My family’s legacy of resilience, rooted in the red soil of Alabama, has carried us from slavery through Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and the Great Migration, ultimately leading me to a life of serving others through medicine after graduating from Meharry Medical College. While I have great admiration for the men in my family, particularly my extraordinary uncles, I want to focus on the women this July 4th. We held our family reunion in Birmingham from June 19 to 21, which felt surreal to experience on Juneteenth. I have always seen these women as beautiful and strong, exemplifying grace in their heels, hats, and gloves on Sunday mornings.
Frankie Cheeks: Born into Bondage, Living Free in Alabama
In 1840, my great-great-grandmother, Franklin “Frankie” Cheeks, was born into slavery in Alabama. I wish I knew the story behind her name, Franklin. She entered a world of forced labor, family separations, and total denial of rights. Frankie never knew her mother, but she became one herself, laying down the roots of a legacy that began in Alabama and would ripple far beyond. She lived through the Civil War and, at 25, was freed by the ratification of the 13th Amendment in 1865. Just one year later, she became a U.S. citizen under the Civil Rights Act of 1866. Frankie remained in Alabama, witnessing her daughter and granddaughter born into freedom.
Charlotte Matson: A Daughter of Reconstruction in Alabama
In 1866, Frankie’s daughter—my great-grandmother Charlotte Matson—was born in Alabama at the dawn of the Reconstruction era. She married Redmond Arrington, the son of Luke and Lucy, both of whom were formerly enslaved. They built their life under both the hopeful promise and harsh reality of post-emancipation America. Charlotte’s life intersected with the brief but powerful Reconstruction efforts, the rise of white supremacist terror, and the 1883 dismantling of civil rights protections. Her resolve helped carry our family through these storms, planting deeper roots in Alabama.
Maggie Arrington: Faith and Fortitude in Alabama
In 1887, Charlotte gave birth to my grandmother, Maggie Arrington, in Alabama. That same year marked the founding of the National Colored Baseball League, reflecting a growing sense of Black cultural pride. Maggie was a woman of quiet strength. As the wife of a minister, she served as the spiritual anchor for her community. She faced the Great Depression with resilience, supporting her neighbors and offering prayers during the difficult Scottsboro Boys trials (1931–1937). Maggie and my grandfather lived in Athens, Alabama. I knew her, but not as well, because they often visited us. After she and my grandfather divorced, she ultimately moved to Chicago. I can only imagine what she was thinking during that time, as I never saw her flinch in the face of change. Maggie witnessed significant events, including the rise of the NAACP and the birth of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Her life was deeply rooted in and sustained by her unwavering faith.
Ermer Giddens Waldrop: Born into Migration
In 1910, Maggie gave birth to my grandmother, Ermer Giddens Waldrop, as the First Great Migration was underway. Though many families fled the South, mine remained in Alabama, holding firm to faith and community. Ermer grew up during an era of profound transformation, marked by the founding of the National Urban League, the Black Cultural Renaissance, and a surge in activism. Though racial discrimination remained entrenched, she was part of a generation that pressed forward against resistance.
Ermer married John Waldrop, a man who was respectfully known throughout our community as Mr. John, while my grandmother was affectionately called Miss Ermer. To us, they were Big Mama and Big Daddy. Their decency and dignity left a lasting impression on everyone who knew them. I grew up in the shadow of their goodness, guided by the respect they earned and the example they set. My grandfather lived on the land that had been passed down through his family, and I never felt that we were poor. My grandmother managed his paycheck and took care of their ten children. Despite losing significant vision due to glaucoma, she was an avid reader and could quote scripture from the Bible. I often had my Bible open, and she could recite verses verbatim.
The Great Depression & A Legacy Renewed
Ermer ( Big Mama) came of age during the Great Depression in Alabama. Like so many Black families, we may have faced disproportionate hardship, limited opportunities, and systemic injustice. Yet her mother, Maggie, remained a source of strength, offering spiritual guidance as the community struggled.
In 1938, my mother—Ermer Jean Waldrop—was born in Alabama. She was one of 10 children that survived. They were 5 brothers and 5 sisters. Willie Mae (Sook), Beatrice (Annie Bea), Lucinda (Cindy), Ermer Jean, and Annette. My mother’s birth marked the continuation of a legacy rooted in endurance and striving toward transformation. I had the opportunity to have three generations. Maggie died in 1963. Big Mama (Ermer) died in 2006. My mother has 4 girls I am the oldest. I don’t remember a day that she did not work. I did not know we were considered at the poverty level based on her earnings until I filled out my financial aid papers for college.
My Journey: Rooted in Love and Perseverance
From the courage of Frankie to the quiet leadership of Miss Ermer (Big Mama) and my mother, Ermer, I inherited more than just stories—I inherited a sense of purpose. I went on to complete my education at Meharry Medical College, one of the country’s most esteemed historically Black institutions. There, I trained to heal, serve, and advocate—echoing the resilience of my ancestors with every patient I care for and every life I touch. My career in medicine isn’t merely a personal achievement; it’s the fulfillment of generations who prayed, sacrificed, and persevered. They walked so that I could run. They endured so that I could heal. I honor them every single day.
This story—my story—is a living testament to what’s possible when courage courses through our veins. From the brutality of enslavement in Alabama to the many hospital rooms I have had the privilege to enter filled with hope, my family’s journey encompasses both injustice and triumph, silence and song.
To honor their legacy is to act with purpose. Today, I proudly celebrate them and their enduring love, which has empowered my independence.
Here’s a visual timeline of Black History in Alabama (1840–2025),
🕰️ Black History in Alabama: A Visual Timeline
| Year(s) | Event/Milestone | Family Connection |
|---|---|---|
| 1840 | Slavery is deeply entrenched in Alabama; cotton drives demand for enslaved labor | Frankie Cheeks is born into slavery |
| 1860 | Arrival of the Clotilda, last known slave ship, in Mobile | — |
| 1861–1865 | Civil War; Alabama joins the Confederacy | Frankie experiences the effects of the war |
| 1865 | Slavery was abolished via the 13th Amendment | Frankie becomes a freedwoman |
| 1866 | Civil Rights Act passed; grants Black citizenship | Frankie becomes a U.S. citizen |
| 1866 | Formation of the Ku Klux Klan in nearby Tennessee | Charlotte Matson is born |
| 1870 | First Black Alabamians elected to Congress during Reconstruction | — |
| 1877 | End of Reconstruction; rise of Jim Crow laws | — |
| 1887 | National Colored Baseball League founded | Maggie Arrington is born |
| 1890 | Penny Savings Bank (first Black-owned bank in Alabama) was founded in Birmingham. | — |
| 1910 | First Great Migration begins; National Urban League founded | Ermer Giddens Waldrop is born |
| 1920 | Birmingham Black Barons Negro League team formed | — |
| 1931–1937 | Scottsboro Boys trials highlight racial injustice | |
| 1938 | Mary McLeod Bethune leads a federal agency; New Deal offers mixed progress | Ermer Jean Waldrop is born |
| 1955 | Montgomery Bus Boycott begins after Rosa Parks’ arrest | — |
| 1963 | 16th Street Baptist Church bombing kills 4 girls | __ |
| 1965 | Selma to Montgomery marches; Voting Rights Act passed | — |
| 1979 | Richard Arrington Jr. becomes Birmingham’s first Black mayor | — |
| 1992 | Alabama elects first Black female state senator, Sundra Escott-Russell | Legacy continues in my medical career |
| 2019 | Steven Reed elected Montgomery’s first Black mayor | — |
| 2025 | Ongoing efforts to preserve Black history amid education policy debates |
A Family Doctor's Reflection 