Activist Rev. Willie Barrow “The Little Warrior” Remembered

Deborah Bayliss | As of Thursday, March 19, 2015

Rev. Willie Barrow, “The Little Warrior, died at age 90, March 12, 2015.
Rev. Willie Barrow, “The Little Warrior, died at age 90, March 12, 2015.

Chicago and the nation along with friends, and godchildren including President Barack Obama, and members and volunteers of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, are mourning the death and acknowledging the life and legacy of Rev. Willie Taplin Barrow. The longtime, Civil Rights activist, died in her home on March 12, with her pastor Rev. Jerald January, Sr., senior pastor of Vernon Park Church of God; Atty. Rev. Janette Wilson, Assistant General Counsel for Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. and Operation PUSH Inc., and others by her side.

Barrow was recently hospitalized due to a blood clot in her lungs.

“Janette and I and a few others spent her last minutes with her,” Rev. January said. “She wanted to go home from the hospital and so we brought her home and she died at 12:20 a.m. in her bedroom after making her last wishes known and planning her funeral and celebration services. She was my heart.”

Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. said in a statement that Barrow was a woman of unusual courage and character and a freedom fighter in the tradition of Rosa Parks and others.

“She was fearless,” Jackson said. “Death can have her frail body but not her good works and not our memories of her. We love you. Rest in peace; we will never forget you."

Affectionately known as the “The Little Warrior,” Barrow had one son Keith, whom she bore with her husband Clyde. Both Keith and Clyde, preceded her in death.

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Photo by: Deborah Bayliss

(Pictured Center), ‘Queen Mother’ Rev. Helen Sinclair, 94, one of Civil Rights activist, Rev. Willie Taplin Barrow’s close friends and fellow activist, is surrounded by a few of Rev. Barrow’s many godchildren. Rev. Barrow died March 12, 2015, at age 90.

‘Queen Mother’ Rev. Helen Sinclair, 94, one of Barrow’s close friends and fellow activist, was among those in attendance for a Friday press conference held to announce Barrow’s funeral and celebration service.

“When they first started Bread Basket, there were three women, Rev. Addie Wyatt, (deceased) Rev. Barrow and Rev. Jessie ‘Ma’ Houston (deceased). I was with the prison ministry and worked with Rev. Barrow through the years. I sat with her every day at PUSH and will miss her greatly. She would always say she felt safe when I was next to her.”

As Barrow mothered her own children, she was also "godmother" to some 200 young people and civil rights activists whom she lovingly embraced and advised, President Barack Obama among them. The President issued a statement describing Barrow as a Civil Rights icon, a Chicago institution, a “Little Warrior” in pursuit of justice for all God’s children.

“In 1936, when she was just 12 years old, Rev. Barrow demanded to be let on to her all-white school bus in Texas, and the fight for equality she joined that day would become the cause of her life,” President Obamas stated. “She marched with Dr. (Martin Luther) King (Jr.) on Washington and in Selma.   She stood up for labor rights and women’s rights.  She made one of the first pieces of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, and proudly welcomed LGBT brothers and sisters to the movement she helped lead. Nowhere was Rev. Barrow’s impact felt more than in our hometown of Chicago.  Through Operation Breadbasket, the Rainbow/PUSH coalition, and her beloved Vernon Park Church, she never stopped doing all she could to make her community a better place.  To Michelle and me, she was a constant inspiration, a lifelong mentor, and a very dear friend.  I was proud to count myself among the more than 100 men and women she called her “Godchildren,” and worked hard to live up to her example.  I still do.  Michelle and I are deeply saddened by Reverend Barrow’s passing, but we take comfort in the knowledge that our world is a far better place because she was a part of it.  Our thoughts and prayers are with Reverend Barrow’s family, and with all those who loved her as we did.”

One of seven children, Barrow was born Dec. 17, 1924 in Burton, Texas. According to published information, her father, who was a minister, had a profound influence on her life's work and taught her to "take on the burden of her fellow man."  

Barrow’s call to ministry came at age sixteen. While studying ministry in Portland, Ore., she organized the first African American Church of God and was a welder in a shipyard, where she met her husband and got involved with the labor movement. The two moved to Chicago, Ill. in June 1945, where Barrow began working as the youth minister at the Langley Avenue Church of God.

One of Barrow's most critical roles came as a field organizer for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during the civil-rights demonstrations and marches of the 1950s and 1960s. Barrow was responsible for organizing transportation, shelter, meetings, and rallies. Her role as field organizer spanned from 1953 through the historic 1965 march on Selma, Ala., where she trained new recruits, organized boycotts, and participated in voter registration drives.

