Happy Father’s Day

My Father
By Sheila Jackson Lee

My father was the son of immigrants, the youngest son of immigrants. And in growing up, he was a unique artist in that he was a cartoonist, very rare for an African American boy in the 30s and 40s. He was able to use his talent for a while until the challenges of segregation sent him away from the career he loved. In spite of that detour in life, he was my steadfast pal. I loved him dearly, and yes, I believe I was the apple of his eye. He made sure that he was there during all the special times in my life. And he was a great cheerleader for all of my activities in school. My interest in debate, I believe, was impacted by his strong booming voice, and I was so excited when he lived to see me sworn in as a member of the United States Congress. He was the best friend for both me and my brother. The good news and the good message of how he influenced me is that he never gave up on his art and his talent, and that impacted me to never give up. Later in life, he went back to being a professional cartoonist, and today his works are in the Library of Congress. His strength of not giving up on his dream continues to be a great inspiration in my life. Much love to my late father, Ezra Clyde Jackson.

Throughout my life people have asked me what it is like to be the only child to Sylvester Turner. When I was younger, I didn’t quite know how to respond. The reason being is because I understood that for people who asked me that question it was coming from a place of admiration and while I admired my father for all his accomplishments, he was just “daddy” to me. Someone that has been there through my highs and low, given me advice and pep talks, and pushed me to accomplish all my wildest dreams. As I got older, I realized that the attributes that I recognized as normal were what made our relationship so special. I am a female child and yet he never made me feel as if he missed out on something by not having a son. I was never told that something was intended for boys or made to feel that I needed to wait to accomplish a dream when I had a significant other. He never made me feel as if my worth was tied to my looks, marital status or even being a mother. He made it clear that what mattered to him was that I was kind, hardworking, responsible and a woman of my word. That gave me the freedom to live my life my way and do things in my timing. Cheers to all the father’s who have done an amazing job raising their children, but I would like to give a special applause to the fathers who have raised strong women. I love you daddy and Happy Father’s Day!

We grew up in Houston, but many weekends of our childhood, you could find us in Chappell Hill, Texas. Our fondest childhood memories are from there.  We relaxed and connected as a family. During the day, our dad would take us on adventures hiking through the woods to have a picnic near a creek. At night we would watch the fireflies and count the stars. It was there he taught us when we fell, whether it was on a hike or riding a horse, to dust ourselves off and get right back up. All our lives we have witnessed him work hard to help others and serve the community. He instilled in us that we are all public servants, and we will be judged one day on what we did while we were here on earth. Because of our dad’s influence, in every area of our lives, we strive to always work hard, to help others, and to be grateful. We are so proud of our dad- Happy Father’s Day! Whitney and Sarah Whitmire