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The ChoiceBy: Michele Wehrwein AlbionIn 1920s Fort Myers, a white woman took two black children under her wing, altering lives for generations. |
Sonny Boy's widow, who now lives in North Carolina, believes their impact is multi-generational. Lois Lee Smith marvels at her late husband's good fortune. "Because of his mother and the attention of the Bennetts, Sonny Boy didn't have prejudice," she says. "He was free of that burden. Thankfully, that is a blessing he passed to the next generation"
The encounter between the white woman and the black girl in that sunny Fort Myers yard in 1923 could have easily ended in failure. But the woman chose the difficult path of mothering the two girls. Jessie and Bessie Bennett opted for an equally challenging path, one that, though better traveled, remains today.
Past Preserved
To learn more about the Bennett twins and Miss Rossie, visit the Williams Academy Black History Museum at 1936 Henderson Ave. in the Dunbar neighborhood near downtown Fort Myers. Operated by the non-profit Lee County Black History Society, the museum displays items dating back to the Civil War, when black soldiers fought here to preserve the Union. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; admission is $3 for adults and $1.50 for children. For more information, call 332-8778.
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