Simone Johnson-Smith and Cynthia Farrell Johnson
Recorded
September 6, 2022
Archived
September 6, 2022
41:15 minutes
0:00 / 0:00
Id:
atl004686
Description
Longtime friends and former colleagues Cynthia Farrell Johnson [no age given] and Simone Waveney Johnson-Smith [no age given] talk about Simone’s family history, her education and career, and what being a mom means to her.Subject Log / Time Code
Simone Waveney Johnson-Smith [no age given] says she has known Cynthia Farrell Johnson [no age given] for many years. Cynthia says they were in the Foreign Service together.
Simone says she was born in Westmoreland Jamaica at Savanna la Mar hospital. She says she came to the United States in 1998.
Simone remembers wanting to be an air hostess.
Simone says languages came easy to her. She says she speaks Spanish and French.
Cynthia asks what Simone would say to her younger self.
Simone talks about the direction her life could have taken had har parents not immigrated to the United States. She says she is grateful for the sacrifices her parents made.
Simone talks about completing her undergraduate degree in Kansas City, Missouri. She talks about spending time in Mexico as part of her studies.
Simone talks about applying for and receiving the Pickering Fellowship. She says this led to her work with the Department of State.
Simone talks about her parents and grandparents. She says both sides of her family are large and talks about community.
Simone says her mother passed away in 2021. She remembers learning that her mother dropped out of school to take care of her siblings.
Simone says her dad is a middle child. She says he is an auto mechanic and that he is always fixing things around the house. She says her dad is the one to step up and take care of the family.
Simone talks about her dad’s upcoming 70th birthday and the celebration planned.
Simone talks about being a parent to her 4-year-old daughter.
Simone talks about chasing her career and says her priorities have changed since becoming a mom.
Simone says her daughter makes her a better person. She says she hopes to be around to see her daughter grown and settled.
Simone says her parents were not religious. She says she did attend Sunday school and that she was exposed to different denominations.
Simone talks about having conversations with God. She remembers a time when God intervened on her behalf.
Simone says she would like to be remembered as someone who lived fully and did not give up.
Participants
- Simone Johnson-Smith
- Cynthia Farrell Johnson