Angelena Rice

Angelena Ray Rice (21 July 1924 – August 1985), teacher of high school music and science in Birmingham, Alabama and Denver, Colorado, was the mother of United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Rice was born in Alabama to Albert Robinson Ray III (b. Alabama, c. 1895), who worked in 1930 as a coal digger in Jefferson County, Alabama, and wife (married c. 1920) Mattie Lula ... Parham (Alabama, February 1899 – living 1930), paternal granddaughter of Albert Ray (Alabama, August 1870 – living 1900) and wife (married c. 1890) Angeline ... (Alabama, December 1871 – living 1900) and maternal granddaughter of Walter Parham (Georgia, January 1876 – between 1910 and 1920) and wife Emma ... (Alabama, October 1877 – living 1930). [Reitwiesner, William Addams. [http://www.wargs.com/political/rice.html "The Ancestors of Condoleezza Rice"] ]

Rice's husband John Wesley Rice, Jr., and their daughter lived in Titusville, a Black middle class neighbourhood in Birmingham, Alabama. She named her daughter Condoleezza, after the Italian musical notation “con dolcezza” meaning to play "with sweetness". Angelena Rice managed her daughter's schedule, schooling Condoleezza in academic subjects and music, and sending her to ballet, youth group, and church. Since Condoleezza could read fluently by age five, Angelena Rice wanted her to start school. When the principal of the black elementary school said she was too young, Rice took a one-year leave of absence and home-schooled her daughter. This education was rigorous and structured.

Angelena Rice enrolled her daughter in a variety of schools to expose her to different social and educational experiences. She instructed her daughter to excel and be above average in every endeavour.

Angelena Rice's parents protected her from Birmingham's Jim Crow laws by telling her to use facilities at home, rather than segregated washrooms and water fountains. Later, Angelena Rice was told her daughter could not use a "whites only" dressing room, but argued until the shop clerk relented.

In 1969, Angelena Rice was diagnosed with breast cancer. She died in 1985.

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2092-1367314,00.html Sunday Times article]
* [http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2003/009/1.42.html The Unflappable Condi Rice]
* [http://newsinfo.nd.edu/content.cfm?topicId=344 'Honored to have the chance,' - Failure was never an option for 'Condi' Rice]