Dr. Olivia Cousins: Sister, I speak your name!  Feminist. Scholar. Historian. Clinical Sociologist. Professor. Activist. Artist. Mentor. Mother. Black Woman Extraordinaire. 

You were a fierce warrior for social justice who championed civil rights by fighting for communities of color and access to quality health care for women on local and global fronts. Relentless in your pursuit to effect change, you served in varied roles and esteemed leadership positions in countless organizations and institutions. In each of these spaces, you intentionally directed your calm, elegant voice and intellect in service of justice and in the spirit of fostering meaningful connections with all humanity.

For your most recent longstanding project, you not only purchased and stewarded the John Mercer Langston Historic House, an African-American historic landmark in Oberlin, Ohio, but you also founded the John Mercer Langston Institute. You personally financed the house’s restoration and through sheer grit and ingenuity developed historical tours, youth education programs, and scholarly retreats that embody the legacy of abolitionist and educator John Mercer Langston.  

As my college professor and mentor, you were a spectacular force in my own life, an uncompromising model of dignified Black womanhood. You moved with a sense of urgency yet a spiritual peacefulness, never loud or forceful or ostentatious. But you were a mighty presence all the same. I especially admired this quality of many about you. You showed me up close, in private and public settings, what a self-possessed, self-actualized woman living in full alignment with her passion, purpose, power, and faith in herself looks like. That’s who I aspired to be. That’s who I’ve become. Your mentorship helped me to develop a lens for self-awareness as a leader and activist, and to conceptualize how to engage with others in affirming, inclusive ways. You helped me to grasp and channel the power I possessed to effect change and sagely advised to use my words judiciously for once spoken, I can never retrieve them; I’m still learning this lesson. 

You have transitioned to the realm of the Ancestors now and can finally rest with Distinction for a job well done. It is my proud duty to honor the legacy of the extraordinary woman you were who gave so much to the world. Thank you for illuminating the world with your beauty and gifts. Thank you for showing me how to wield my power mindfully and compassionately. May you continue to guide my path. You will live forevermore in my heart. Rest in Peace and Power. Ashe.

In Gratitude and Sisterhood,