"Memoirs are the backstairs of history." George Meredith
Last week I wrote about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and how his existence made a difference in my life, both personally and professionally. I also mentioned the many people of color who have enriched, challenged and mentored me. One of those mentors was Louise McKinney, an amazing woman I first met when she was a principal at Sacajawea Elementary School and I was assigned to that school as a beginning teacher. Her belief in me and the example she set as an academic leader was the foundation on which I built my own success in the classroom, and the inspiration to be all that I could be.
Our paths touched throughout the years, even as she rose to be the Director of the Office of Academic Achievement in Seattle Public Schools, and I went from Sacajawea, Alki and finally to Martin Luther King Elementary School (MLK) where I stayed for l8 years.
It was logical then, that when financial good fortune allowed my husband and I to found the Martin Luther King School Dream Foundation, Louise would become a board member. Our mission was to give scholarships to former students of MLK and we have been doing that since 1999. Since then she has retired, I have retired and the school has closed, but her belief in me and my appreciation of her have not wavered.
In addition to her academic endeavors, she was also the wife of Rev. Samuel McKinney, retired pastor of Seattle’s Mount Zion Baptist Church. I have long known about their importance and influence in the Seattle community, and that they knew Martin Luther King, Jr. and his wife, Coretta, personally. It was only in a recent conversation with Louise that I learned the extent of their friendship with the Kings, and just how big a role they played in helping bring racial equality to our country. We have in them a local treasure trove of historical stories and insights.
How Martin and Samuel met, became friends, and later classmates at Morehouse College, and how they and others like them changed the face of America with planned peaceful demonstrations is another story, among many already written, that needs to be told. It was fascinating to hear firsthand how Martin went from being a shy, quiet child, to the dynamic inspirational speaker we all knew. Somehow hearing Louise talk about those early years of the peace movement, as one who had been there and participated, makes Dr. King and that time period more real. Here is another anecdote she shared that touched my heart and made this god-like man seem so real.
In November of 1961, Martin came to speak in Seattle at the Eagle’s Auditorium, now ACT. At that time Louise was a young mother of a six year old and a 2 month old. She desperately wanted to hear the speech, but the baby was colicky and would not stop crying. When Martin arrived at their home and saw the crying baby, he picked her up, comforted her, and within short order the baby was sleeping in his arms. He insisted that the distressed mother find a babysitter so that she could attend the performance along with her husband.
What a story! In my recent conversation with Louise I urged her to write her memoir, and that her husband do the same. It is so important to hear what really happened from those who were present, rather than reading a biography that might be incomplete and carry some mistruths.
Sadly I was not able to take my own advice. I had planned to write a family memoir called “Point of View” which would have shown how birth order over a twenty year span of time affects family dynamics. I was second youngest of seven children whose lives spanned the period before the Great Depression until the present day with all its technological advances. My procrastination meant that two sisters passed away before I could accomplish my task. If I ever do manage to write my family’s story, it will certainly not be as accurate as it could have been.
If you are reading this article, then you are showing an interest in people and events. You too have memories that need to be documented in order to recognize your place in history and what it might mean for those in your family who come after you. Here is an example. My husband’s grandfather left a small daily journal among his belongings, and many entries were simply the day to day events of his life at the time. Simple as it was, it was fascinating to read about his going to town in a horse drawn wagon, buying supplies, returning to do farm chores and the like.
I guess what I am saying is that your history doesn’t have to be as dramatic as that of Louise McKinney. It will still be of interest to your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. So don’t delay. Start tonight and write a few sentences about your day. Future generations will thank you.
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