Fani Willis - what a woman

 


Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis -what a woman

 

Never have I been so proud of being a Mama’s Boy than yesterday, as I watched a great woman -Fani Willis stand up, put down, and kick to the corner, not one, but four different, arrogant, self-righteous, and privileged white men.  District Attorney Fani Willis defiantly questioned the audacity, challenged the veracity, and rebuked the attempts to intimidate her while being asked to justify some of the most intimate details of her life.  One of her most poignant statements, when asked about whether she accepted extravagant vacations, cash, or dinner from her suiter, she responded that her father taught her that she had to stand on her own and “if you’re a woman and you go on a date with a man, you better have $200 dollars in your pocket.  So if that man acts up, you can go where you want to go.” 

“We would have brutal arguments about the fact that ‘I am your equal,’” Willis said. “I don’t need anything from a man – a man is not a plan. A man is a companion. And so there was tension always in our relationship, which is why I would give him his money back.”

Then Willis proclaimed, “I don’t need anybody to foot my bills.”

When commenting on her former boyfriend, Mr. Wade. Ms. Willis responded that he was a sexist and that he insisted that “the only thing a woman can do for him is make him a sandwich.” Which is one of the reasons why they broke up. 

Again, Willis noted that “I don’t need anything from a man a man is not a plan.  A man is a companion.  And so, there was tension always in our relationship, which is why I would give him his money back.”

As I sat riveted to the TV, watching this remarkable woman, I could not help but be reminded of the extraordinary women within my family.  When I say I am a “Mama’s Boy,” it is to these women that I owe my very being.  They taught me to be independent, strong, and authentic.  They taught me not only to respect women but also to admire them for their tenacity, their resiliency, and their realities.  Thanks to all the strong Black women out here…they are the essence of Black History. Oh, here is a piece that celebrates the Black Matriarchs’ in my family.

Voyage into the Matrix of Race and the Truly Determined - Rodney Coates, 2020 (sagepub.com)

 

 

 

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