Chronicle Profile
She's dedicated h
By AUDREY L. WILLIAMS
Chronicle Staff Writer
It Mama Wright thinks a young boy is a bit too
timid, she'll make him put up his dukes and light her.
It' a young girl isn't acting like a lady% Mama Wright
pulls her aside and tells her about the respect "only
ladies get."
~ * -
kjueen "Mama" Wright, or "Grandma" as the little
ones affectionately call her, is the assistant recreation
director at Reynolds Park Recreation Center.
And though it's not a part of her job title -- she's that
mother away from home, too.
Everyone one calls the active 59-year-old mother
of 11 children "Mama," even her bossv former
Harlem Globetrotters basketball player Robert Little
and the center's director.
A native of Winston-Salem, Wright, a genuine
?? r? yruvtU hring first p,n her list,.can.. 1
tamtty?bi? seated fut?live minutes?bl'luW h?T
assistance is needed on game rules or to mediate a
disagreement. If she wants the girls to know'the right
way to jump rope, she takes over. If a youngster is
having difficulty with a jump shot, she shows him
how it's done.
"I " >" ? ?
i iv/?*r uuiui tn, ictys w ngm. i iove an cnuaren
and 1 always wanted a large family."
And family is what she has. In 20 years she has had
over 20 foster children in her home, in addition to her
own 10 children and a daughter she legally adopted.
"If 1 had the funds," she says, "I'd take in every,,
child nobody wanted."
A 15-year-old foster son now lives with her and she
talks of her hopes to win custody of his twin brother.
Wright finds it difficult to talk about the alienation
she suffered as a child because of her Indian and
Spanish heritage. But in order to explain her love for
W pro
f was
'? Mi<
' m >^R cor
Mrs. Melonle Moultry Lowe
Moultry and Lowe wed
Melonie Ruth Moultry of Plains, N.J., Misses DenWinston-Salem
and Sidney niese Bruce and Gloria
Rochell Lowe of Raleigh Hines, both of Raleigh,
were married Saturday, Miss Kim Hunt of Roxboro
. June 23, at a 3 p.m. and Miss Lorise White of
ceremony at Mount Zion Washington, D.C.
Baptist Church, with the The best man was Derek
Reverends Kelly O.P. Whittenburg of Glenarden, .
Goodwin and Konnie G. Md.
Robinson officiating. Groomsmen were the
The bride, a 1980 groom's brothers, Edwin
oraHnatp of Fast Forsvth Lowe, and James Lowe.
Senior High School and a Robert Ager, all of
1984 graduate of North Washington, D.C., Clyde
Carolina State University, Austin, Donald Bruce Jr.
is the daughter of Mr. and and Dwayne Green, both of
Mrs. Calvin J. Moultry of Raleigh, Archibald Banks
836 Rankin St. Ill of Reidsville, Lorenzo
who was starting pbint Grace and Lamar Languard
for the North drum, both of WinstonCarolina
State Wolfpack Salem, the groom's
team for four years and led brother, Willie Gwyn Jr. of
the team to the NCAA Alexandria, Va., Darryl
Championship, is a member Harris of Charlotte,
of the Indiana Pacers Charles Logan of Newark,
basketball team in In- N.J., and the groom's
dianapolis, Ind. nephew, Kenny Lowe of
I? ^ Ut? U?r A lovon/^r in \I n
^Jiven in mdMiagC uy llti aiCAauuna, ? ?.
father, Moultry had her
sister, Miss Ganelle GiGi Other ushers were Cozell
Moultry of Winston-Salem, McQueen of Bennettsville,
as the maid of honor. S.C., Reginald Moore of
Bridesmaids were Misses Ann Arbor, Mich., Stacey
Erica Brown, Demetra Spencer of Wilmington and
Miller, Aileen Oliver, the brideVs brother, Robert
Eleanor Phillips, Mary Moultry.
Phillips, Lynn Stevenson, Flower girls were Miss
Princess Watson, Dcbra Tramaine Brown of
Welch and Tonya Withers- Greensboro and Miss Tracy
nonn. all of Winston- Phillips of Dayton, Ohio.
Salem. Bridesmaids from Ring bearers were
out-of-town included William Slaughter of
Misses Vickie Weaver and Washington, D.C. and
Michelle Wilson of .lames Moore of WinstonDurham,
Misses Prcncssa Salem.
Michens and Ava Scott of The couple will make
Atlanta, Ga., Miss Bonita their home in Raleigh, until
Green of Greensboro, Miss they move to Indianapolis
Audrey Horton of Scotch in September. __
*
er life to cliildren
children, site puis aside the pain she's harbored fors
many years.
