Happy Mother's Day, everyone.

To me, Mother’s Day is about celebrating the lives of the strong, loving, courageous women who raised us. For me, that will always be my mother, Nancy Gardner Sewell.

Today, I want to tell you all about my mother, her incredible story, and how she inspired me to always stand up for what’s right.

Just like me, my mother was raised in Alabama’s Black Belt. But even when my mother was just a little girl, she faced the realities of racism and prejudice.

Even though she was raised in a segregated South, she persevered. She grew up to be a librarian and, eventually, the first Black woman ever elected to Selma’s city council.

When my mother had me in 1965, Alabama was changing. Just two months after I was born, activists like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rep. John Lewis converged on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in my hometown of Selma to march for voting rights.

When I was growing up in this era of activism, my mother instilled in me the importance of civic engagement and the responsibility of public service. She would always say “bloom where you’re planted” – you can make a difference wherever you are! After my mother passed away last year, I hold those values more closely to my heart now than ever.

For all of my accomplishments, I have my mother to thank. She loved me, stood up for me, and taught me the values that I hold dear today. I’ll always remember the unconditional love and fighting spirit she had for her family and her community.

I hope your Mother’s Day is filled with gratitude, appreciation, and love.

Sincerely,

Terri Sewell