I'll Call It Like I See It

by sheila morris

For any who want more, complete list of all posts by month since 2011
  • Harriet Hancock: Ally for the Ages (1936 – 2026)

    Harriet Hancock: Ally for the Ages (1936 – 2026)


    I recently attended the Third Annual Legacy Gala of the Harriet Hancock Center at the Columbia Museum of Art. That evening I stood in line at the bar behind a handsome young man who turned around and gave me a friendly quizzical smile. I’m sorry, he asked, but are you the lady this party is named for? I returned his smile and answered, no, I’m not, but I’m honored to be mistaken for her.

    The LGBTQ community has lost an amazing ally, a courageous warrior in the battle for equality, a stalwart soldier who refused to surrender to ignorance and inequality, a woman whose recognition reached the national level that led to a personal meeting with President Barack Obama plus countless awards and recognitions during her lifetime. Harriet Hancock died September 23rd., two days before her 90th. birthday, following a lengthy illness.

    Harriet’s children – Karen, Greg, and Jennifer – and the generations of family members who follow have lost their beloved matriarch. I have lost a dear friend.

    “My coconspirator and inspiration for this book (Southern Perspectives on the Queer Movement: Committed to Home) is Harriet Hancock. I first approached Harriet about writing her personal story at a South Carolina Gay and Lesbian Business Guild Christmas party at Tom Brown’s house in December, 2013. She had an enthusiastic response, and in our subsequent conversations in 2014, the project morphed to include the personal observations of other leaders in LGBTQ organizations in South Carolina over the past thirty years. Her Interest in the project has been ongoing and always encouraging. She was helpful in the selection of the contributors.” — Acknowledgments, Southern Perspectives

    We had such fun together when we met to talk about her life, which became one of my favorite interviews for the book; but we had even more fun when she went with me to promote the book around the state following publication in 2018 by the University of South Carolina Press. We made our own itinerary and were ready to answer any questions the audiences asked. The events provided really great opportunities to meet young people on college campuses across the state.

    “Having a gay son has enriched my life in so many ways… People often ask me how I have managed to be such a staunch active advocate for so long. I tell them there are two basic reasons: First, I want to change hearts and minds through education so that this world will be a better place for LGBTQ people. No one can enjoy full civil and human rights when a large segment of our society is denied rights and treated like second-class citizens. And second, it is a labor of love for me. I love it when they call me Momma Harriet.”

    Harriet was early in the battle for equality in South Carolina and remained an iconic figure throughout her lifetime. For a full discussion of her work, I encourage you to visit the Harriet Hancock Center website: harriethancockcenter.org/our-namesake.

    Harriet Hancock ended many of her presentations with a blessing that challenged everyone who knew her because hers was a life well lived.

    “May you be blessed with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep in your heart. May you be blessed with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people and the earth so that you will work for justice, equality, and peace. May you be blessed with tears to shed for those who suffer so that you will reach out to comfort them and change their pain to joy. And may you be blessed with the foolishness to think that you can make a difference in the world, so you will do the things others say cannot be done.”

    Rest in peace, Harriet, you blessed my life and helped to change my world. I will miss you, my friend of many moons.

  • Grandparents Day Moments with Ella and Molly

    Grandparents Day Moments with Ella and Molly


    Our older granddaughter Ella will be seven years old on October 1st. and began the first grade at her school three weeks ago. Remember that Kindergarten graduation picture from May?

    Ella and her younger sister Molly in May of 2026

    (proud Naynay and Nana hovering)

    Although I requested a pause from Alexa on their growth, she seemed to misunderstand what I wanted because their school is back in session. The girls are excited to see old friends, new teachers, and celebrate Grandparents Day with doting family members. They are moving up and on far too quickly to suit me. Sigh.

    Ella busy making a tree for us as grandparents Nana, Gigi, and Jon observe – the first grade was full of fun!

    Learning was in the air!

    Molly’s grandparents visited her classroom, too, and her first cousin Caleb was in the same class with her this year. Molly pointed out that Caleb sat at the red table while she sat at the blue one because they weren’t allowed to sit together. Hm. Wonder why?

    While we visited, the teachers said the children could leave to spend the day with their grandparents if they wanted to. Both of ours jumped on that bit of good news.

    ********************

    Ella was “starving” so we went for an early lunch to one of their favorite places, D’s Wings. The reviews were mixed for the meal of mozzarella cheese sticks, chocolate milk, and maybe two bites of chicken fingers. Ella sat next to me across the booth from Nana and Molly. While Nana decided on the food, Ella took my cell phone, texted a strange combination of words to her mother, and took this picture of Molly’s lack of interest in my fascinating table repartee.

    Note: Nana’s Princess Tiara that Molly shared with her following a brief detour to a toy store before lunch.

    The girls were thrilled to play on the outdoor activities in front of the restaurant – much more fun than the food!

