Lelia Foley Davis A Name You Should Know

Lelia Foley Davis was the first African American woman to be elected mayor in the United States. She lost her seat and regained it again. She was and currently is mayor of the all black town, Taft, Oklahoma. EVERYDAY is Black History.

Davis was born on November 7, 1942, and raised in Taft, Foley-Davis graduated in 1960 from Moton High School. In January 1973, Foley was a divorced mother of five, surviving on welfare. She had run for a spot on the school board of Taft, Oklahoma. She lost the election, but was inspired to positively changer her town and by the successful election A. J. Cooper as mayor of Pritchard, Alabama. Davis raised $200 dollars from her supporters and family. She then pursued Tafts’ mayoral seat.

On April 3, 1973, the citizens of Taft elected Foley as mayor. In doing so, she became the first African American female mayor in United States history. Her election predates that of Doris A. Davis, who was elected mayor of Compton, California later that year. In the wake of her victory, Foley would confer with Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. In 1974, Oklahoma named Foley Outstanding Woman of the Year. Davis lost her mayoral seat in the 1980s,, however she continued to serve her community. In 2000, known Lelia Foley-Davis regained her position as mayor. At the beginning of the twenty-first century she continued to reside in Taft, where local highway signage proclaimed the town “the Home of Lelia Foley-Davis.”

Lelia Foley Davis is truly an amazing black women pioneer. She was the first black woman to become mayor of an American city. This accomplishment is grand. What is grander is Davis ability to strive despite difficulty. Davis was a single parent of five children, but still felt passionate about pursuing her dreams of helping her town. She did not become a victim of her circumstance. She exuded the inner strength, confidence and hard work needed to reach her aspirations. Family, this is what we must do to. We must not become victims of our circumstance. We can change any problems that enter our lives, as long as we do not give up. Use your situations as Davis did to motivate you towards triumph and happiness. We can all become better and have our lives flourish if we make it happen and believe in ourselves. ~Know Your Worth~ -M. Millie

 

When History is a Lie, what do you do?

Yes, our history. Black History spans centuries far before the Civil Rights movement and slavery. We were the first. We were the first people in Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, Australia and Antarctica. This is ludicrous? There is no proof to validate this? This is what people who want to keep you from your true history will say. They will try to make you  believe this because they want to continue to use systematic tactics of oppression and degradation. They want us to believe that we are powerless. They want us to question our abilities and value. Have you ever heard of the Willie Lynch syndrome? Well, it is real, and it is alive and working through the minds of many of us.

What do you do to combat this? Look for history books that are not made by the oppressor. Visit the walls of tombs in Europe, India and Africa. Look to find that there are images of us as champions of success, rulers, leaders and warriors before that of the European. Look to immerse yourself in the knowledge that we were the first creators of Mathematics, Literature, Science and Architecture.

There is a wonderful two-part documentary called Hidden Colors. This movie gives factual traceable evidence of the greater lineage we blacks, African-Americans, Caribbeans, Africans and Afro people come from.  You can find the link here to the website  www.hiddencolorsfilm.com Upon watching this movie I thought it was 30% true, with exaggerated details. Oh, was I wonderfully surprised.

As I began to research some of the topics in the movie from the true founder of the art Karate, to the destruction of the Tasmanian people, to the Moors of Ethiopia, I learned how much history has been distorted. When I learned about the truth with Michelangelo and the Sixteenth chapel I could not believe my ears. You see, our image is worshiped throughout the world. Our great contributions to the development to life on Earth is known by everyone else, but us. Our contributions were stolen, because they feared us as they do now.

Here is that question again. What do you do when your history has been a lie? What do you do when the feeling of insecurity, the feeling of worthlessness, the feeling of degradation has been indoctrinated in you throughout your educational, family and societal experiences? What do you do. Reclaim the truth. Educate yourself with our real history and teach others. Teach your daughters, sons, husband and wife. Teach them that greatness is in their veins.

Yes, we were kings and queens. Yes, we were rulers, but we were and are still so much more than that. We single-handedly created the seeds to flourish all the conveniences that people enjoy today, We set the foundation. We were the brains behind it all. Stop allowing fear to cloud your mind. Stop allowing fear to subjugate you from learning your real worth. Learn where you come from and be a vessel for change and continued greatness.

Our ancestors, with the mark they have made and the accomplishments they have reached have sewed within us all we need to survive, achieve, maintain and win at life. Use the gifts, knowledge and understanding of our past to propel you forward always.

-M. Millie

 

Your hair, but everyone else cares. WHY?

I recoiled as I sat on the train today and watched the dialogue between two white women and a black man. The group was discussing hair. White woman 1 remarked that she thinks spiky gelled hair is cool. White woman 2 said yeah spiky gelled hair with color. White woman 1 expressed that their black male friend could achieve this hair style. She then started to pet his hair as if he was an animal. She then said yeah your a chia pet. As in the animal plant chia pets that grow when you water them. WHAT! You are calling the texture of this black mans hair a chia pet. She then said I want you to be my chia pet. No, I will just buy one. I wanted one in college. Your lame attempts to buffer your statement will not work. You are disrespecting this man and his hair, that can achieve styles your bone straight hair could never achieve. You see family, this woman was actually jealous of this mans hair. She knew that her hair texture would never allow her to achieve spiky gelled hair the way she would want. She knows that her black male companions hair can. Instead of complementing him on the versatility of his hair, she calls his hair a chia pet. She degraded him, without the man even realizing it. She then says that he is her chia pet. So, this man is your animal. Her words speak to the psyches of white women. The privilege they feel their skin grants them.

This made me think about how black women are demeaned because of our natural hair, or our choices to utilize various styles with our hair. I am a big believer that we black women have divine beautiful hair. Our hair can be manipulated and done in various styles.

We can wear our hair natural  straightened, coiled, curly, colored, shaved. short, long, wavy, permed, texturized, etc. However, when we strive to reject the Western and American standards of beauty we get criticized. Take Solange Knowles for example. This black woman has boldly defied  what society dictates as beautiful and embraced her natural hair. She has been criticized by naturals about the way her natural hair looked. Read story here http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2158324/Solange-Knowles-proudly-defends-afro-critics-natural-hair-unkempt-dry-heck.html

Solange was also criticized by a white female twitter  about her hair. She stated that Solange would look better with a relaxer. Solange shut her down of course, but why all the criticism? It should not be deemed a problem if we black women want to embrace our natural hair. It should not be a problem if we want to straighten it, curl it etc. I salute any woman who wears her hair proudly and focuses more on who she is than the hair on her head. Yes, there are positives and negatives regarding whatever hairstyle, and hair choice a black woman may choose. However, it is her choice. We need to stop judging each other and grow up. Hair is hair. It sheds, it grows, it falls out. The person that you are is more important.

Also, never let anyone, not a another black woman, man, white man, white woman, etc. degrade you because of your hair choice.Your hair choice is yours. Do what makes you happy. Oh, and love yourself and your hair.