The
Legacy of Mattie Blackshear
Mattie Blackshear, was born in Montgomery,
Texas raised "in town" in Navasota, Texas, one of two children, the daughter of
a butcher and raised by an aunt who was an insurance agent. She was one of the fortunate
ones who completed high school during a time when many men and women dropped out for
economic reasons.
She picked cotton occasionally during the school holidays, for extra money like kids today
work at McDonald's, not as a necessity. She grew up in store bought clothes and hats from
Patout and Perry's, the best of shops in Navasota, although at the time when a purchase
was made, an African-American could not try on the merchandise. Because her dad was a
butcher, she often talked of trading steaks for apples with kids for lunch, she had plenty
of meat, so much in fact when a hog was killed at home, the neighbors were all invited to
come for some.
As a youth I recall visiting her Aunt in Navasota in the 1960's and she had a party line
(the African American areas did not allow for private phone lines), and folks from all
over the neighborhood would come to use the phone, and in an emergency, this could be any
time of night.
She talked of her dad boldly wearing "silk shirts" on the streets of Downtown
Navasota, which she said was prohibited by law, and a Black man could be hung for such an
offense, but she said her dad was a rowdy fellow taken to fights with the backing of his
White employer for whom he ran the butcher shop. She also told me of her wonderful visits
to Montgomery, Texas where the parents of her mother (her mother died when Mattie was 8
years old) were farmers.
They had lots of land, and made everything from Molasses to crops of every kind, utilizing
field hands who her maternal grandmother she said fed first before the kids, who often got
the leftovers - the less desirable bonny chicken feet, necks, etc. She teasingly said she
didn't know the chicken had other parts when she visited there. But the food was plentiful
in Montgomery, cakes and pies, and the feeling was to feed everyone - the workers, the
family, neighbors.
I think that is where she got the notion that she wanted to feed everyone too, and anyone
who visited her knows from her weekly Bible Studies Mattie held in her home to parties to
hosting of the Scattergood Club meetings to when I would have over my friends as we
planned the Coalition of 100 Black Women's luncheons - she would have food, food, food and
it also was indicative of her desire to be as her favorite poem "The House by the
Side of the Road".
Her husband of 51 years, Hubert Blackshear drove a Model-T with a rumble seat when she met
him, and he too had a concern for others and often drove folks who had no transportation
all over Texas. Her greatest legacy is her strong faith in God, some used to say - her
phone line was a prayer line. Folks who did not even know her would call for prayer. She
was always a seeker of the Truth, on the cutting edge from Science of Mind, to Unity to
Christian Science to the teachings of Saint Germaine ultimately to Lakewood Church, her
strong faith and commitment to God, showed not just in her words but in her deeds.
As a teacher of special education students, she often would bring the children home on
weekends to stay with us. She would buy them shoes, give them my books and toys, and try
to show them in class they could do it, regardless of their label at that time of
"educable mentally retarded".
She taught them to count using dominoes, to change money, to speak before groups and she
had several students who went on from her classroom to the regular room in junior high and
some who graduated from college!
She did not believe in labels. She taught over 40 years, first in a 1 room school house in
Plantersville where she had to arrive early to put the wood on the fire so the room would
be warm when the kids came, where they had slates not paper, and where the pay was $50 a
month (and that was when she was principal!). She believed in education for herself and
after attending Prairie View right out of high school, she later continued her education
ultimately earning two Master's degrees.
I would like to leave you with some of her advice to me that I hope you will take to
heart. Have confidence you can do anything as she would say, "Hitch your wagon to a
star", "do all you can while you can, while it is day - for at night no man can
work"… "choose your friends carefully" because "association
brings about assimilation", "Always put your best foot forward", "have
a vision", "bring them up to you, don't you go down to them", "dare to
be different", "love yourself", "make a difference", "Never
a borrower nor a lender be" … these things are her legacy.
Statistics on Mattie Blackshear
Parents: Ginga Bowen and Ella Jefferson Bowen
Church Affiliations: Baptized Friendship Baptist Church,
Navasota, Texas; Antioch Baptist Church, Unity Church of Christianity and Lakewood Church
Education: High School - Navasota High School, graduated
salutatorian
College: 1929, Prairie View State Normal and Industrial College
(currently Prairie View A&M University), Bachelor of Science in Education; Houston
College for Negroes in 1945, a Bachelor of Science Degree (issued Board of Regents of the
University of Houston). Master of Science in Education from Texas State University for
Negroes (currently Texas Southern University) in 1950 and a Master of Special Education
from Texas Woman's University.
Organizational Affiliations: Founding member and past president
of the Scattergood Club of Houston, the Retired Teachers Association, the Married Ladies
Art and Charity Club, former President, the Navasota Club of Houston, former president,
Good Samaritans, member of both the Philodendron and Gardenia Garden Club, where she
frequently coordinated flower shows and was known for her numerous sweepstakes and blue
ribbons for her unique and beautiful flower arranging as well as specimen she grew in her
yard at home.
Member of Court of Calanthe Royal Circle Court #236, Golden Triangle YWCA, Federated
Garden Clubs, American Association of Retired Persons, Christian Home workers, and Eta Phi
Beta Sorority. She served as an advisory board member, Lyons Health Clinic for over 20
years. She was lauded as an "unsung hero" by the Progressive Action League.
Hobbies: Cooking, gardening, oil painting, crocheting, ceramics,
decoupage, macramé, needlepoint, quilting, and travel. Her recipes for gumbo, dressing,
unique cakes and pies as well as party buffets were legendary.
Annuals and perennials were always in bloom in her yard, leading to her frequent selection
as the neighborhood "Yard of the Month". She was often the travel coordinator
for her organization. And as well she collected plates from every state and country she
visited, which were on display in her home.
Mother to Others: She most loved the title of "Mother". She was loved by so many
who "adopted" her as their mother, and she adopted them all as her children. She
was called upon for prayer and advice by many people, and she hosted weekly Bible studies
in her home for many years.
She often said she wanted to be the "House by the Side of the Road" and
"always a friend to man...."
Survivors: a devoted daughter, Donna Maria Blackshear-Reynolds, son-in-law,
Rodney Reynolds, two grand children, Maria Elizabeth Reynolds and Evan Khalil Reynolds, as
well as a host of greatly cherished relatives and friends. |
