My Story
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My Story
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Everyone has a story to tell and now it's my time. Learning about The Great Migration is special to me because my family was a part of both waves of African Americans that left Alabama looking for a better life. My extended family moved to Chicago, Cleveland, Ohio and Battle Creek, Michigan. My nuclear family
moved to Chicago around 1944 from Northport, Alabama. My grandparents and
aunt (Oscar The 1940's was a prosperous time for my family. My grandfather began working in a dry cleaners and grandmother utilized her sewing skills by making clothes for people. My grandparents became businesspersons in the early 1950's and bought the Boulevard Cleaners from a Greek businessman. The Dry Cleaners was located at 5439 South Wentworth Avenue. In later years, they moved from the Bronzeville/ Grand Boulevard area and relocated to the Lilydale community at 9638 South State. Eventually, the city of Chicago claimed eminent domain and took the property of Boulevard Cleaners for the Dan Ryan Expressway. In 1957, the dry cleaning business moved to 301 East 95th street and was named the East 95th Street Cleaners. It is still operating at this location. Business and opportunities were great and they bought the grocery store adjacent to the cleaners. Business really grew and a dry cleaning business was purchased west on 95th street and named West 95th Street Cleaners. Chicago presented a land of opportunity for my family from Alabama.
I am very proud of my Southern-Chicago heritage. I was taught the importance of "informal education" as I listened to countless stories about Negro History. I am grateful for the words of wisdom that permeated my home. As I end this experience on The Great Migration, I am proud that my family was a part of a great time period of the twentieth century. Now it is time for me to make my mark in the annuls of the African American experience....and THE WORLD!
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Annie Mae Westbrooks and daughter Annie Louise) settled in BRONZEVILLE and lived
at 4636 South Vincennes. My aunt attended Jean Point DuSable High School. She commented that the school wanted to
"automatically" demote her to a lower grade because she came from the Alabama
school system. She was not demoted after my grandmother demanded that she
be tested. Our family has always been close knitted. It was not
unusual that my uncle (James, Jr.) and my mother (Bertha Mae) migrated to
Chicago. They have never lived more than thirty minutes from each other. 
I entered this family on the 16th
of October in the 20th century in Chicago, Illinois at St. Joseph's hospital
(the year is not important for this website). I was born Shelby Thomas Wyatt to
Earnest and Bertha Mae Wyatt. I was named after my great-grandfather Mr.
Shelby Thomas of Northport, Alabama. I was told I was destined for
greatness because my namesake was a great man in Tuscaloosa county, Alabama.
He was so strong-willed that even White folks called him "Mista Thomas". 
During the course of my growing
up, the importance of "getting my education" was enforced. I was told that
"Education is one thing that the WHITE MAN cannot take
from you." As a result, my family did not accept mediocrity where
education was concerned. My fourth grade counselor informed my mother that
I was reading several levels below the fourth grade - suggesting a special
education diagnosis. My mother did not accept this diagnosis.
Instead, I was continuously prodded to work harder so that I would not lag
behind. My father died in 1985 and never witnessed my receiving my B.A.,
Ms. Ed, Ed. S or Ed. D. 
I believe that the
proudest day was December, 1999
when I was hooded with a terminal degree. I received my Ed. D in counselor education from Northern Illinois
University.