29 Days of Black History, Day 1

 

Today marks the beginning of Black History Month, y'all! *cue Harmonyx rendition of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" appropriately followed by Tyga's "Rack City"*

If you've been following my blog for a while now, you may remember that I did a series last year 'round this time called 28 Days of American History.  My goal was to highlight an important figure in Black American history each day of the month. 

Welp...I'm back at it again. And I thought to myself, who better to start with than my mom, Sheila Washington!

Sheila Washington (February 1960 -- ) is a single mother of one girl and three boys, including Yours Truly--Trey aka Trey Dub, aka Croissanwich Shawty, aka Swaggamore Radmanovich--but this isn't 'bout me though.

Originally from New Haven, Connecticutt, Sheila relocated to North Carolina to raise her family in a small town called New London. Unfortunately, in 1991, she sustained a head injury from a near-fatal car accident that lead to memory loss, headaches, and the threat of seizures. With years of therapy, she was able to recover. But in her words, "The therapist were satisfied with the level that I had reached but I wasn't." She took it upon herself to continue building her cognitive skills by doing daily reading exercises.

She later went on to earn a 1-year degree in accounting from Stanly Community College, being inducted into Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. In 2007, she earned a 2-year degree in nursing and received the Caring From The Heart Award. She states, "I am more proud of that than I am of the Honor Society. I had worked my way from a disability to independence! Not only that, but now I could help others the same way the therapist team helped me."

Finally, in 2010, at the age of 50, she earned a B.S. in nursing from Winston-Salem State University. Most importanlty, she did all of this while working full-time and raising four kids alone, 3 of which she sent to UNC-Chapel Hill!

So, long story short, my mom made history. She may not be in our history books, or in your local news, but she was able to overcome obstacles and pass on a legacy of hard work, determination, and an unwavering faith in God. For that, I am forever grateful!