On Thursday, February 27 around 8:30pm, my mom, A. Theressa Bynum, passed away. She was with my brother, Phoenix, at the time in his home when she suddenly fell ill and lost her strength. Phoenix called for help, but paramedics were unable to revive her. She was gone.

"Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter."

It has been overwhelming to say the least and often difficult to find the words.

She was a phenomenal woman, a civil rights activist since the age of 13 from the Segregated South, 1964 Class Valedictorian of Fisk University, a valued employee working over 25 years with IBM, an indispensable community leader most notably known for her work with the Greater Terre Haute NAACP Branch, a Great Grandmother, our "Grandma Bear", and my Super Mom.

Based on her wishes, our family only has plans for a private gathering at this time. I imagine that many of her friends and colleagues will find their own way to celebrate her life, remember her good deeds, and carry on her work.

"Lift every voice and sing,
Till earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the list'ning skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on till victory is won."
- James Weldon Johnson