Activism

Biography of Wenefrett Cecelia Phillips Watson

Wenefrett ‘Wene’ Cecelia Phillips Watson became active in the Oakland Public Schools where her children attended school. She was appointed to the Oakland Museum Commission and Oakland Symphony Board. As president of the Oakland Bay Area Chapter of the Links, Incorporated, Wene helped start the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame. Her passion for civil rights stimulated her to become active with the NAACP, the Urban League, and she eventually ran for City Council.

Published

4 years ago

November 9, 2021

Oakland Post

Today, Wenefrett Cecelia Phillips Watson spends quiet moments as a resident of the Lake Park Independent Living Community surrounded by family and friends.

Wenefrett ‘Wene’ Cecelia Phillips Watson was born on Oct. 29, 1921, in Marshall, Texas.

Her father was a dentist, and her mother was a fifth-grade teacher.

She earned a B.A. in English literature in three years at Bishop College. During World War II, she attended the University of Southern California where she earned a second Bachelor’s degree in Library Sciences at age 18. She met and married James A. Watson, a Howard University medical student, after she took a federal job in Wash., D.C. They relocated to Oakland in the late 1950s.

Wenefrett became active in the Oakland Public Schools where her children attended school. She was appointed to the Oakland Museum Commission and Oakland Symphony Board. As president of the Oakland Bay Area Chapter of the Links, Incorporated, Wene helped start the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame. Her passion for civil rights stimulated her to become active with the NAACP, the Urban League, and she eventually ran for City Council.

Wene was a business owner who created and managed WenTravel and Cruise travel agency on the first floor of the then newly constructed Oakland Marriott Downtown Hotel, Convention and Transportation Center in 1984. She held contracts with the City of Oakland, County of Alameda and the State of California as one of the few all-Black, women-owned small businesses. She retired in 1996.

Along with a wide variety of international dignitaries and ambassadors, four U.S. Presidents have met Wene Watson, including Lyndon B. Johnson, George Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

She and her husband James Watson were co-founders of Berkeley’s Church By the Side Of the Road.

Raising her children predominantly in the Oakland Unified Public School District, she and her family lived comfortably in their home on Mandana Boulevard near Lakeshore and the beautiful Lake Merritt.

Wene’s children all gave touching tributes to their mother and grandmother at her centennial birthday celebration recently. They all spoke of her ability to stabilize any adverse situation.

Wene said she was fortunate and blessed to have had a loving life partner in her husband, Dr. James A. Watson, for over 60 years. She also acknowledges the sweet friendship of Mr. Ray Dones, who brought happiness to her life after the passing of her dear husband.

After her retirement from her business in 1997, Wene reinvolved herself in the Links, where, as president, they first brought the Ebony Fashion Fair to Oakland, as well as the Oakland Museum where she spent 20 years playing a major role in ensuring African Americans were represented fairly and adequately.

Today, Wenefrett Cecelia Phillips Watson spends quiet moments as a resident of the Lake Park Independent Living Community surrounded by family and friends. She spends frequent moments with her loving son her children and grandchildren who have a range of talents, careers and accomplishments of their own as actors, models, lawyers and doctors.

At 100 years of age, she has survived one daughter, Janet Watson David; granddaughter Tiffany and grandson H. Geoffrey Watson, II.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

Watershed Stewardship Pilot Project Workshop in Marin City

Don't Miss

Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan Dies After Being Struck by Car

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of May 14 – 20, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 14 – 20, 2025

Published

1 day ago

May 16, 2025

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

The Best Advice for Raising Children: Discipline That Makes Sense

In his book Developing Positive Self Images and Discipline in Black Children, Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu suggests that primary aims for socializing Black children should be: establishing goals related to God and the church; familiarizing children with religious texts like the Bible or Quran; educating them of Black culture like Khemetic (Egyptian) Civilization; enlightening them about Black leaders like Malcolm X and Sojourner Truth; and teaching them to strive to be employers, not employees.

Published

4 days ago

May 13, 2025

Oakland Post

Headshot of Dr. William A. Thomas. Photo courtesy of Dr. William A. Thomas.

By William A. Thomas, Ph.D.

In many African societies, the primary aim of socialization is to raise children to be socially responsible and eventually provide economic support to their parents and extended families. Ghanaian philosopher Kwame Gyekye taught that children are raised to be respectful of the wishes of their parents and extended adult family members.

In his book Developing Positive Self Images and Discipline in Black Children, Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu suggests that primary aims for socializing Black children should be: establishing goals related to God and the church; familiarizing children with religious texts like the Bible or Quran; educating them of Black culture like Khemetic (Egyptian) Civilization; enlightening them about Black leaders like Malcolm X and Sojourner Truth; and teaching them to strive to be employers, not employees.

Effective disciplinary strategies appropriate to a child’s age and development teach them to regulate their behavior; keep them from harm; enhance their cognitive, social, and emotional executive functioning skills; and reinforce the behavioral patterns taught by their parents and caregivers.

Below are some specific guidelines for disciplining children.

Listen to what children are talking about with interest and show them you understand their feelings. Remember, children mirror and learn about their emotional selves by hearing their feelings reflected back to them. Staying on target also means avoiding labels. When children fail to do what is expected, discussing it is helpful rather than saying how stubborn, lazy, dumb, or bad they are. By the same token, more positive labels can be helpful.

Dependability is another essential component of the discipline process. When parents are dependable, their children learn what to expect and are helped to feel secure. When parents are consistent, children learn to trust, that is, predict their parents’ behaviors with certainty. A child thinks, “When I spill something, I will always be asked to wipe it up.” A child thinks, “If I use foul language, I will always be corrected.” A child thinks, “If I take something that doesn’t belong to me, I will always have to give it back.” The ability to predict with certainty leads children to rely on their parents and the village/community in which they live. Children feel safe when they know what to expect.

Conclusions

It takes a village/community to raise the divine gift that is the Black child. Parents look to therapists for guidance concerning a variety of parenting issues, including discipline. Keep in mind that evidence suggests that corporal punishment is both ineffective in the long term and associated with cognitive and mental health disorders. When parents want guidance about the use of spanking, a child therapist can explore parental feelings, help them better define the goals of discipline, and offer specific behavior management strategies. In addition to providing appropriate education to families, the Bay Area Association of Black Psychologists (Bay ABPsi) can refer them to community resources, like parenting groups and classes.

About the Author

Dr. Thomas is a licensed clinical psychologist with a private practice in the SF/Oakland Bay Area and Beaumont. He is a member of Bay ABPsi, a healing resource committed to providing the Post Newspaper readership with monthly discussions about critical issues in Black Mental Health. Readers are welcome to join us at our monthly chapter meetings every 3^rd Saturday via Zoom and contact us at bayareaabpsi@gmail.com.