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Grandmother worked as a midwife for the folks in the area. It was common for women to attend to the births of other women in the community. What was uncommon in that time and place was that grandmother was also a midwife to black women as well white women.

It Just Wasn't Done Back Then

You have to recall, that this was the deep South, less than 40 years after the end of the Civil War, and long before the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. Segregation and people knowing their places were how the two races co-existed in relative peacefulness. White women attending to the birth of black women just wasn't done back then in the rural South.

I hope by now you see a thread in my grandmother's life; she didn't care what others thought about her. Grandmother Ora did it her way and that was that! The only person's opinion that mattered to her was "Mister Dyson." She pronounced it more like "Master" than "Mister."

My great-grandparents had sharecroppers on their land to help them farm. She attended to the women who worked on their farm and many women in the community who couldn't afford the doctor in town. I have one of her books on midwifery that my aunt gave me, and I treasure that book!

A Rebel in Her Own Way

My grandmother, being a midwife to black women in her community, broke so many community "rules" and norms back in the day. She was a true rebel, full of grit to do it her way and not care what was said behind her back by the gossips in town!

I am so proud of this legacy of quiet grace backed by stubborn grit! I'm proud to paint every painting with bold strokes representing the boldness of my great-grandmother's life. I'm proud to continue the legacy of grit and grace in my artwork and in my life! Stay tuned to learn more about this Grit and Grace stuff, but first, share one of your stories that involve Grit & Grace.