Dressie Mae's Strength
Sitting upright in her chair and speaking in a quiet voice, Dressie Mae is the vision of a woman slightly weathered by her life experiences, trials and tribulations. Born in Wacissa, Florida in 1913, Dressie Mae has experienced a lot in her life—from black men hung on trees to a cross burned on her lawn for renting her spare house to a white minister.
“I grew up in an area where there was a filling station and one little store,” she recalls. Life was difficult then. Not only did Dressie Mae face challenges of racism and the Great Depression of the 1930s, she also faced the challenge of getting an education, which she overcame by earning her degree in cosmetology. Over the years, she won about six or seven trophies from hairstyle shows.
Dressie Mae and her husband Joseph married in her mother’s kitchen and were together for ten years. She sees little comparison between her husband and men today. “Sometimes I think all the good men are gone. The men back in my days were nice, gentle and not demanding,” she says, undoubtedly describing Joseph. The couple never had children, but many of the neighborhood kids became like their own. Not having children gave Dressie Mae the freedom to travel. She is proud to have flown 21 times and visited at least six states.
A strong woman, great motivator, and well-known political activist, Dressie Mae is a member of the Capital City Democratic Women’s Club in Tallahassee, Florida, and was recently honored by the organization. They recognized her assistance in African American voter registration for arranging transportation to the polls and promoting freedom and equality for all.
You can read more about Dressie Mae's Strength in the Faces of Life book.
