Emerging Leaders

The world was changing. Formerly enslaved citizens could buy land in Freedman Town early in the twentieth century following Reconstruction. Many came there for opportunities including employment, education and more. The railroad brought them from cities across Texas.

According to author Dr. Njoki McElroy in her memoir, 1012 Natchez, she describes Katie Johnson Warren's home saying: "Patron's fancy cars were parked out front. She was renowned for her insights into the lives of affluent whites who would visit with her for counsel.”

How this was done is a mystery. Her clairvoyance afforded her a unique opportunity as a businesswoman and propelled her into unforeseen social circles amongst whites in spite of racial segregation.

Yet Katie Johnson Warren also lived a life rooted in family and community. She aligned herself with groups who sought to empower African Americans as a 47-year member of Bethel A.M.E. church and president of the stewardess board; a patron of Paul Quinn College during its earliest beginnings in Waco, Texas; and with fraternal organizations including the Order of the Eastern Star.

Perhaps we can glean from writer W.E.B. Dubois' "Souls of Black Folk," and his theory on the duality of the Black experience that Katie Johnson Warren was able to navigate both worlds and thrive. Her popularity amongst Whites did not preclude engagement with Blacks.

Herstory reminds us of the precipice Black people were forced to tread in spite of their achievements and imposed limitations. Freedom meant that their progress became a collective goal including education, ownership and service. Grandmother Katie understood. As long as we call her name, her spirit remains.