104-year-old Jersey City author India Edwards reflects on Black history she has witnessed
JERSEY CITY, N.J. -- Black history is American history and CBS2 recently spoke to a 104-year-old woman who was born and raised in New Jersey.
She explained history from her point of view.
"It feels wonderful. You wanna sing," author India Edwards said.
Edwards has a lot to sing about. She was born in 1918, the year of the Spanish flu, and weighed only 2 pounds.
"We had a lot of childhood diseases at the time. I had the whooping cough," Edwards said.
But she grew strong. Life was mostly good, but she faced racism. At Snyder High School, she was one of eight Black students. The Centenarian says one of her teachers wanted her to act like a slave.
"I said to her, 'I'm sorry, I can't tie my hair in those little white things, but I can draw the side of a cabin if you want,'" Edwards said.
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She was small in stature, but with a personality that commanded a room. Her family says she was the first Black social worker in Jersey City and while wearing many hats, also became an author.
"When something would happen and it would affect me, I would have to get it out my system and that was the only way," Edwards said.
She married her soulmate, Clarence Edwards, and had four girls.
"It was wonderful," India Edwards said.
The tight-knit family was there for the March on Washington.
"I was standing right in front of the monument. I could reach out and touch Martin Luther King's shoe if I wanted to," Edwards said.
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Edwards lived through two pandemics, the Great Depression, the civil rights movement, and a number of wars. She also met one man at Saint Peters University that went on to make history.
"I knew he was going to be president," Edwards said.
In 2007, Edwards met future President Barack Obama on the campaign trail.
"When she met him she said, 'Will you be my son? My adopted son?' He said, 'Of course,'" said Sondra Riley, Edwards' daughter.
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At 104, this wonderfully sassy great grandma has outlived her husband of 56 years. She continues to spread love and life lessons.
"Never give up, always try your best, and believe in yourself," great grandson Warick said.
Famous words have been instilled in them all, four generations, surrounding the matriarch of the family.
"Persistence and being kind. Kindness is very important," Edwards said.
