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WASHINGTON- On Saturday, March 21, 2015, Reverend Willie T. Barrow will be laid to rest, but not without a great celebration of who she was, and certainly not without reflecting on the incredible legacy that she leaves behind.
Reverend Barrow, or “Little Warrior” as she is affectionately referred to for her small stature and great might, is most commonly known for her leadership as a civil rights icon through Operation PUSH, which later became the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. Her scope of influence, however, spanned the globe and her activism resonated through numerous social causes. “It’s not that we are divided, we’re just disconnected,” she would always say.
In my eyes, though, Reverend Barrow stood with the giants. I came to know her as a young man growing up on Chicago’s South Side during my years spent as a mentee to Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. She was a matriarch of the civil rights movement, and true to the old adage, “It takes a village to raise a child,” she invested in the potential that she saw in youth. When I was a student struggling at Morehouse College to finish and pay on time, she made sure corporations gave me scholarship money to cover my tuition. I am honored to be one of her children.
What can we learn from Reverend Barrow? We can see, feel, and love as she did, which was not of her own might. She embraced the One from whom she drew strength from, and the motives of her heart flowed naturally from who she was internally. Just as Jesus never had to struggle to try to be the Son of God, Rev. Barrow’s deeds were an extension of who she was at her core – she simply was a daughter of God, and with confidence and grace, she lived out who she was ordained to be.
ABOUT LAMELL MCMORRIS:
Lamell McMorris is the founder and CEO of the Washington, DC-based group of companies bearing the Perennial name: Perennial Strategy Group and Perennial Sports and Entertainment. As a lifelong advocate for those less fortunate than himself, Mr. McMorris serves on the boards of numerous civil rights organizations and volunteers his time with several youth service and mentoring organizations. For his service, charisma, and dedication, Mr. McMorris is frequently honored by advocacy and nonprofit organizations and invited to speak at a wide range of conferences and events. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Religion and Society from Morehouse College and a Master of Divinity in Social Ethics and Public Policy from Princeton Theological Seminary. For more information, please visit: www.perennialsg.com/lamell.html.