    Ella reached the summit and wanted to experience the freedom of accomplishment while she gazed at the city from her climb. Naynay hovered with trepidation as Molly started to climb like her sister.

    Molly reached the top with Nana’s help. She proclaimed she could see the whole world from her spot. She also asked me to be sure to take her picture while she stood at the summit. I did – again with trepidation.

    Note: Nana still wearing Molly’s Princess Tiara.

    *********************

    We gave the girls the choice of going back to school or coming to our house for the afternoon. Case closed. Ella and Molly came to our home and played happily with their art supplies we keep ready for them. Sadly, Nana had to go to work in her Antique Empire at 3 o’clock – we took the girls home with promises to see them again soon.

    Grandparents Day got an A+ from everyone involved.

    P.S. Ella’s impressions of Naynay and Molly on Grandparents Day.

    The End.

  • Gloria Steinem: the Ultimate Influencer (1934 – 2026)

    Gloria Steinem: the Ultimate Influencer (1934 – 2026)


    In an emotional tribute, Oprah Winfrey praised the writer’s (Steinem’s) “courage and persistence”.

    “She leaves us with more freedom than she inherited and with the responsibility to keep widening that freedom for the women and girls who come next,” the media mogul mused. “What a life. What a legacy. What a difference she made.” — Cover Media, September 04, 2026

    When I was a child my heroes were cowboys like Roy Rogers and The Lone Ranger.  I loved the good guys back in the days when they were easy to identify.  They were the brave men who stood tall against  villains with black mustaches curling oddly around snarling lips – those were the best. I wanted to be one of them. You could have your Superman with his Big S on his chest but seriously, who would go flying around in an outfit as tight as his? Come on, man. That wasn’t believable.

    Cowboys, on the other hand, rode beautiful horses, wore boots with their jeans or buckskin pants, and had great wide-brimmed hats with no worries about kryptonite. Their pretty girlfriends knew who they were and were prepared to wait for them while they fought their battles in the dusty streets and sage-covered hills.  They always won because they could outdraw or outsmart their enemies. It was a perfect world for a little girl watching westerns with her daddy on Saturday mornings in the 1950s in rural southeast Texas.

    When that little girl grew up and lived to be eighty years old, her heroes had to change because her world had revealed itself to be imperfect. I’ve had new heroes who don’t ride horses or wear six-shooters on a regular basis.  Not surprisingly for an old dyke, most of my heroes are sheroes. I could list hundreds, but I’ll name ten in no order.  Susan B. Anthony.   Gertrude Stein.   Barbara Jordan.   Gloria Steinem.  Dolly Parton.  Ann Richards.   Molly Ivins.   Edie Windsor.   Meryl Streep.  Michelle Obama. These are the activists whose courage stands out to me. The villains may not have mustaches any more but these women met them at some point in their lives and stood up to them through their words and actions. 

    Gloria Steinem grew up in the 1940s and 50s during the time when women’s roles were being redefined by world wars, shifting geographical boundaries, higher educational opportunities. As she matured she entered the world of work through journalism at the New York Times. Her commitment to social justice, equal rights for women, and determination to make a difference wherever injustices reigned supreme led her to become one of the early leaders in the second-wave feminist movement of the late 1960s and 70s. 

    Steinem wrote nine books in her life, and I have great admiration for anyone who has the tenacity to send their stories to the great unknown. I think she was brave to fill empty pages with her words. A word warrior. In 1983, she had published Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions – her first published collection of essays. Topics included sexual harassment, genital mutilation, and the words that spoke louder to me personally was the essay on unequal pay for equal work. I totally got that one.

    Her book tour brought Steinem in 1983 to the University of South Carolina’s System in Conway, South Carolina, known as USC  Coastal Carolina. I’m not sure what led me to make the two-hours drive by myself from Columbia to hear her speak, but I did. I was thirty-seven years old at the time, remained mostly closeted, frustrated by my perceptions of the failures of the second wave of the Women’s Movement, already weary of teaching accounting at a technical college in Columbia, and wondering what I could do to make the sweeping social changes I felt were so desperately needed.

    Gloria Steinem’s speech answered me in an unexpected way. Before she closed, she challenged everyone in the audience to close their eyes and think of one thing we could do when we went home in our everyday lives that might be thought of by people as an outrageous act, one small act of rebellion in our daily lives. That was the heart of her message to her listeners that day in Conway, South Carolina, in 1983.  As usual, I had focused on the big picture and forgotten about the little moments I looked past. I couldn’t see the forest for the trees.

    If you live long enough, you’ll figure out the world isn’t perfect and you’ll definitely meet some nasty villains, but remember you aren’t alone in the battles. Gloria Steinem, Dolly Parton, and a whole host of sheroes have gone before you. May the spirits of those women ride with you, give you comfort, courage, and encouragement in the showdown moments of your life..