THANK YOU DR. MARY WILLIS AND DR. JOSEPHINE WILLIS FOR BLESSING EAST ST. LOUIS WITH DR. ROBERT BO WILLIS
“We (Black people) have always used our creativity to battle and we’re not the only ones. Black Americans are certainly leaders in that simply because we were denied education and dealt with enforced illiteracy. But people see to always forget that literacy is not the only way of learning things or conveying knowledge.” Dr. Nikki Giovanni
“I want to make it clear that the Black race did not come to the United States culturally empty-handed. The role and importance of ethnic history is in how well it teaches a people to use their own talents, take pride in their own history and love their own memories.” Dr. John Henrik Clarke
“You know, you don’t have to have money to be successful businessperson. You don’t need a college degree. You just need a lot of common sense backed up by a willingness to work hard.” Farrah Gray
YOU WOULD TALK TO ME ABOUT PICKING COTTON, NOW AS I REFLECT OVER YOUR LIFE AND OUR RELATIONSHIP AS CUSTOMER AND , I UNDERSTAND JUST HOW YOU MASTERED DEALING WITH THE MANY PERSONALITIES, ATTITUDES AND EXPERIENCES THAT WALKED THROUGH YOUR DOORS. YOU MASTERED PULLING WEEDS AND BRINGING DEAD SOIL BACK TO LIFE. YOUR PICKING COTTON WAS TEACHING YOU ABOUT LIFE AND LIVING AND YOU BROUGHT THAT RICH KNOWLEDGE UP NORTH. YOU UNDERSTOOD THE IMPORTANCE OF UPROOTING DEAD SOIL TO GET TO PURIFIED SOIL. SO THE SCARS YOU ENDURED OUT IN THE FEILD MADE YOU THE CAUTIOUS AND INTUITIVE BARBER ONCE YOU MIGRATED UP NORTH.
YOU BROUGHT THE COOLNESS WITH YOU
YOU BROGHT THE PATIENCE WITH YOU
YOU BROUGHT THE CLARITY WITH YOU
YOU BROUGHT THE UNDERSTANDING WITH YOU
YOU BROUGHT THE COMMUNITY WITH YOU
YOU BROGUHT THE SOUHTERN HOSPITALITY WITH YOU
YOU BROUGHT THE CONFIDENCE WITH YOU
YOU BROUGHT THE GRIT WITH YOU
YOU BROUGHT THE WORK ETHICS WITH YOU
YOU BROUGHT THE COMPETENCE WITH YOU
YOU BROUGHT THE STRENGHT WITH YOU
YOU BROUJGHT THE ADVENTURE WITH YOU
YOU BROUGHT THE FEARLESSNESS WITH YOU
YOU BROUGHT THE LEADERSHIP WITH YOU
YOU BROUGHT YOUR WISDOM WITH YOU
YOU BROUGHT YOUR SKILLS WITH YOU
YOU BROUGHT YOUR TALES WITH YOU
YOU BROUGHT YOUR EXPERIENCES WITH YOU
YOU BROUGHT IT AND WITHOUT RESERVED SHARED IT
YOU DID MORE THAN CUT HAIR, TRIM BEARDS, AND ARCHED EYEBROWS, YOU EXHIBITED MASTERY IN ALL YOU DID
YOU UNDERSTOOD THE ASSIGNMENT, EVEN WHEN YOU ASK ME, “THE SAME?”
YOU UNDERSTOOD YOUR PURPOSE IN BRINING IN THE COMMUNITY FROM ALL WALKS OF THE BISTATE AREA, FROM EAST ST LOUIS, ST LOUIS, SHILOH AND BELLEVILLE AS WELL AS FARTHER, EVEN FROM OUT OF TOWN, THEY SOUGHT OUT MR. BO’S BECAUSE BO KNOWS!
