Empowering Women: Celebrating Strength, Resilience, and Success
Empowering Women: Celebrating Strength, Resilience, and Success featuring Deputy Director Daphne Cunningham, PhD
I sometimes wonder how I ended up with two exceptional mothers — both of whom have inspired me more than they will ever know.
I was raised by my grandmother, Mary Ella Dale, in the rural town of McWilliams, Alabama, a town of fewer than 200 people. In fact, today, it is nearly a ghost town, with fewer than 30 people remaining. Although our town was very primitive and very poor, being raised by my grandmother, I never felt less than anyone else. She raised both me and my first cousin after her three children were grown. She instilled values in us like faith, honesty, discipline, trustworthiness, and respect for others, regardless of their background. She treated us equally and would not accept less than the best from either of us. My grandmother had the special gift of being strict while also being nurturing which meant that she could make us feel valued even when we were being disciplined.
Though she only had an eighth-grade education, I think of her as the most brilliant woman I have ever known, because she could navigate any environment with just the little that she had. In fact, her mantra was "Give until it hurts" — meaning that no matter how little or how much one has, giving should feel impactful; after all, if we don't feel the impact, have we truly "given" anything? With that, I grew up witnessing her take what little she had to help those who had even less. My grandmother's brilliant mind began to give way to Alzheimer’s in her late 70s, and she endured its ups and downs until she passed away in 2010 at 86 years old.
My grandmother raised me so that my mother could graduate college, which brings me to my second inspirational figure, my biological mother, Susan. Determined to leave the confines of rural Alabama, my mother left home and traveled to Marshall, Texas, where she studied Elementary Education and History at Wiley College. She was one of the first people in my family to obtain a college degree. I learned so much at a young age because of her. This foundation inspired me to always want to learn new things and to do my best.
Shortly after graduating, she got on a bus and went to Dallas— by herself. She began her professional career there, where she taught for over 30 years. As a teacher, my mother always chose to work with youth in underserved areas. She loved teaching and felt strongly that her place was in the classroom with the students.
She didn't drive and often joked that she spent most of her salary taking a taxi to get to and from work, but she would not have it any other way.
As fate would have it, my mother became ill during the pandemic, and she never recovered; she passed away in 2020 at the young age of 67. She spent her last year teaching virtually, which she absolutely abhorred. In one of my last conversations with her, she stated that she missed her "kids," and by that, I knew she meant her students. She was looking forward to getting back into the classroom, but that was not to be. It became abundantly clear after her passing just how impactful her teaching had been when my sister shared with me a few social media posts wherein former students talked about how my mom never gave up on them, or how they looked to her as a mother figure.
These two mothers inspire me because they were both very humble, yet very confident, and most of all, they cared for those in need. These are just a few of the great qualities they modeled that I have tried to carry with me along the way. I consider it the highest compliment to be told that I remind others of either of these great women. It gives me great joy to honor them.
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