Fearless
Smart
Adventurous
Ambitious
Funny
It’s a lofty goal, and one I’m not quite sure how to accomplish, but spending just a few moments chatting with her would inspire anyone to want to be better, do better, and do more.
I know Christmas Day is over, so consider Dr. Clemons’ story a Kwanzaa offering. Look at it as an inspirational and special gift in the spirit of three of the seven Kwanzaa principles: Purpose (Nia), Self-Determination (Kujichagulia), and Faith (Imani).
When I sat down and listened to Dr. Clemons talk about her educational journey along with Marlan, her grandson, I was astonished by her story. I couldn’t imagine anyone, but especially a single African-American woman during the 1930s, 40s, and 50s moving from state to state, college to college, in search of educational and professional advancement, often simply at the suggestion of a friend, co-worker, or employer. Her determination is inspirational to me even now.
There she sat across from me at her dining table eating her baked potato and salad and drinking a glass of red wine. Slender, smiling, wearing a beautiful crimson jacket, she recalled significant incidents from her nine decades with ease and a level of detail, I admit, I would struggle with as someone half her age.
Her quick wit and sharp mind kept us laughing and inspired all at once. Her friends are celebrating Lulamae’s 96th birthday and honoring her this week as “a lady of strength, dignity, and poise.” I would like to add fearlessness to that list.
Before I excused myself from the table she quoted a scripture she had recently heard an evangelist recite, “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” For her, it’s not just a scripture to recitee, it’s a guiding principle of a long and successful life.