"My childhood was a very unpleasant one," sa;
Wright. "It was sad. The children would throw rod
at me, call me names, pull my hair and tear ir
clothes off."
The name calling and t he badgering I'rot
neighborhood children and classmates didn't en
there for Wright, she says. It continued even throng
hik>h school. StlC li:?H Mil fricM/tw ?1
- C-- - I'V . 1 ivtm.1, ,-?r?v r??jrr?, UIIU II
majority of her tree time was spent with the gram
mother who raised her and other adults.
When Wright, a former first-grade teacher at it
Seventh Day Adventist School in High Point, w;
asked to help keep order at the Martin Luther Kir
Recreation Center while the director was away, it w;
soon discovered that she was a natural with childrei
the onsb cowiUtersd troublemakers and tineo
trotfaoie humbled in her presence, she says. And tl
Bible-quoting Wright, whose husband, Elder Lonn
Wright, is the former pastor of Baldwin's Chap
Seventh Day Adventist Church in High Point, h
been put to the test on many occasion.
Before arriving at Reynolds Park two years ag
Wright had held her ground and gained the respe
and admiration of the children and parents as dire
tor of recreation at the North Hills Recreatic
Center.
"They (the children) ran all the other directors o
before I came," she saysT "1 told them when I g
there if i left, there would be no more recreatic
center.
"When they would try to break in the center, "I
call the police and then 1 go get'em. When the do|
came in, 1 called the boys in my office that I km
were selling it and I told them if they sold that stu
r. John A. teemster h
>r. John A. Feemster, a friends were the guests
minent Detroit surgeon, Rep. Matthew McNeel
recently honored by the speaker protem of t
higan State House of Michigan House 1
>resentatives for his Representatives at a lu
standing leadership, cheon where Rep. McNe<
itributions and presented Dr. Feemster
ievements in the medical framed copy of a "Reso
fession. Feemster, a tion of Tribute" honori
duate of Atkins "High him.
100I, has practed in During the lunchec
:roit since 1974. Michigan Gov. Ray Bk
:eemster, his wife, chard paid a special visit
Idren, parents, two meet and congratuli
ers and several close Feemster. Oth
1
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el
as "Mama" Wright has the magic'formula for F
(photo by James Parker).
o,
Cl
c- to my children or the ones I had myself, they
>n wouldn't have to worry about the law ? I'd get'em
myself."
ff That was the end of drug peddling at the North
ot Hills center.
)n _ After realizing that many of the kids in the
neighborhood had no other outlets other than drugs
'd or crime, she started pulling in bands, two of which a
pe son and daughter of hers sang in.
?w "I gave them something to look forward to," says
iff Wright. "I knew 1 was going to have to give them
\onored
of distinguished guests present ^
ly, included Senator Jackie M
he Vaughn, Mr. David Kelly, M
of public relations officer of
the Michigan Medical
dy Society. Rep. McNeely and
a Senator Vaughn are black
lu- members of the Michigan HHHHi
ng State Legislature. - Dr John A Feemstl
Following the luncheon,
>n, Feemster, accompanied by . _ . .
.. r .. . f . . of Representatives at Lar
an- his family and friends, was . .
. . ... ing, Mich,
to given special recognition .
, j Feemster is the son
ate during the afternoon sesier
sion of the Michigan House Please see page A8
^gpri
?81
r-i - 'MS o o*^;
pj ^ ^ ^Hrh
C**ng P??* jfchl^,,T^L?? O
M***** cS xM
SotUfoctlen gworontMd
iL STORE or your mo?#y bock
Jin^n^ns.on^m'0 Gr**?V",e 'SEARS ROE BUCK AND <^^01
i
The Chronicle, Thursday, June 28, 1984-Page A7
? ?>
^1 VMl?
JP ILyM
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m ,K''r^? <#H
M t SHE :
4*
[on Gregg's timidness: "Put up your dukes"
/
i
something and the kids that people called the worse
ones, I'd put them irilcharge."
Calling her "Mama" isn't just the name that
everyone calls Wright. It goes beyond that. Every
child in the Reynolds Park center has had to deal
with her one way or another. She's kept hours as late
as 7 a.m. in the morning entertaining children with
cards, bingo or just having rap sessions in her home.
Despite what may seem an adult becoming too involved,
Mama Wright doesn't think so. As a matter
of fact, it's the childhood she never had.
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