Dr. Gloria Reese, 13th Episcopal District
Over a century ago, Anna Julia Cooper, one of the most prominent Black scholars in history, wrote, “Only the Black woman can say ‘when and where I enter, in the quiet undisputed dignity of my womanhood, without violence and without suing or special patronage, then and there the whole Negro race enters with me.” A Voice from the South by A Black Woman of the South (1892). Throughout her lifetime, Mary Elisabeth Johnson Mills, born in Franklin, Tennessee, on the Fourth of July, embodied the very spirit of Cooper’s prescient words. These phenomenal women believed that education was the key to the problems that plagued women in society. Through their scholarship and example, each woman became a transformational figure by dedicating her life to inspiring others, challenging the limits of what one could achieve, and bringing to the forefront the importance of education in uplifting their community.
Mrs. Mills, as she would come to be known by many, was one of six children. Her parents understood what it took to succeed and set high expectations for all the children. Mrs. Mills eventually graduated from Tennessee State University, achieving a Master’s degree in education.
Throughout her life, Mrs. Mills served the community as a nurse, church leader, Shorter Chapel AME Church member, and community leader. Nevertheless, it became increasingly clear that teaching was indeed her first love in whatever capacity she served. As a young child in the late fifties, I can vividly remember that school days were the best days in small-town Franklin, Tennessee. With a hunger for knowledge, students in the sixth grade at Johnson Elementary School eagerly awaited the arrival of our science teacher, Mrs. Mills. Tall and graceful, with a smiling countenance, she glided into the room, arms loaded with an assortment of books. With a beautiful chrysanthemum pinned to her starched white blouse, Mrs. Mills began our day with a short meditation. We then proceeded to either view cells under the microscope, check the weight of the white rats, or label the parts of a cell. No matter how challenging the task, Mrs. Mills let us know that we were “smart little children,” which became her mantra for us. And guess what; we believed her! Mrs. Mills had the uncanny ability to spark a flame for knowledge and curiosity in every person she touched. She motivated us to aspire to excellence and genuinely believed in our collective ability to change the world.
Mrs. Mills took a special interest in me, and I became an “adopted” member of her family. Whether going along on family trips or babysitting her children, She made me feel special. In her role as a church leader, Mrs. Mills invited me to Shorter Chapel AME Church, where she was a member. At the age of 13, I, too, became a member of the church and later was invited by Mrs. Mills to join the Missionary Society. Mrs. Mills has always been actively involved in Women’s Ministry. She enjoys studying the Bible immensely, which is why Golden Hour Bible Study is special to her. In 2002, Mrs. Mills received her Lifetime Membership, the highest honor awarded by the Connectional Women’s Missionary Society to celebrate members who have given twenty-five years of meritorious service to the organization. The honor of the Lifetime Membership award is rare, and the Society only provides a few to each Episcopal District. In 2021, following in the footsteps of Mrs. Mills, the WMS awarded me Lifetime Membership.
Mrs. Mills served Williamson County Franklin City Schools for thirty-nine years. “[S]ome say she taught everybody who went to school in Franklin between 1950 and 1993 — she remembers most of them, but all remember her.” After retiring from the school system, she once again served her community as Williamson County Commissioner for 17 years, as an active member of the African American Heritage Society, and she has been affiliated with the Williamson County Chamber of Commerce, Williamson Medical Center, Community Childcare, and the Williamson County Health Council. In 2017, Mrs. Mills received the Caroline J. Cross Award, presented by Leadership Franklin, which is given to a community leader who motivates and inspires others through creativity, character, dedication, and service.
Mrs. Mills continued to mentor me throughout the years, and I became the first person in my family to graduate from college. It is difficult to measure in words just how much of an impact Mrs. Mills has had on my life. I was fortunate to teach at a middle school with Mrs. Mills at the helm as our principal. I, too, found my passion in teaching others and served as an educator at every grade level, including colleges and universities. I poured into each of my students much in the same way that Mrs. Mills did for me, which sustained my career and led me to obtain my doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction. In short, I hope to inspire yet another generation of people to become lifetime learners and have a love for the Lord.
I am thankful to Mrs. Mills for enriching my life as a role model and guiding me on my spiritual journey. She inspired me to reach unseen heights and achieve what I did not believe was possible. In doing so, I have learned to live by the principle first articulated in Booker T. Washington’s Atlanta Compromise speech and later heralded in Langston Hughes’s “Ballad of Booker T.”
Let down your bucket
Where you are:
Your fate is here
And not afar
You may carve a dream
With an humble tool
And the tallest tower
Can tumble down
If it be not rooted
In solid ground.
As one rooted in solid ground, I desire to cast down my bucket where I am, for I am living proof that it will come up full of fresh, sparkling water from the mouth of the Amazon River.
Dr. Gloria Reese, Kairos-Ebenezer AME Church as a tribute for Sis. Mary Mills. Sis. Mary Mills, 95 years old, is a member of Shorter Chapel AME Church, Franklin, Tennessee, under the Rev. Kenneth H. Hill, Ph.D. She is a retired educator and Williamson County Commissioner.
