By: Terry Allen
Big Mama always had a way of putting things plain. “Baby, if things don’t go your
way, go the thing’s way,” she’d say, rocking slow in her chair, one hand fanning, the other steady on life’s lessons.
What she meant was simple: if the system is built against you, don’t waste your energy pushing—redirect it. Learn the system, bend it, use it, and, when necessary, disrupt it so much that it has no choice but to change.
History has shown us that when we couldn’t get in the front door, we found another
way inside—or built our own house.
When buses in Montgomery refused to respect our dignity, we stopped riding and walked. The boycott hit their pockets, and soon enough, the wheels of justice had to turn.
When Black athletes in the 1968 Olympics raised their fists in silent protest, it wasn’t just about defiance; it was about using the system’s biggest stage to expose its biggest flaws.
Fast forward to Colin Kaepernick taking a knee. The NFL wasn’t ready for that
truth, but he wasn’t asking permission.
He used their own cameras, their own stage, and their own anthem to hold up a mirror to America. It cost him his career, but the conversation never stopped.
And now, in an era of social media activism, the system still tries to silence us—shadowbanning voices, shutting down protests with new laws.
But what did we do?
We took to platforms they didn’t control, built our own networks, and made sure our
messages still reached the people.
Big Mama knew what she was talking about. If the road is blocked, find another path. If the system is against you, find a way to make it work for you.
And if all else fails, shake the foundation until it has no choice but to shift. Because at the end of the day, the thing that refuses to change must
either break—or bow.
Who Was Big Mama?
Lucilee “Big Mama” Allen wasn’t just one woman—she was all our grandmothers, the
keepers of wisdom, the ones who saw injustice and made a way out of no way.
She was the voice whispering, “Stand up, be smart, and move different.” And Lord
knows, we still need her wisdom today.
Terry Allen is an NABJ award-winning Journalist, DEI expert, PR professional,
and founder of the charity – Vice President at FocusPR, Founder of City Men Cook,
and Dallas Chapter President of NBPRS.org