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE ME AND THAT IS THE ONLY CONSTANT, TALKING ABOUT OUR FUTURE, TALKING ABOUT EDUCATION AND HOLDING THOSE OLD HEADS RESPONSIBLE AND ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE PLIGHT OF OUR FUTURE
YOU WERE NOT ONLY MAGNETIC BUT YOU WERE INFLUENTIAL AND IMPACTFUL
When I first met you, I was a single mother of one and I was crying out of brokenness confusion, rage, anger, uncertainty and fear.
Today, I am yet again, the mom of 3 with clarity, joy, appreciation, and happiness and crying tears of honor, appreciation, gratitude and thanksgiving and it is STILL centering me as a single parent from one to three.
YOU ALLOWED US TO COME IN LOOKING HELLA CRAZY BUT WHEN WE WALKED OUT OF YORU SHOP, WE HAD A NEWNESS ABOUT US AND ABOUT LIVING AND LIFE, A NEWNESS OF VIEW, A NEW LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE, AN UNDERSTANDING OF DISCIPLINE
YOU SHAPED NOT ONLY HAIRLINES, EYEBROWS, ATTITUDES AND CHARACTER BUT FOR ME, YOU MADE ME THE EDUCATOR I AM BECAUSE I SAW MY COMMUNITY WITH THAT SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY YOU BROUGHT UP NORTH WITH YOUR FAMILY
THANK YOU MR. BO FOR NOT ONLY YOUR MASTERY IN YOUR CRAFT, MINISTRY AND LOVE BUT OPEN DOOR POLICY.
YOUR LEGACY WHEN BEYOND CUTTING HAIR AND MAKING US LOOK AND FEEL GOOD BUT YOU WERE A MAN OF YOUR WORD AND YOUR WIFE, DAUGHTERS AND GRANDS WERE INDEED BLESSED TO HAVE YOU AND I THANK THEM FOR ALLOWING YOU TO BLESS OUR HEADS AND EYES, SPIRITS, HEARTS AND SOULS.
YOU WERE A MAN OF LEADERSHIP
YOU WERE A MAN OF COMPASSION
YOU WERE A MAN OF INTEGRITY
YOU WERE A MAN OF PRIDE
YOU WERE A MAN OF THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE AND BY THE PEOPLE
YOU ARE CULTURE
YOU ARE US!
THERE WAS NO QUESITON IF YOU WERE PROUD OF YOUR YOUNG LADIES, I RECALL ONE VISIT YOU LOOKED DOWN AT ME AND SAID, “I AM GOING TO RETIRE” YOU WORE BEING A GRANDFATHER WITH GREAT ADMIRATION, APPRECIATIONG AND PRIDE. YOU SAID YOU WANTED TO NOT MISS ANYTHING THEY HAD GOING. I ALSO RECALL THE REALITY OF IT WAS WHEN YOU TOOK TIME OFF AND INFORMED US, I’M GOING TO SPEND TIME WITH MY GIRLS, YEP, I WAS MAD BUT I UNDERSTOOD. YOU WERE INDEED A FAMILY MAN, YOU WERE A PROVIDER, YOU WERE A PROTECTOR YOU WERE IN YOUR PURPOSE AND WE YOUR DEVOTED CLIENTS INDEED APPRECIATED YOU.
