Shortly after Rosa Parks gave up her seat, a vice chancellor was born; however, when she was younger no one could have imagined it because they were female, African American and lived in the same state that the Boycott took place in, Alabama. This is my own mother who had to overcome insurmountable odds to get to where she is today and this is her story.
My mom was born on a June day. She is daughter of . My grandmother was a country girl who was the daughter of sharecroppers, a system developed by former slave owners in which black people who got very little money for the crops they produced and were trapped on the land. My grandma was born in the 30’s during the depression which made it especially hard for her family to get ahead. My Grandfather lived on the farm in Alabama which his grandfather, who was freed by the slaves as a had bought.
My mom was brown in a time period where her mom was inevitably referred to as a girl and her dad was always a boy. Because of the color of their skin, my grandparents endured segregation. In my mom’s neighborhood was all black and whenever my mom went to town with her mom she was exposed to the bomb mine of the ways of white people. My mom remembers asking my grandmother why she had to cross the street for white people. My mom remembers hearing my grandmother telling her about that at work, as a cook she was forced to go through the back door. her job as a cook for white people, yet home was still home for my mother. When she was born she already had four siblings, that all attended segregated schools, to look out for her. My mom also grew up with both set of grandparents to look out for her.
The pivotal movement that would allow my mom and her siblings to reach their fullest potential came when my grandpa moved the family to California. It came shortly after my mom turned five. My grandpa moved the family because he was in the military and had to pick between Texas and California. He chose California because he had already had relatives there. I am forever grateful that my grandpa chose California because without that choice I would not be here.
One day when my grandma was helping my mom study she told her that she could be a doctor because she was so smart. My mom did not actually believe her. Even though my mom could attend the public school in California she had never thought that she could be a doctor because there were no African American doctors in Sacramento. Still life was good in the state capital. My grandma and grandpa became really busy when they moved to California. Grandpa continued to work at McClellan Air Force Base in North Highlands. My grandmother, who knew that education was the key to a better future, got her teaching credential while raising her five kids and working. By the time my mom graduated from high school after three years she already had siblings that had been in the college system. My mom decided to go to University of the Pacific in Stockton which was close to her parents and little brother, who is a decade younger than she.
The future vice chancellor of diversity for UCSF graduated from UOP she went to medical school at UCSF. She spent a year in Los Angles, yet she would return to UCSF for her residency. In residency one of her black professors encourage her to go into academic medicine. This choice would ground her for a very long time.
In residency my mom met a handsome half white half Mexican man who was the eldest of six children. He also had an interesting story. This man, my father, was a wise soul who loved to read. He was from a poor family and was born in Oregon. He was the only person to graduate from high school. He also came with a little boy, from his first marriage, who was cute funny and enjoyed Ninja Turtles and baseball. Although my father was a different race and had a kid, she fell in love and the couple soon got married.
Shortly after my parents married. The best thing that happened to them was born. I was born a few months shy of their one year anniversary. I was the first child that my mother had actually carried around for eight months, I was born prematurely. When I was born Natalie Cole’s “Unforgettable” was playing in the delivery room. My mom had thought that that song was predicting the unforgettable stuff that I would do. It turned out that it was the song both mother and daughter would live up to.
A year after I was born doctors told my parents that I had Cerebral Palsy. My mom got me all the help I needed, yet she never gave up her work. I was joined by two little sisters that would serve as good teachers for me as I got older, but until then that meant she had three little kids at home the eldest had disabilities. Most people would have given up their jobs to care for their disabled toddler, but my mom never did take off more than she had . During this time my mom worked at two sites, taking care of patients and doing research, Mymom and dad found the best nanny’s to care for us and they would assume all parental duties during the day. Growing up I wished that my mom had been a Stay at home mom, yet I am glad she did not because America needed her to work.
When I was seven years old it was the down of a new millennium and the first time that my mother would become a leader who championed the rights of minorities, That year she would become chief of staff at UCSF. Soon after that she was promoted to associate dean of the medical school. She would be a there for a while. She also became involved in her community outside the hospital. She joined the Commission on disabilities and the compassion on the status of women. She also started began to travel a lot. When I was in middle school my mom began traveling to Washington DC to be on the board on women in medicine and science, The national board challenges the fact that not a lot of women are in leadership roles yet they were more women in medicine. All of this meant travelling advocating and doing countless hours of writing and practicing long into the night.
In the fall of 2010 my mom interviewed for the vice chancellor of diversity. She got the position. My family and I were so excited. Last January we went to a ceremony honoring her work. Going to the event made me realize her impact that she had in her professional life. She became the first female African American vice chancellor in the University of California system. During that time my mom has implemented programs that improve the diversity at UCSF .
Mom is a hard worker, She began working at the age of 16 and has not looked back since. Renee is so wonderful and amazing. She has won numerous of awards and recognition . My mom has shown me that with hard work anything is possible. She has shown me the racism can be overcome and we must keep fighting until everyone has a fair shot at life. She is my mom and I am so honored that her blood runs through my veins. When I think of her accomplishments I feel proud to call her my mom. She has showed me through her actions, those are bigger than words, anyone can make a difference in the lives of others.
Happy mothers day to al the mom's out there
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