Allie H. Freeman: A Phenomenal Woman
Allie H. Freeman
A Celebration of Excellence was held for our Queen Mother Allie H. Freeman on Saturday, April 20, 2024 at the Buffalo State Student Union Assembly Hall. Hundreds of people attended the program in recognition of one the most revered women in our community. Mrs. Freeman is now 90 years of age. She had a phenomenal career as an Educator, Social Worker, and a lifelong Humanitarian who gave so much to our community and city. Mother Freeman is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. You can read her complete bio in the Criterion newspaper in the April 20 – 26, 2024 issue. Mrs. Freeman was married to the distinguished Dr. James J. Freeman. Dr. Freeman was the first Black to graduate from the University of New York at Buffalo with both a MD and Ph.D in 1974. The accomplishments of Dr. Freeman were legendary!! Mrs. Freeman always speaks lovingly of him along with her sons and grandchildren.
Allie H. Freeman and Dr. Eva M. Doyle
The celebration last week featured some of the most talented singers and poets who gave tremendous performances. It was simply the “Best.” This columnist has known Mrs. Freeman for many years. We connect on Facebook often. Mother Freeman has always supported my work. Many years ago, I published a newsletter called “Eye On History.” It included little- known facts about Black history and educational activities for young people in reading and language arts. Mrs. Freeman was the first person to subscribe to it and share it with her family. I really appreciated her support of the newsletter. She subscribed to it for a long time. It led to a long friendship with a wonderful woman who gave me the incentive to continue my work educating our community on African American History.
It was an honor to present Mrs. Freeman the Roses for Outstanding Woman Award in 2010. She mentioned it in her remarks last week. Mrs. Freeman went on to write poetry for the Roses Award many times. She is a talented poet. Her poems are from the heart. Many of her poems were read at the Roses awards program. The Roses program booklet stated the following, “Roses are known for their great beauty. They have a special place in our lives. Like a rose, a woman is special at any age. Roses come in many colors, but the red rose stands out from all of the others. All of the women honored are like these special flowers. They stand out in our community and touch so many lives in many ways.” It was an honor to pay tribute to Mrs. Freeman with the Roses Award.
Dr. Bonita Durand, Interim President of the Buffalo State University said the following at the end of the celebration about the impact of Mrs. Freeman She stated the following, “This is an amazing celebration for an amazing woman. She always encouraged me. She is our Poet Laureate. She writes poetry for every occasion. She is my rock. She always encouraged me.”
Congratulations to Mother Allie H. Freeman. Thank you for all you have done for our community over the years. You are truly a Blessed and Phenomenal Woman!! Congratulations to Brother Patrick Freeman “the Mighty Oba” and his family for organizing such a wonderful event!!