going to job interviews or resume writing skill.
It never ceases to amaze as to what can happen and be
accomplished when people work together. Our office sat in a building that housed
a number of government service agencies. Bringing those agency heads together
solved the job process and preparation issues.
My bright idea for having resolved the attire issue was to
teach the women how to sew. A business donated what appeared to have been a ton
of patterns in all sizes and quite a bit of sewing material. Things moved along
faster than I had expected and I had no seamstress. I could cut and pin, but
was learning myself and some of those patterns had so many pieces and
instructions that after I removed and viewed them, I had trouble just getting
the patterns back into their packages!
And then… with shoulders erect and firm steps, she stepped into the office carrying a
bag. She had heard that there was a need for her services as a Seamstress. In
her 70s, she appeared no older than 50 years of age. I believe she was a
retired school teacher; she certainly spoke like one- proper diction or
pronunciation and she walked and sat erect at all times. She would not take
monies for her services; she lived in the community and wanted to give back.
She taught us much more than sewing, as older people are prone to do. Our
Seamstress gave us wisdom, shared her experiences, exuded strength and was a
blessing in many ways. She was determined
that the sewn outfits meet her exacting standards and many seams were ripped
out and re-ripped, but upon completion, each woman had a beautifully sewn
outfit of her choosing with the assistance of this Seamstress.
At the end of the sewing class which lasted from 6-8 weeks; unbeknownst
to us all, she had been working on her own special project, which she
presented. In various African colors and materials, she had sewn an African
scarf and hat for each participant. What a wonderful surprise!
Once again and in Celebration of Black History
Month, we thank Senior African American Women (and men) for your time, energy, skills,
wisdom and contributions; a special thanks to our Seamstress who is no longer
among us, but whose impact and deeds, remain.
Mrs.
Dorothy Barron, Founder
E-mail: barron.dorothy@yahoo.com
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