
Just in time for Mother’s Day, University of Baltimore MFA student Roxanne V. Young remembers her mom’s sage advice on black pride, self-confidence, and still more.
- I’m Black and I’m Proud (James Brown)
My mother was the consummate teacher in the classroom and in life.
It was a frigid January afternoon, but I was enjoying the warmth of rare one-on-one time with my mother. We both had skipped school that day to celebrate my 10th birthday. On January 18, 1965 we sat down at the lunch counter at a Baltimore Woolworth’s. It was my first time dining out with my mother. While we waited for the waitress, she took a few minutes to discreetly give me a quick lesson on proper table etiquette.