Mrs. Bertha Means

(Community Matters) Austin turned out to honor Bertha Means’ 90th birthday celebration.

Congr Lloyd & Libby Doggett with Bertha Means

Congressman Doggett and Bertha go way back.  She loves to tell the stories of him, David Butts and others organizing minority voter registration out of her living room while the guys were in college.

Bertha has a lot of stories to tell – important stories.  She led the integration of Barton Springs, of the local skating ring, of UT athletics, at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School (with her dear friend Dr. Alan Becker who was there yesterday).  She’s told me stories about driving her family to north Texas, having to pack food and water because black families couldn’t sit down in restaurants along the way and she wasn’t going to patronize businesses that didn’t welcome her and her family.  Dr. James Means was also a pioneering man.  He moved Bertha and the family to Austin to teach at Tillotson College.  Since St. David’s Episcopal Church wouldn’t admit Negros, Bertha and six other women founded what’s today St. James Episcopal.  We proudly retain our deep African American roots.

Judge Lora Livingston, HT Pres Larry Ervin, State Rep Dawnna Dukes

Friends and politicos turned out in mass, in addition to those pictured, also State Senator Kirk Watson (& Liz), Judge Flowers (& Simone) and Council member Sheryl Cole (& Kevin).  Sheryl told a story about meeting with Bertha while considering running for City Council and how Bertha told her she wouldn’t be the first African American woman to run for city council – Bertha was (which I didn’t know) – but that she’d be the first elected.

“GG’s” great grand kids

Dr. & Mrs. Means’ family out in force – what an extraordinary family of achievers and generous souls they’ve raised.

I’m not so sure Bertha was my fan early on.  When I started attending St. James with Steven 11 years ago (he’d already been attending for 9 years and was one of a handful of non-black members) I insisted we move to the front row.  I wasn’t going to hide or shrink in the back; it was my observation that the few gay members of the congregation, while loved, practiced that Southern tradition of keeping it to themselves.  That was not how I planned to meet potential members of my spiritual family.  There were tensions in the early months as Steven and I became more visible as gay family.  Father Wm Adams called for twelve weeks of prayer & Bible meetings on the topic and those with feelings about this all read & contemplated on it, and got to know each other better.  I’m not sure if it was the praying and Bible reading, the discussions and getting to know each other, or the crab cake eggs benedict and veuve clicquot mimosas I served her that eventually won Bertha Means over 🙂

Anyhow, I love Bertha Means and everything she’s done for our communities.  I was a strong proponent and campaigner for her election as a national delegate to the 2008 National Democratic Convention and loved being with Grandma for Obama in Denver.

I’m reminded of Gene Hackerman when I spend time with Bertha – both world changing women

thanks for the pic, Bette Reichman