I wonder if they know just how special their relationship is. The Washington Post reports, four, ninety-nine-year-old lifelong friends from Southwest Washington are excited about their upcoming birthdays. They all become centenarians later this summer. Leona Barnes, Gladys Butler, Ruth Hammett, and Bernice Underwood were born and raised together and have maintained a friendship worthy of recognition.
Thankful To See The First Black President
The four have watched dozens of U.S. presidents elected, lived through Jim Crow, and witnessed a Black president sworn into office twice. They’ve lived through segregation and integration. They have watched Black people, communities of color, and women fight for equal rights.
They’ve Seen A Lot Of Change
Still stylish, they can recall when they were not allowed to try clothing on inside of a department store. The general practice for store bought clothing was to hope it fit. Barnes shared with the Washington post:
“Now we have e-commerce and can’t be bothered to try things on in the stores. We have a Black president and Black first lady. That a Black man became president of the United States, I never thought in my wildest dreams that that would ever happen. That’s how far down we were.”
Living Sisterhood
After growing up together, the four women have raised kids together and supported each other through good and bad times. They’ve never had a falling out, even 100-years later. That’s quite a feat for two people, let alone four, and it’s darn near impossible. I bet they have secrets the four of them have promised to keep. That’s a special kind of friendship.
To live to see 100 and still have good health is a blessing. To have close friends to celebrate life each day is rare indeed. Sharing information on these gatekeepers of black history and the American past feels good. Happy 100th Birthday to the Fabulous Four!
Image Manchester Public Library Under a Creative Commons License 2.0
