Reflection On National Events Of Last Week From Ole Miss Grad/Former Hall of Famer

Wilma Wilbanks (courtesy Linkedin)

I met Wilma (Johnson) Wilbanks before my freshman year at Ole Miss. She was a leader in the sorority I had joined, and she was a big influence to me on my path to student leadership. Wilma ultimately was inducted into the Hall of Fame, went on to get a Pharmacy degree and is now a practicing pharmacist in Cleveland. She continues to lead and now serves at a national level in several organizations.

When I looked at my Facebook feed the other day, I was struck by a post that Wilma had made. As I read the post and began reading the comments, I soon realized that I was not the only person it had moved. Thinking our readers might appreciate it, I sent her a message to ask if I could share it. She said yes.

“I usually don’t post my personal views on Facebook, but this was a time I felt moved to make a statement,” said Wilbanks. “I am deeply saddened by the increasing lack of respect that we as a society seem to have for one another.”

Wilbanks added, “As a pharmacist, I’ve waited on every walk of life, and what type of person you are, has so little to do with where you were born or who your parents are. We are so obsessed with veneers, so focused on the exterior rather than taking the time to communicate with each other effectively.”

Wilma’s own very effective words on the subject are shared below in a screenshot of her Facebook post and the many comments and replies. 

Wilma (Johnson) Wilbanks of Cleveland continues to be a leader. Recently she spoke in Orlando as Chairman of the National Board of Trustees of the Delta Gamma Foundation.

Allison Buchanan is CEO of New Media Lab LLC, parent company of HottyToddy.com. She can be reached at allison.buchanan@hottytoddy.com.