Bobbie Wooten Moorehead, 81, is a retired French teacher, but that hasn’t stopped her from teaching.
“I love mentoring,” Bobbie said with a huge smile. “I love interacting with young people and working to develop young leaders.
When she was asked participate in BakerRipley’s Wisdom exchange program, she was more than happy to share what she’s learned with younger people.
““I have historical knowledge because I sat at the feet of strong women and leaders.” Bobbie said. “While you can learn many things from books, it’s not the same as having a conversation with a person who has experienced it.”
And Bobbie has experienced a lot.
“I lived through segregation and felt the sting of racism. But it never broke my spirit. I was always determined to work hard and rise above the hate,” Bobbie said. “That is the message that I have for young people – do what is right and take what you have and make it the best.”
Although today’s youth don’t experience racism and hardships quite the way she did , Bobbie believes that they still face serious challenges that they must overcome.
“Young people need older adults to help guide them when things get hard,” Bobbie said. “Stop telling young people what to do. Instead, use your life as an example.”
Bobbie believes that young people can make a difference in this world and urges them to use their talents to impact their communities.
“Find your passion and use that to discover your purpose. When you live within your passion and purpose, you will not only live a more fulfilling life, but you will also improve the lives of others.”
Bobbie also has a word of advice for people her age.
“It is important for people of my generation to share stories with this generation so they can share with the next generation. If we don’t keep these memories alive, the lessons we learned from our struggles will fade away.”
