A few weeks ago Congresswoman Frederica Wilson was at the top of every national news story. It all centered on the phone call made to the family of the late Sgt. La David Jonson. Wilson was very close with this family and happened to be with them when a call came from President Trump. There was a lot of inappropriate name calling, she was called “whacky” and an empty barrel. I was shocked at the childish banter. The whole incident made me want to know more about Wilson. I remember her cameo appearance on The Real Housewives of Atlanta last year. She is never seen without a hat and she says she has more than 300 hats, the hats even have their own room. I would guess the St. John suits are somewhere nearby. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. She has spoken several times about her attire, specifically the hats. “It all started with my grandmother, whose name was Frederica also. She wore hats and gloves. I just wanted to be like her, so I started wearing hats. I just like to dress up, I guess, and I got that from her,” Wilson told Roll Call in 2012.
After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education from Fisk University and a Master of Science degree in elementary education from the University of Miami, Congresswoman Wilson worked as a teacher and assistant educational coordinator for the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Head Start program. She quickly rose to become principal of Skyway Elementary School, which was recognized as one of the best schools in America in President George H. W. Bush’s “America 2000” plan to upgrade national education standards. In addition to participating in two fact-finding missions to Nigeria and passing two resolutions, she has been a leading voice in a daily, international Twitter campaign to #BringBackOurGirls. The Florida lawmaker also created “Wear Something Red Wednesdays,” a weekly photo opportunity and press event with congressional leaders and lawmakers. The initiative helps to ensure the girls are not forgotten by maintaining media attention and pressure on U.S. and Nigerian officials to honor their pledge to do all they can to rescue them. A leading political newspaper has dubbed her relentless attention to this human rights crisis “Frederica Wilson’s War.”
She is founder of 5,000 Role Models for Excellence, which aims to keep young African American boys in high school and groom them for success. I believe that Sgt. La David Johnson was a part of that program.
Born in Miami, Congresswoman Wilson learned the value of public service and community activism from her parents. The late Beulah Finley Smith and the late Thirlee Smith Sr. were small business owners and civil rights activists. Her brother, the late Thirlee Smith Jr., was the first full-time African American reporter at the Miami Herald and a long-time educator for Miami-Dade County Public Schools, who was responsible for implementing African American history into the district’s curriculum. Congresswoman Wilson is widowed and the mother of three children: Nicole, LaKesha and Paul. She has five beautiful grandchildren.
(Email Debbie at debbienorrell@aol.com)
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Who is Congresswoman Frederica Wilson? (Nov. 1, 2017)
