Say hello to Bernice Love, our Resident of the Month.

Miss Love was born in Como, Mississippi, the third of ten children. In December, she shared her memories of Christmas as a child in the 1940s. Miss Bernice’s parents were sharecroppers, and she says, “Sharecroppers had nothing. You just did the work so you had a place to stay. Technically, it wasn’t slavery, but if you didn’t know any better you would think it was slavery. The people that owned our land were okay. Sometimes when they were with their friends, they would want to show off who was boss, who was in charge. We kids moved off the farm before our parents.”

Miss Bernice and eight of her siblings made their way to Philadelphia for better job opportunities. Their mother lived to be 91. Miss Bernice worked in the food service department at Jefferson Hospital. She describes herself as quiet and meditative, more of a follower than a leader. Even in her youth she preferred to sit back and be a spectator.

Miss Bernice’s words of advice are: “You can’t always lead all the time, but if you do lead, try to be fair. And if you are a follower, try and be fair, too. Use some of your own judgement, don’t just follow recklessly.”