Barbara Taylor:  

Life My name is Barbara A. Francis Taylor. I was born October 6, 1960 to the late Paul and Lois Jean Francis, Jr. My biological father is Charles Kirby Smith. I was blessed to have two fathers. My mother and Paul divorced when I was three or four years old. Paul still loved and cared for my siblings and me until his death in 1969. My mom made sure I knew whom my biological father was but I was very attached to my mother. She was the one person I knew loved me and was concerned about my well-being. I felt my mom’s unconditional love and devotion to my siblings and me at an early age. From the time my mom and Paul divorced until her death, it was just her and my siblings and me, a real family. After graduating from high school in May 1978, my intentions were to attend Grambling State University and attain a degree in Computer Science. I wanted to get a college degree and better myself but mostly I felt more than anything it was what my parents expected of me. Neither of my parents received college degrees so I felt they looked at me to be the child to get a college degree and make them proud. Although this did not happen, today I know I made my parents proud by being who I am. During my senior year of high school I became pregnant but did not tell my mom or biological dad until I was about to go off to college for my freshman year. I was afraid to tell my mom I was pregnant because she had just learned both my sisters were pregnant as well. My mother had also raised my two sisters, one brother and me, at this time, alone and I felt the right thing to do was to raise my own child. My first-born, a daughter, Aisha Shevonda Taylor, was born, December 25, 1978. I still lived with my mom. I had to do what I could to help provide for my daughter and me since I was still living with my mom, sisters, brother and two nieces. Can you imagine my mother being the only working adult in the house with her four children and three newborn baby granddaughters? I know she did not mind because that’s who she was and who her mother, the late Willie Mae Mitchell, raise her to be. Yet I knew it was not my mom’s responsible to provide for my daughter so once my daughter was a month old I went out and found me a job. At the age of 20, I found an apartment for my child and me, a place of our own. On May 8, 1982, I married my boyfriend and father of my first born, Ronnie Taylor. Not only was I a mother but also I had the responsibility of being someone’s wife. At age 22, on November 20, 1983, Ronnie and I had our second child, another daughter, Ashala Jineane Taylor. My daughters are blessings from God and I knew as their mother I had to do my part to train them up in the way God would have them go. I had power of attorney and handled all my mother’s finances once she fell ill in 1984 after her pregnancy and delivery of my younger brother. My mom’s health got worse and on July 22, 2002 she died. On June 27, 2003, my biological father, Charles Smith had neck surgery that left him paraplegic. He is currently in a Nursing Home but doing much better. Hopefully he will be able to move into his own home soon. I went back to college for my degree in August 2005. I obtained my Bachelor Degree in Business Administration with a Concentration in Organization Management on May 12, 2007 from Wiley College. My plans are to one day become an Auditor for the LA Dept of Revenue. Without Christ, who’s the head of my life, my ...Expand for more