By Samuel Wang
I sit around a circular table in a dining area of Brookdale, chatting with one of the residents, Mrs. Florida Parker. She is here to be interviewed. The interview begins in earnest.
Florida Parker was born in the city of Huntington, West Virginia, along with her younger brother. Her father was a skilled preacher who gave sermons at the local Baptist church. When Florida was one year old, her father was requested to preach at a church in the city of Durham, North Carolina. After moving there, Florida’s mom gave birth to Florida’s other four siblings. Florida and her brothers loved reading and would spend large portions of the day in the library three houses down from their home.
“We called it our second home,” Mrs. Florida recalls, laughing.
When Florida was young, her parents would often tell her and her siblings to be the best they could be, which led to competition between her and her siblings as they each tried to outdo the other in their own respective interests. Florida found that she had a talent for music, a talent that ran through the family – her mother was a pianist, and her brother had also picked up the trumpet. She began to take piano lessons when she was six years old and practiced daily whenever she could. Eventually, her interest in music led to her also playing the organ at the church where her father preached.
“Why did you decide to start playing the organ?” I asked. Mrs. Parker smiled, an expression very natural on her genial face.
“Well,” she says, thinking, “One day, the organist didn’t show up, so I filled in for him, since I played piano. That’s how it started.”
In following her parents’ instruction for her to be the best she could be, Florida paid close attention to her studies and excelled academically. At her high school graduation, she was designated valedictorian and gave a speech.
When I asked about the subject of her speech, Mrs. Parker sighed, then laughed. “I’d already forgotten. That was so long ago.”
After graduating from high school, Florida went on to attend Denison University in Ohio, where she studied education. She faced much racism there, despite some recent progress by the civil rights movement. However, she managed to find several close friends, and made the most of her time in college, taking further lessons in piano and studying and taking part in whatever piqued her interest. She eventually became the first Black woman to graduate from the University, with degrees in teaching and other fields.
After college, when she was in her twenties, Florida married Colonel Herbert Parker. As a U.S. Army spouse, traveled throughout the world to wherever Herbert was stationed. She would always engage with the local community, playing the organ at local churches and working as a teacher in schools. She gave birth to a daughter, Christie, and educated her throughout the family’s travels.
Florida worked hard to teach Christie the same lesson that had been instilled in her throughout her youth by her parents, namely, that she should be the best she could be. Under her guidance, Christie also became an excellent musician and went on to work for the government. Christie would also pass on the lesson to her son, who graduated from college with multiple degrees and was an active helper in his community.
“So, what do you do now?” I asked. “Well,” she said, “I go to meals, of course.” We both laugh.
It turns out that Mrs. Parker is still striving to be the best she can be as a supporter of her community. Although she only occasionally plays piano, she attends every musical performance in order to encourage and support young people to pursue their talents.
As the interview ended, I asked Mrs. Parker, “Do you have any advice for us? Like, for people my age?”
I know the answer before she says it, that well-used lesson that guided Florida through her life: “Be the best you can be.”