Episode 14: Mary Watson on turning personal pain into power for others
Mary Watson grew up in terrifying chaos. Her mom suffered from a severe mental illness, her dad, from alcoholism. Because of their neglect, Mary and her 10 siblings were scattered into foster care when she was 15.
Mary faced poverty, racism and child neglect with a fierceness and clarity of spirit that allowed her to turn personal pain into power, hurt into help for others. She taught for years, then wrote 28 lessons for African-American families, one for each day of Black History Month. She also wrote the book, “Wisdom Warriors” featuring a child named Skye and her wise grandparents.
My takeaways:
Read, read, read. Books can and do save people.
Fall in love with your culture and no one can make you feel inferior.
“You can have a rewarding life if you accept that you are now responsible for your life moving forward.”
“Celebrate our rich cultural history every day of every year, because we are African American every day of every year, and not just during African American History Month.”
“We become what our purpose in life is by consistently making good choices.”
Official Bio:
Mary Watson fell in love with learning as a little girl. Having earned the privilege to attend a catholic school not far from her home, Mary was very aware of how her learning experience was different than her white counterparts. Yet, this experience did nothing, but inspire her to rise above the bar of low expectations the Nuns set for her, and for the other children of color. Upon graduating from The College at Brockport, a state university of New York, located just outside Rochester, she grew from being a “self-loathing burden” of the state of New York, to an award-winning teacher who instilled cultural pride in her African American students.
Born in Ansonia, Connecticut, Mary Cole Watson was the second of eleven children. Her world was often marred in chaos and confusion. Her mother suffered from an undiagnosed bout of mental illness, while her father suffered from alcoholism, like many men of color during the 1950’s.
Before Mary was whisked off to spend some of her most formative years in foster care, she had already made it up in her mind that she wanted to be a teacher. As early as the age of six, she found herself challenging the minds of her younger siblings with math, reading, and language writing in their makeshift classroom. Lined up on the floor in front of their beds, she would firmly articulate the correct spelling of the word for the day to her younger brother Gerard.
Mary made it her life goal to ensure the next generation of learners understood their designated place in African American heritage. Her drive resulted in graduating Magna Cum Laude, and later the recipient of a Full Graduate Assistantship to the University of Toledo, with a Masters in Early Childhood Education and Reading.
She is the author of “Wisdom Warriors” and the 28 Lessons for African- American Families.
Websites and links: