The 1950’s saw a series of victories that forever changed how African-Americans would live and be heard in the United States. Gwendolyn Brooks became the first African-American to receive the Pulitzer Prize for poetry. Segregated schools were declared unconstitutional in the 1954 ruling of Brown v. Board of Education. Through the signing of The Civil Rights Act of 1957, millions of African-Americans received federal protections to ensure their Constitutional rights, including the right to vote. These victories led to the legal integration of public schools, neighborhoods, and workplaces. People living in this era used organized public protest, marches, and demonstrations that led to legalized policy changes confronting systematic oppression. The 1960s brought the appointment of Thurgood Marshall to The U. S. Supreme Court, the rise of the Black Panther Party, the election of Shirley Chisholm to the U. S. House of Representatives, and Arthur Ashe’s men’s singles victory at the U. S. Open. Even though war raged in Vietnam by the 1970s, African-Americans were making significant gains in America’s political, military, educational, entertainment, sports, and corporate systems. African-Americans were becoming recognized leaders in America’s newly integrated society. Faith’s next two models bridged these two generations - the 1950’s Baby Boomers and the 1970’s Generation Xers. Marita Willis is a Baby Boomer born during the 1950s. I first met Marita while working at PNC Bank in 2012. She was a VP of Community Development Banking. I grew up in Louisville, KY, home of the Kentucky Derby. The Kentucky Derby Festival (KDF) is a major production consisting of weeks of events leading to the Kentucky Derby Horse Race. As a black girl from a working-class family, I never knew anyone who looked like me who worked with the KDF. KDF officials always wore a special, uniquely equestrian jacket. Marita was the first African-American person I had ever seen wear this jacket, because she was a member of the KDF Board of Directors. In June 2018, Marita was elected Chair of the 2019 Kentucky Derby Festival. But her commitment to community stretches beyond the KDF. You can find her supporting such causes as The American Red Cross, Norton Childrens Hospital, and Cabbage Patch Settlement House. I’ve gotten to know Marita better over the years and I have always been impressed with her confidence, poise, and style. Our family sees Marita and her husband most often at church. Faith is constantly impressed by Marita’s fashion sense. She consistently demonstrates a bold confidence and seizes life. I’m always drawn by her smile. Marita has experienced traumatic losses. Marita was blessed with two beautiful children, Ra’Tonya Willis Friedman and RaShaan Roland Willis. In 1997, during torrential Louisville rainstorms, Rashaan’s car was washed off the road and submerged in water. RaShaan died at 16 years old as a result of the accident. RaShaan and Faith share the same birthday. Nearly twenty years later, Ra’Tonya, lost her battle with sickle cell disease. Faith worked with Ra’Tonya to style a fashion photo shoot where they quickly bonded. Marita has shown me how to find joy through pain. One of the funniest stories, Marita shared with me was how she returned her AARP card because she wasn’t ready to be labeled a senior citizen at the age of 50. She’ll probably never accept that label! Marita grew up in Louisville’s Park Hill housing projects, attended Catholic schools, and achieved considerable influence in our community. I believe this is partly due to her refusal to accept other people’s labels. Instead, she defines her own destiny and surrounds herself with supports that encourage her desires. I am the Generation Xer who Faith chose as her model. I don’t want to assume why a teen chose me as one of her honored women, but I hope it has something to do with the fact that I’m the vessel that God used to give her life. (By the way, I never received one of those personal handwritten notes from Faith.) If you ever see Faith, you’ll have to ask her why she chose her mother and art collaborator as a model.
1 Comment
Ria Chandler
11/5/2018 09:44:45 am
This was a great article!!!!!! FYI - AARP has great discounts!!!! Tell Marita to get that card back ASAP!!! LOL!!!!
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AuthorRamona Dallum Lindsey is an artist, speaker and curious citizen who finds strength in the wisdom of her elders. Archives
February 2019
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