Celebrating My Ancestral Roots

"Once you learn to read, you will be forever free." --- Frederick Douglass

As God allows me to navigate this path of my life's' journey, I often reflect on that spirit of fortitude, the work ethic, encouragement to reach my educational goals and more that my parents passed on to me. What a legacy! Oh the memories I cherish in my heart to this day of Growing up in that humble, modest home on McKinstry's Mill Road. Perhaps we were economically disadvantaged, but we were

Moses Eugene and Mary Theresa Key Jones

oh so rich in family love. As one of a family of nine, we did not have inside plumbing, nor did we have central heating, but we were never hungry, always had clean clothes, were taught to respect others, taught the importance of doing more than 100 percent, and to read, read, read! My dad had only an 8th grade education, but he would often tell me stories about life that would help me to understand concepts as I worked on my homework. both of my parents were avid readers and as I recall, we always had reading material in our home. How I would languish over the pages of National Geographic, Life, Look, Ebony, Jet, The Afro-American, the Sunday Baltimore News American (my siblings and I would tussle over who would get first dibs on the "funnies"). I remember reading a biography of Abraham Lincoln, Catcher in the Rye and other adult books at a young age because my parents were reading them. Perhaps they could foresee that their Middle Child would develop a lifelong love of the printed word-- the printed word in all formats. Thanks Mum and Daddy. Your love, encouragement and nurturing sprit fostered a deep desire for me to select, then work for over 40 years in a profession that I truly loved.