Mildred Parish Massey - El Paso, Texas
Mildred Parish Massey was born in El Paso, Texas June 6, 1924. Her father, William Calhoun Parish was the first African American letter carrier in El Paso and spoke fluent Spanish. Her mother, Willie Pointer Parish was a homemaker who raised her daughters Juanita, Lois and Mildred. All 3 girls attended the excellent all black school, Douglass elementary and high school in El Paso.
Mildred played the saxophone in the band and marched in the Sun Bowl Parade. She was also the manager of the Douglass High School basketball team. She won a scholarship to Tillotson College in Austin Texas and transferred to Southern University in Baton Rouge, La to study business administration. When pledging to a sorority she learned that her friend could not pledge due to her darker skin color and immediately withdrew her application and asked Mary McLeod Bethune to come to campus to help change this discriminatory policy, which succeeded. Mildred moved to Portsmouth, Virginia and was hired to work as registrar and secretary to the president of Norfolk division of Virginia State College, now Norfolk State University.
Mildred returned to El Paso Texas and gave birth to 3 girls between 1946 and 1952 – Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Mrs. Mildred Whitfield and Mrs. Beverly Hardy. She broke many racial barriers as the first African American to be hired in key positions. She worked at the USO and was the first Black clerical worker at Ft. Bliss Texas in the Postal Locator. While working, she attended Texas Western College (now the University of Texas at El Paso) and was one of 7 students to integrate Texas Western. Mildred was an active member of the Easter Star Lodge, Phyllis Wheatley Club and the NAACP and Myrtle Ave Methodist Church.
In 1960 Mildred moved to San Fernando Calif where once again, she broke many racial barriers in the workplace as the first African American to work at the Raymond Lamp Company, Assistant Manager of Lerner Dress store in Panorama City, Calif and Manager of the Rembrandt Sign Co in San Fernando, Calif. and the Veterans Administration Hospital in Sylmar, Calif. At one point Mildred worked three jobs to take care of her aging father and 3 daughters.
In 1975 Mildred moved to Oakland California and worked for the Social Security Administration until her retirement in 1986. Upon her retirement, she helped found and manage her daughter, Barbara Lee’s business, Lee Associates, dba the WC Parish Co. until her second retirement in 1998 when she moved to Sun City, Arizona until 2010.
Mildred enjoys traveling and has visited Greece, Italy, Spain, Hawaii, The Bahamas, Mexico, Grenada, St. Maarten, Virgin Islands, Martha’s Vineyard, and loves to shop. She is intrigued with the beauty of butterflies and has a wonderful collection of butterfly ornaments and personal items, which bring her a lot of joy.
Mildred Massey currently lives at Grand lake Gardens in Oakland California and is Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s biggest supporter. She loves music and basketball and is a frequent attendee at the Oakland Symphony. Mildred Massey has adopted Allen Temple Baptist Church as her church home and appreciates the love and support of Pastor Emeritus J. Alfred Smith Sr., Pastor J. Alfred Smith Jr. and the entire Allen Temple Church family.
Mildred is proud of her 3 daughters, 7 grandchildren, 16 great grand children and 1 great, great grandchild.
(All information above was current until her death)
Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s mother Mildred Parish Massey, 90, passed away peacefully in Oakland, surrounded by family, on Monday, Feb. 16, 2015.
Area:
Central / Five Points
Source:
Mildred Parish Massey
Uploaded by:
El Paso Museum of History
Mildred Parish Massey - El Paso, Texas
THANK YOU FOR SHARING MY 90TH BIRTHDAY WITH ME. I LOVE YOU ALL. MILDRED (Mildred turn 90 in the year 2014)
Mildred Parish Massey was born in El Paso, Texas June 6, 1924. Her father, William Calhoun Parish was the first African American letter carrier in El Paso and spoke fluent Spanish. Her mother, Willie Pointer Parish was a homemaker who raised her daughters Juanita, Lois and Mildred. All 3 girls attended the excellent all black school, Douglass elementary and high school in El Paso.
Mildred played the saxophone in the band and marched in the Sun Bowl Parade. She was also the manager of the Douglass High School basketball team. She won a scholarship to Tillotson College in Austin Texas and transferred to Southern University in Baton Rouge, La to study business administration. When pledging to a sorority she learned that her friend could not pledge due to her darker skin color and immediately withdrew her application and asked Mary McLeod Bethune to come to campus to help change this discriminatory policy, which succeeded. Mildred moved to Portsmouth, Virginia and was hired to work as registrar and secretary to the president of Norfolk division of Virginia State College, now Norfolk State University.
Mildred returned to El Paso Texas and gave birth to 3 girls between 1946 and 1952 – Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Mrs. Mildred Whitfield and Mrs. Beverly Hardy. She broke many racial barriers as the first African American to be hired in key positions. She worked at the USO and was the first Black clerical worker at Ft. Bliss Texas in the Postal Locator. While working, she attended Texas Western College (now the University of Texas at El Paso) and was one of 7 students to integrate Texas Western. Mildred was an active member of the Easter Star Lodge, Phyllis Wheatley Club and the NAACP and Myrtle Ave Methodist Church.
In 1960 Mildred moved to San Fernando Calif where once again, she broke many racial barriers in the workplace as the first African American to work at the Raymond Lamp Company, Assistant Manager of Lerner Dress store in Panorama City, Calif and Manager of the Rembrandt Sign Co in San Fernando, Calif. and the Veterans Administration Hospital in Sylmar, Calif. At one point Mildred worked three jobs to take care of her aging father and 3 daughters.
In 1975 Mildred moved to Oakland California and worked for the Social Security Administration until her retirement in 1986. Upon her retirement, she helped found and manage her daughter, Barbara Lee’s business, Lee Associates, dba the WC Parish Co. until her second retirement in 1998 when she moved to Sun City, Arizona until 2010.
Mildred enjoys traveling and has visited Greece, Italy, Spain, Hawaii, The Bahamas, Mexico, Grenada, St. Maarten, Virgin Islands, Martha’s Vineyard, and loves to shop. She is intrigued with the beauty of butterflies and has a wonderful collection of butterfly ornaments and personal items, which bring her a lot of joy.
Mildred Massey currently lives at Grand lake Gardens in Oakland California and is Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s biggest supporter. She loves music and basketball and is a frequent attendee at the Oakland Symphony. Mildred Massey has adopted Allen Temple Baptist Church as her church home and appreciates the love and support of Pastor Emeritus J. Alfred Smith Sr., Pastor J. Alfred Smith Jr. and the entire Allen Temple Church family.
Mildred is proud of her 3 daughters, 7 grandchildren, 16 great grand children and 1 great, great grandchild.
(All information above was current until her death)
Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s mother Mildred Parish Massey, 90, passed away peacefully in Oakland, surrounded by family, on Monday, Feb. 16, 2015.
Area:
Central / Five Points
Source:
Mildred Parish Massey
Uploaded by:
El Paso Museum of History
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