Barrow worked with the Rev. Jackson to create Operation Breadbasket, an organization focused on meeting the needs of underserved black communities. Jackson would later found Operation P.U.S.H (People United to Serve Humanity) based on Operation Breadbasket.  Barrow replaced Jackson as executive director of Operation PUSH in 1984, and over the years has served the organization in various capacities, including chief operating officer, vice chairwoman of the board, and consultant.  In 1985, Jackson founded the National Rainbow Coalition and in 1997, merged the two organizations to form the Rainbow PUSH Coalition that exist today.

Local and state elected officials expressed their condolences.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel issued a statement saying, “Today all Chicagoans mourn the passing of Reverend Willie T. Barrow. From a teenager who demonstrated for equality in the segregated south to a revered Chicago icon who helped to found Operation Breadbasket, Reverend Barrow spent her life on the front lines in the fight for justice. She marched in Selma and played a pivotal role in persuading Dr. King to take his fight for equality to Chicago…We mourn her loss but give thanks for the impactful life she lived. I have ordered flags at all city facilities lowered in Rev. Barrow's memory, and offer our thoughts and prayers to her family and many friends.”

 Ill. State Senator Mattie Hunter (Dist.-3rd) said of Barrow’s passing, “Today, Chicago lost a visionary leader who fought for justice and equality. She led the fight, alongside Addie Wyatt and Nancy Jefferson, for women’s rights, standing up for equality and justice. And her unwavering courage and commitment to advancing the African-American community is unmatchable. Our Little Warrior, a woman of God, made many sacrifices throughout her life for her family, friends and freedom. She mentored great leaders in our city, such as Mayor Harold Washington, Rev. Jesse Jackson and President Barack Obama, indelibly leaving a mark on this country’s history. Today, I also lost a friend. Two weeks ago, I visited her at Jackson Park Hospital and spent time with her. I was on my way to Springfield but had to see her. She will be greatly missed. My thoughts and prayers are with her family. The fight she led lives on.”

U. S. Congresswoman Robin Kelly (Dist. 2nd) said Barrow set a courageous example: 

“I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the Reverend Dr. Willie Barrow. Rev. Barrow’s passionate pursuit of social justice and unwavering commitment to equality for African Americans, women and gay Americans will continue to inspire for generations. I am proud to have had such an esteemed icon of the civil rights movement as a fellow Sigma Gamma Rho Soror. After a lifetime of answering the call to justice, it seems somewhat poetic that she herself be called home only days after the nation celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Selma March. In her honor, we must follow her courageous example and continue the pursuit of justice and equality for all.” 

U.S. Rep. Bobby L. Rush (D-Ill.) said Barrow will live forever in our hearts:

“Dr. Willie Barrow dedicated her life to the fight for justice. Her works are many and she will be remembered (for) her passion and commitment to equality. She was active in working against U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War and led a delegation to North Vietnam. She was also active in the National Urban League and the National Council of Negro Women where she spent time seeking community-based resources for those in need. The world is better off because Dr. Barrow lived. She left this world in a far better place than when she entered.”

Dorothy Brown, Clerk of the Cook County Circuit Court, issued a statement saying the world lost a noble human being, Chicago has lost an outstanding citizen, the African American community lost one of its most valiant defenders and that she has lost a beloved friend and mentor:

“We all mourn the death of Rev. Barrow because her vitality in life inspired us all to be our greatest selves. She showed us how to live courageously and selflessly, as she dedicated her entire life the betterment of humankind. From a young child until her final years, Rev. Barrow continually championed civil rights, political activism, economic parity and international human rights. She worked tirelessly for many years in service to her fellowman and, no matter the depth of struggle; she remained upbeat, optimistic and encouraging to all around her. My thoughts are with her dear family members and Operation PUSH colleagues. We are all grieving the loss of her, yet we rejoice in the knowledge that the world and all of our lives have been enhanced by the light that was the life of Rev. Willie T. Barrow.”

A Public Viewing for Rev. Barrow is scheduled to take place from 5 to 6 p.m., March 19 at Rainbow PUSH Headquarters, 930 E. 50th Street with a Service Celebration following from 6 to 9 p.m. The funeral service is scheduled for Friday, March, 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Vernon Park Church of God, 9011 S. Stony Island Avenue. The Prepast will take place from 5:30 to 6:30 and another Service Celebration is scheduled from 7 to 9 p.m. Internment service is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, March 21, at Oakwood Cemetery, 1035 E. 67th St.

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