BY: Cheryl Smith
It was 40 years ago.
Actually the anniversary date, August 2, 1985, has passed and I had to let it pass to be able to talk about it.
On a Saturday morning, August 3, 1985, I was at Atlanta airport, waiting for my connecting flight back to Dallas, Texas.
The day before, I had flown to Tallahassee, Florida, to attend Florida A&M University’s (FAMU) commencement, and I was anxious to get back to Dallas because Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, was convening. Thousands of my sorority sisters would be in town for a wonderful experience that we had been planning for years.
I saw a lot of cameramen/women and reporters as I made my way to my gate, and I asked what was going on.
They said there had been a Delta Airlines plane crash in Dallas, resulting from a storm. According to the National Weather Service, the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) Accident Board determined that the cause of the incident was wind-shear associated with an intense thunderstorm downdraft that occurred at the north end of the airport. There were a total of 137 fatalities, including a driver struck by the descending plane.
My mouth dropped open because I hadn’t seen anything remotely resembling a storm when I boarded my plane less than 24 hours ago.
So I asked where the flight was coming from, and they said, “Fort Lauderdale.”
I immediately panicked because I knew of at least three who had attended FAMU with me, and I expected them to be coming to Dallas for the convention.
A few phone calls and I found out they were actually in New York, attending a boat ride. BUT their mother, and mother-in-law, Dr. Kathleen Cooper Wright, was on the flight.
When people shun sororities and fraternities, I think of times like weddings, emergencies, joyful moments, and the days, weeks, and years since the Delta Flight 191.
Coming together is so important, especially during times like now, when the world seems to be imploding. It’s good to have people around who care.
Dr. Wright, who was a Regional Director for the sorority, was a very accomplished woman. An educator, elected official, wife to her college sweetheart, mother, community servant and someone who impacted my life as she was transitioning.
I loved hearing stories about her work, and I was tickled when family members talked about what a good cook she was, because I wondered when she had time!
She survived the crash, was hospitalized, and lived for about two weeks. During that time, I learned a great deal about her, and I made some bold decisions when I returned to Dallas from her funeral.
My love for her family grew, and today the bond is still strong.
I still can’t believe it has been 40 years.
If you ever spend time in Fort Lauderdale, you will run across her name because it appears on buildings and people still talk about the impact she had in so many arenas.
Forty years from now, will people be talking about you? What will your legacy be?
Dr. Wright lives in so many of us because she lived for us. The world is a better place because she lived. I am a better person because she lived.
She was and still is a blessing to so many.
What about you?