YOUR MOM MARY, IS PROOF OF THE QUESTION, “CAN ANYTHING GOOD COME OUT OF NAZARETH?” YOU ARE PROOF THAT YOUR MOM WAS THE EPITOME OF BEAUTY AND INTENTIONALIITY WHEN SHE RAISED YOU, HER ONLY BEGOTTEN SON. SHE RAISED YOU AND ASSURED YOU TO DEVELOP, RECOGNIZE AND OVERCOME OBSTACLES AND STRUGGLES AND SEE YOURSELF A LOT MORE ACCOMPLISHED AND GREATER THAN THE SOUTH PORTRAYED YOU. HOW DO I KNOW THESE THINGS? I WAS ELEVATED IN A SEAT YOU STOOD BEHIND FOR THE PAST 30 PLUS YEARS. YOUR MOM WAS YOUR GREATEST INFLUENCER AND YOU HAD A PROFOUND IMPACT AND INFLUENCE IN EAST BOOGIE FOR SURE. YOU REMAINED DETERMINED, DEVOTED, CONFIDENT, AND ASSURED. YOU ALLOWED US WTIHIN BO’S KNOWS TO VOICE, ENVISION, SYMPATHIZE, EMPATHIZE, CELEBRATE AND BE COMMUNAL AND FOR THIS AND THAT I SAY THANK YOU! IN YOUR SHOP, THIS EDUCATOR WAS SHAPED, MOLDED, AND MADE TO SEE LIFE AND LIVING FROM VARIOUS ANGELS AND THE MEN, DIDN’T LET UP ON ME NOT ONE BIT BECAUSE I WAS A WOMAN AN I NOT THEM BECAUSE THEY WERE MEN BUT IF IT GOT TOO HEATED YOU KNEW EXACTLY WHEN TO STEP IN AND SEND OUT. YOU WERE OUR CHAMPION IN THE COMMUNITY. YOU UNDERSTOOD BLACK CULTURE, BLACK COMMUNITY, BLACK RESILIENCE, BLACK LACK AND BLACK WISDOM. YOU CHANGED US PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY, SOCIALLY, FINANCIALLY AND MORALLY.
YOU WERE THE CHURCH OTHERS DIDN’T UNDERSTOOD THEY WERE HEARING AND SEEING AND FEELING.
YOU HAD NOTHING TO PROVE BUT YET DAILY YOU IMPROVED THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO ENTERED YOUR DOORS JUST BY BEING, MR. BO.
LIFE IS SO FUNNY, IT HAS A WAY OF BEING CYCLICAL.
IT WAS OUT OF THE ORDINARY THAT I WAS TOLD TO GO AND PICK UP A CAKE FROM A CHERISHED ELDER.
I WASN’T EVEN EXPECTING IT BUT GOD KNEW I WOULD BE SITTING, REFLECTING, AND RELEASING, HEALING AND GROWING.
THE CAKE I PICKED UP WAS A LEMON CAKE, AS I RANTED, RAGED, SHARED, AND VENTED ABOUT MY LIFE’S LEMONS, YOU IN ALL OF YOUR COOL, PAITENT, UNDERSTANDING, CLEAR HEADED AND INENTIONALITY, NEVER CEASED TO GGIVE ME THE TEA AND LEMONADE. YOU ALWAYS GAVE YOUR ADVICE (EVEN IF I DIDN’T WANT TO HEAR BUT YOU KNEW IT WAS SOMETHING I NEEDED TO HEAR) AND IT CAME JUST WHEN IT WAS NEEDED AND NOT BECAUSE YOU COULD TALK BUT BECAUSE YOU CARED ABOUT PEOPLE.
ONE VITAL AND SOFT SPOKEN WORD YOU GAVE ME THAT WILL ALWAYS STICK WITH ME WAS, “YOU CHOSE” “YOU MADE THE CHOICE” ” YOU HAD AN OPTION” IT WILL TAKE MO ON FROM HERE.
I END WITH THE WORDS OF OUR ELDER TO SUM UP YOUR MESSAGE TO ME TO CARRY ME ON…….
YOU MADE ME A BETTER MOTHER
YOU TAUGHT ME THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION
YOU TOLD ME THE POWER OF CHANGE
YOU TRANSFORMED ME
BECAUSE OF YOU, I AM, WE ARE
Your motto was, “Tell it like it T-Iz.”
IT WAS YOUR ELEVATING US IN THE CHAIR AND YOUR ASCENION TO HEAVEN THAT I CAN HONESTLY AND WITHOUT A DOUBT AND RESERVE SAY, AND DID…….
This post was reposted from 2025 – "YOU PEOPLE"
