By Shirley Mays, Editor
The woman who would become my mother, Earlene Elizabeth Jackson, graduated at the top of her class from Central High School in Cleveland, Ohio in June 1943. Her original plan was to attend Kentucky State University in the fall with her best friend and first cousin until fate intervened. While she and a group of friends were cruising the Cleveland city streets that summer, their car was hit from behind and her cousin was killed in this horrific car accident. The two boys in their car were seriously injured. My mother walked away from the accident without a scratch. She was devastated by the loss of her cousin and couldn’t fathom attending college in the fall. Rather than attend Kentucky State without her best friend by her side Earlene decided to remain in Cleveland and work for a few years. In 1946, she finally decided to pursue her dream of attending college once again and enrolled in Wilberforce University (WU), majoring in elementary education.
The man who would become my father, Lawson Watts Mays, graduated from Paul Lawrence Dunbar High School in Dayton, Ohio in June 1940. He worked at various odd jobs in the city before he was drafted into the army in 1941, eventually serving during WWII in his segregated army unit (segregation in the armed forces remained official policy until President Truman changed that in 1948) when he was discharged in 1946. After his discharge, he was pleased to use his GI bill to attend WU. Lawson had a logical mind, and he decided to major in industrial technology.
WU was established in 1856 as a joint venture between the Methodist Episcopal Church and the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Located in Wilberforce, Ohio both the town and the school were named after 18th century abolitionist William Wilberforce. WU was the first private, historically black university in the United States. It was built to support the abolitionist cause and to offer African Americans a college education. Both Earlene and Lawson were delighted to attend this historically Black university and they made friends who would be their best buddies until the end of their days.
Mom and Dad loved to tell us stories of their early courtship. Mom was first introduced to Dad by their mutual friend, “Snookie.” Snookie and Mom had dated a bit but soon discovered they were better friends than romantic partners. On their first date, Dad wore his uniform and Mom always said that was it for her – she loved a man in a uniform! For his part, Dad always told Mom how great she smelled and would give her gifts of small vials of perfume, explaining to her that these were his favorite scents. It wasn’t until years after they married that Dad confessed he actually didn’t have the sense of smell.
My parents reveled in the time they spent in college. They both were children of the Great Depression and they were living their best lives in college. They had a love of learning, great friends and were steeped in an atmosphere of Black cultural pride. Ultimately, they decided to leave college after two years and get married. As an older vet Dad was anxious to begin making money so they could start their family. They married and became parents to three darling daughters.
My Dad’s mother was a domestic for a high-ranking official at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and she asked him to put in a good word for my Dad. He did and Dad was hired as a civilian at Wright-Patt where he rose to be the Division Chief of the Foreign Technology Division. His position required him to travel the world on TDY (Temporary Duty Yonder) and he would bring us marvelous gifts from his travels. He was quite a dapper man who loved clothes and loved to dress his three daughters in the latest fashions. We received puffy coats from Germany, fur hats from Scandinavia, and chocolate houses from Switzerland. Dad also served in the Air Force reserve, rising to the rank of Captain.
Mom was a stay-at-home mother who provided for our every need. She was quick to smile and slow to anger. She modeled the behavior she expected of us as young women and served as a shining example of a sweet, humble spirit. Mom also was wise enough to put a high premium on self-care. She was President of an organization called Leisurettes, Inc. whose sole mission was for its members to have fun. She also was a founding member of the Wilberforce community bridge club. The bridge ladies took turns hosting the club in their homes, and my Dad would graciously serve as host – setting up the card tables and chairs, running out to get ice, and sometimes serving as a fourth player when called to this duty.
My parents taught us the gift of laughter and discourse. Dad was a Republican and Mom was a Democrat, so we learned early on that there were at least two sides to every story. Our dinnertime conversations ran the gamut from the pros and cons of the civil rights movement to assessing the newest styles in Paris; from deconstructing the latest Blaxploitation movie to sharing a bit of local gossip. We also loved to sing and often would break out in song in the midst of these conversations; we were our own Broadway musicals.
Mom died on January 29, 2011. She and Dad would have celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary later that year in April. Dad died on June 13, 2012 shortly after his 90th birthday. Still today when I see something on the news or hear a funny story, I think to myself, “I’ve got to tell that to Mom and Dad. They’ll get a kick out of it!”
My celebration for Black History Month this year is to remember our family’s story of Black love. My sisters and I were blessed to have these two amazing pioneers as our parents, and we certainly are the better for it.
