Hidden Figures: Mary J. Wilson #BlackHERstoryMonth 19/28 (Patreon)

Hidden Figures: Mary J. Wilson #BlackHERstoryMonth 19/28

If you enjoy my work, please consider supporting! CashApp: $SerenSensei Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/seren_sensei All Patrons get access to the Discord server! NEW MERCH SHOP: https://the-bheezebake-project.creator-spring.com Mary J. Wilson was the first Black American senior zookeeper. She worked at the Baltimore Zoo from 1961 to 1999, caring primarily for gorillas, big cats and elephants, and is considered to have opened doors for Black women and other women of color in zookeeping. Mary Jeannette Wilson was born on Jan. 2, 1937, in West Baltimore, Maryland. Wilson had a passion for animals from a young age and a lack of fear, as evidenced by family stories about her calmly removing birds and bats that had gotten into their home. She attended Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, then, at age 23, began working at the local zoo in 1961, despite having no experience or formal training. While most women zookeepers at the time were assigned to work with birds and other smaller animals, Wilson worked with big animals from the beginning of her career, specializing in primates, cats and elephants in the Mammal House. 6-feet tall, Wilson was a sports fan and trash talker with a way with animals; she often cared for zoo babies, even taking them home with her at night, which made her stand out in her Baltimore neighborhood for having a house full of snakes, primates, and jungle cats at any given moment. The baby animals raised by Wilson often showed compassion and empathy towards other animals, with one gorilla named Sylvia becoming an adoptive mother to an abandoned gorilla infant at another facility. She retired in 1999 after working 38 years at the zoo, and enjoyed singing, taking long walks, going on cruises, and collecting wooden, glass and china elephants. Wilson kept pet dogs at home and was only known to be afraid of one kind of animal: mice. The zoo still has two otters named after her, Mary and Wilson. Mary J. Wilson died of novel coronavirus/Covid-19 in Randallstown, Md., on May 25, 2020 at the age of 83. She is survived by her daughter, a grandson, and a great granddaughter. #HiddenFigures #MaryJWilson ****************** Merchandise! MAKE SURE U GETTA SHIRT!! https://www.teepublic.com/user/sssseren https://www.shophouseof950.com/embroidery-tees/theblackamericans https://www.shophouseof950.com/embroidery-tees/dacs?rq=d.a.c.s Follow me on social media! Instagram: @sensei_aishitemasu Personal Tumblr: http://sensei-aishitemasu.tumblr.com Tumblr for my work: https://sssseren.tumblr.com Snapchat: sssseren GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/tc5wh7q ****************** Did you know I wrote a book? ☺️ 'So, About That... A Year of Contemporary Essays on Race and Pop Culture' Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/About-That-Contemporary-Essays-Culture-ebook/dp/B013V0CHK6 Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B013V0CHK6 Digital download (e-book): https://gumroad.com/l/IkUa ****************** Links: Mary Wilson, 83, first Black senior zookeeper at Maryland Zoo: https://www.phillytrib.com/obituaries/mary-wilson-83-first-black-senior-zookeeper-at-maryland-zoo/article_54c75d5f-52ec-5028-8975-54d99132f96b.html Mary J Wilson - First black senior zookeeper at Maryland Zoo: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/mary-j-wilson-senior-zookeeper-maryland-zoo-a9609886.html Mary J. Wilson, first African American senior zookeeper at the Baltimore Zoo, dies of the coronavirus: https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/bs-md-ob-mary-wilson-20200526-yuuyznl77zdkfhid5ijaigay4y-story.html Coronavirus Victims - Maryland Zookeeper Mary J. Wilson: https://www.npr.org/2020/08/07/900279637/coronavirus-victims-maryland-zookeeper-mary-j-wilson Mary J. Wilson, Barrier-Smashing Zookeeper, Dies at 83: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/02/us/mary-j-wilson-dead-coronavirus.html First female African American senior zookeeper at Baltimore zoo dies of covid-19: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/first-female-african-american-senior-zookeeper-at-baltimore-zoo-dies-of-covid-19/2020/06/18/9baff940-acfa-11ea-94d2-d7bc43b26bf9_story.html Trailblazing zookeeper among thousands who've died from COVID in nursing homes: https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/national/trailblazing-zookeeper-among-thousands-whove-died-from-covid-in-nursing-homes The Lives Lost to Coronavirus: https://time.com/5814406/coronavirus-obituaries/