"Dinner with 5 People, Living or Dead "- Women's History Month Edition

In honor of Women's History Month, your humble blogger figures it would be cool to give her answer to the question "If you were to have dinner with five people,  living or dead, who would it be and why?", featuring some unsung women who made history in their own way. This particular list isn't comprehensive, but a shout to those you probably wouldn't expect yours truly to mention

Ven. Henriette Delille

Venerable Henriette Delille was the founder of the Sisters of the Holy Family,  a Catholic women's religious congregation for free women of color in antebellum New Orleans. The congregation served among the sick poor in the city's black community in addition to founding a school for girls and an orphanage (1). Delille is declared Venerable, a step in the Catholic  Church's sainthood process.  Check out M. Shawn Copeland's The Subversive Power of Love for an intriguing look at her life and impact. (More on M. Shawn Copeland later)

Dorothy Day

Co-creator of the Catholic Worker movement, Day dedicated her life to those on the margins and to social justice. It's hard to say anything that hasn't already been said about her, so here's a great profile of her from the Sheen Center.

Thea Bowman 

(Picture courtesy of National Catholic Reporter)

Educator, evangelist and activist, Thea Bowman was the first Black sister in her Catholic religious congregation and the first black woman to address the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. She died 30 years ago today and is also on the road to sainthood in the Catholic Church (along with Delille and Day). Here's a nice profile on her and Claire Swinarski's fantastic interview on The with someone who knew her here

Mathilda Beasley

(Photo courtesy of Aleteia)

Like Henriette Delille, Mother Mathilda Beasley was a Black religious sister in the 19th Century South. Pre Civil War, she taught Black children, despite it being illegal in her hometown of Savannah, Georgia. That fact ialone was enough to put her on you humble blogger's list. Beasley went on to found the first Black Catholic women's religious order in Georgia.  Aleteia's article on her is one to check out.

M. Shawn Copeland 

(Picture courtesy of America Magazine)

Theologian and scholar M. Shawn Copeland's book Enfleshing Freedom was a game changer for your humble blogger when reading it. Thus, the list is rounded out with this former president of the Catholic Theological Society of America, the first Black woman to hold the position. It's easier to show rather  than explain why yours truly would love to have a dinner with this phenomenal figure,  so check out this.

On "Making our Way Home"

Your humble blogger just got through historian and activist Blair Imani's latest book, Making our Way Home: The Great Migration and the Black American Dream for Black History Month, and it's indeed worth to be on the shelves of every home in the country. Imani expertly weaves history and culture to present a necessary part of America's story.  Taut and comprehensive, it's an accessible exploration of over 60 years of not just Black history, but American history. Rachelle Baker's illustrations are gallery worthy.  Put together,  it is a work that deserves to be spread far and wide. In fact,  at her book signing I attended, Imani signed my copy to "share [the work] far and wide ", my hope is this does justice to her commission.

Inner G, or playing around with creativity

Thus far into 2020 your humble blogger decided to take an online course called Using Creative Problem Solving. One of the assignments inspired me to do tap into my playful side and come up with this

It's a "self portrait" I dub "Inner G" (Shout out to Janelle Monàe for the word play).

On World AIDS Day-A review of "The Gifts of the Body"

 

 

 

It's easy to let the adage "You have to know where you've been to know where you're going" go in one ear and out of the other.  However, in the fight against AIDS, the importance of remembrance can't be overstated.  Written in 1994, Rebecca Brown's The Gifts of the Body illustrates in simple yet gripping prose moments of those with the disease nearing their end and those caring for them.  The story is narrated by an unnamed home health care aide, who chronicles the stories of her clients (all of whom have AIDS) and events in her time with them.  In actuality, it's more than a chronicle.  Brown's writing has her narrator inviting the reader to the world she inhabits as opposed to detailing events. It is a heart rending display of the moments associated with caring for and being with someone as they prepare to leave this earth from a devastating disease. 

 

 Each page oozes with the sense of the dignity of the human person, and the moral heroism of upholding that through everyday actions, even as the recipient is nearing the end of life.  The narrator's respect for her clients as human beings and her determination to treat them as such are palpable.  Life is treated as a gift, which is even demonstrated how each chapter is titled "The Gift of...".  Such is necessary and illustrated so as the characters face the ravages of the AIDS virus.  The inevitable loss of death is treated with tender care, especially at the story's end. 

 

Things have come a long way in the AIDS battle since the era in which Rebecca Brown wrote Gifts.  Even then, as Brown illustrates, the fight has been about the right and duty for every person to be treated with dignity-especially in the face of illness and end of life.  At the same time, it's a timeless lesson. If we're going to progress, especially in the struggle against AIDS, honoring peoples' humanity has to be at it's core.



Book Review: Washington Through a Purple Veil

Many are familiar with noted political commentator of late memory Cokie Roberts.  The name of her mother, the late congresswoman Lindy Boggs, however, may not ring a bell. Boggs' memoir, Washington Through a Purple Veil: Memoirs of a Southern Woman, shows her to be a notable figure in her own right who deserves wider recognition.

The main word that came to mind when reading the book was astute.  Her ability to describe the world of politics, which had been a part of her life from her early years, demonstrates a keen awareness of how it works as well as the bigger picture of what it's for. She does it with the grace and charm typically associated with her heritage.   Entering the political scene through her work with husband Hale Boggs during his congressional career,  she went on to take over his seat when he disappeared during a plane trip. Hers was a rich life, full of faith,  family,  and service to the community.  

Washington through a Purple Veil is a worthwhile read, illustrating the best of what a life in politics can look like.  It's a beautifully woven portrait of a life dedicated to public service during a time of immense change.

Through ups and downs, Lindy Boggs demonstrated herself a character of remarkable strength and dogged devotion to serving others. 

Lessons From a Plant, Part 2

It's been a long time coming, but your humble blogger figured it's time to give an update on her plant situation. Sadly,  Ms. Stronàe kicked the bucket earlier this year.  It was a good run, as she lasted three years. In her passing,  she reiterated to yours truly the following:

1) You can only do your best, and be humble about it
When gardening is not your thing, don't expect the same results as someone who is a gardening or plant expert. While it was a bit disappointing to see Stronáe go after having done my best to maintain her. The experience taught me that keeping a plant alive for three years  is pretty good for someone that's a novice at the whole thing.  When you put forth your best effort, you have to be okay with that.

2) There can be self-conscious with any project,  but don't let it cloud your efforts.
Keeping a plant can raise one's self-consciousness level as it involves taking care of a life. While not the same as taking care of a human life, taking care of a plant is taking care of a life nonetheless. That means occasional moments where one finds themselves second-guessing what they're doing.  The result may be making a judgment that may cause damage instead of helping. Keeping in mind point number 1 can help in these times and also

3)You can begin again.
Despite the loss, your humble blogger decided to try the plant owning thing again.  Meet Cecile

She came from a local plant vendor and is holding up ok, given your humble blogger's attempts to put Stronáe's lessons into practice. 

Until next time,

Undoing knots-literally

(Image courtesy of churchpop.com)

Your humble blogger was yet again hit with a "truism worth resharing" moment. This time,  it was from trying to untangle my necklace that got knotted. The chain was so thin and delicate that the patience was seemingly literally the only way it got untangled. Rolling the knot though my fingers to loosen it up to the point where it could be opened some more with a paper clip took more time than I had patience to give.  Yet alas, there was no other choice but to let the process work itself out.  While it seems common knowledge,  the idea of working on being patient to undo the "knots" in life feels elusive sometimes. It may be worthwhile to find a moment to find where your patience muscle can be built and see some "knots" of life untangle.