From sharecroppers to doctorates

The “Five Women” exhibit on display now through March 20 in the Green Library at UP chronicles the lives of four generations of Osborne women, from poverty-stricken field workers to self-reliant, educated professionals. Meet these remarkable women, including FIU’s Dr. Bennie Osborne, on Monday, Feb. 16, and Wednesday, Feb. 25, at the Green Library.

By Sissi Aguila

Bennie Osborne ’74, MS ’77, MA ’96, Ph.D. ’00 grew up in the Pahokee fields on the southeastern shore of Lake Okeechobee, Fla. Her childhood days were spent bent at the waist for hours picking beans while the scorching sun beat down on her back. On rare breaks she would fantasize about escaping the fields, poverty and the life of a rural black woman in the 1960s. Education would turn her daydream into reality.

This month, in celebration of black history, Osborne’s story as well as that of four generations of women in her family make up the “Five Women: From Sharecroppers to Doctorates, Survival Strategies for the Generations” exhibit currently on display in the Gallery at the Green Library.

The collection includes paintings, drawings and poems created by Osborne and her sister Gloria Osborne Kelly. The pair began taking art classes at FIU in 2007 when Gloria decided she wanted to publish a book of poems and short stories, some of which were based on actual experiences and would need an artist to render the illustrations.

“We focused on the things that were meaningful to us in terms of our life experiences,” says Osborne about the first pieces they drew in art class. The oil paintings and charcoal drawings in the exhibit are based on family photos.

The exhibit, curated by Osborne, evolved from her sociology thesis that studied the survival strategies of black southern rural women. She found that these women relied on religion, family and education to pull through.

Faith was critical. “They had to believe that God was going to make a way,” says Osborne.

Four Generations of Osborne Women

The “Five Women” exhibit features the stories of Mary Styles Osborne, Bennie’s paternal grandmother; Annie May Johnson Butler, her maternal grandmother; Mardenia Jones Williams, Osborne’s mother; and Chiméne Yvette Graham ’93, Osborne’s daughter.

Through their stories, visitors witness the transformation of an African-American family from poverty-ridden field workers trapped in unhealthy relationships to highly educated, middle-class women who are self-reliant.

In Pahokee, where the Osbornes migrated to from Georgia, schooling was a luxury that could rarely be indulged by the older generation of women. Food was the priority.

“There weren’t a lot of options,” Osborne says. “Sometimes, mom couldn’t feed us when we were crying for food.”

Osborne’s mother, who had seven children, emphasized education in the household. Her goal was for all her children to receive high school diplomas; higher education was unimaginable. That goal was surpassed by the five children Manna, as they called her, raised. (Two of her children were raised by their maternal grandmother.) Those five all graduated from high school and college.

“It was a tough life, but it made you stronger,” Osborne says. “It helped you determine what was important.”

A Life’s Mission

Osborne, the director of equal opportunity programs at FIU since 1999, has dedicated her life to ensuring an even playing field.

In 1964 when the Civil Rights Act was signed, Osborne forged a permission slip that would allow her to attend an all-white school. At 16, she wanted to know if white schools had newer books and offered a better education.

“It was painful,” she recalls. “There was no National Guard. We were pushed and spat on. No one wanted us there. ”

Osborne was given the opportunity to return to her former school but refused. “The fact that it‘s hard and it’s tough is not a reason to back off.”

She and a classmate who stayed to protect her from attacks were the first blacks to graduate from Pahokee High.

Osborne will retire in July after 36 years of service at FIU. And she says that what she is most proud of is that she’s ending her career as she started it: ensuring that all have an equal shot at the American dream.

The Osborne tale of poverty and discrimination, determination and progress will be on display until March 20.

The Green Library is hosting two forums in which Golden Panthers will have the opportunity to talk to the women behind the exhibit. The first will take place Monday, Feb. 16 at 4:30 p.m. in GL 220. The second, “A conversation with Bennie Osborne” is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 3 p.m. in GL 220.