Black Ink August 26 , 1991
\
Etched By Stone:
A Legacy Of Dedication To African- American Culture
We want Sonja Slone to ascend
to her universal purpose, freely and
joyfully,unencumbered by concerns
about our inability to make peace
with her passing. We know as we
speak to her, she hears our every
word/prayer; and, we know that in
time we will see her again.
With these thoughts and con
victions expressed, I ask myself:
Why do the tears still come? Why
does Sonja’s material absence still
weigh so heavily on my heart? I try
to find answers in understanding
my personal sorrow around Sonja’s
death, and I am faced
with truths that are
painful. I realize
the pain is not
had taken better care of Sonja—
I weep because I wish we all
would take better care of each
other.
How each of us comes to un
derstand Sonja’s passing is
framed within our experiences
with her and our own religious
and/or philosophical orientation.
However, the center of my con
cern is how Sonja Stone’s life
and passing has and will change
us, at least those of us who knew
and loved her.
We know that Sonja’s
highest aspirations did
not completely
transcend with
her. She gave
The sadness sets in
when I think about how
we are sometimes un
aware that there are
individuals whose life is
a special gift to us
We Will Carry Sonja Stone’s Legacy Forth
he day after Sonja’s fimeral, a Baha’i friend called to offer sympathy
and condolences. My friend said that in the Baha’i writings, the profit
Bahaullah reminds us, when we grieve for the loss of those we love when
our pain is so great that it is difficult to accept a loved one leaving this world/
leaving us— we must remember that their spirit is with us, feeling, seeing,
and acutely aware of every tear, every moumful gesture, every sad regret.
They know our sorrow; they are present in our sorrow. And they feel the
weight of the moumers who can not let go of their material existence.
Bahaullah says the spirit desires to soar to its unimaginable greamess and
purpose, but it feels our sadness, and in sympathy for our pain, we make it
more difficult for the spirit to make the easy/smooth transitional flight into
the Other World. I suppose it is similar to a mother knowing she must leave
her child for a while, but the child, not understanding the purpose of the
mother’s departure, but understanding that she/he will see the mother again,
begins to cry and lament as the mother leaves. The mother, loving the child
and seeing the child’s pain, finds it is more difficult to freely walk through the
door. By D. Soyini Madison
the “death”; I
know Sonja is
fine and walk
ing tall. The
pain is for all
of us, and how
we will live in
this world
without her
physical presence.
Sonja’s passing
has caused many truths
to surface. Truths about
friendship, integrity, sisterhood,
and what it means to be a teacher, to
be a fighter, to be misnamed and
misunderstood, to be loved and re
vered, and to be a strong voice
against the wind as so many others
whisper. Sonja Stone did not live a
small life; her life was simulta
neously filled with tides of politi
cal controversy and profound love.
The sadness sets in when I think
about how we are sometimes un
aware that there are individuals
whose life is a special gift to us.
The weight of loss sets in when I
think about how we sometimes take
each other for granted, not saying
what needs to be said, not listening,
not forgiving. The sorrow sets in
when I think about how we often
displace what is truly valuable;
gossip and intolerance instead of
valuing the time we spent together
in appreciation, acceptance, and
love. It is in this life that we must
take belter care of each other, we
are each precious gifts to one an
other. I still weep because I wish I
her will and
vision to
each of us
to carry on
Carrying
on the
legacy of
Sonja Stone
is to add to the
profound sig
nificance of her life
and to her own. It is no
mystery or hidden secret what
Sonja believed, because she was
both warrior and thinker. She
made her convictions very very
clear.
I want to discuss whatl per
ceive to be Sonja’s greatest be
liefs as they affect us at this uni
versity: First. She believed that
the history, politics, and expres
sive traditions of African-Ameri
can discourse were worthy of the
kind of sophisticated and intel
lectually rigorous study as any
other discipline on this campus.
Therefore, she felt the curricu
lum should be moving toward
Departmental status. She fought
for this against great odds for
almost 20 years. Documentation
reflects Sonja Stone’s long
struggle to move the curriculum
to adepartmentand recounts each
battle. This is a history we must
know and, if need be, defend.
Second. She believed that a
Black Cultural Center was es-
Continued on page 8