Mae Duncan-Carson, beloved family matriarch and wife of icon Sonny Abubadika Carson, makes her transition
When the spouse of a famed icon passes, tears are shed among a wide panorama of people, organizations, and communities.
Born in 1937 in Orangeburg, South Carolina, Mae Catherine Haynes came up north at age 11, and eventually met and married Ralph Duncan in Brooklyn, New York. They had three children: Khaba Sahu Re, Randall Duncan, and Robynn Duncan. The marriage was dissolved and she found love again, marrying Robert “Sonny” Abubadika Carson and receiving the title Queen Tetisheri. They were married for more than 30 years, until he died in December 2002.
Carson was the grassroots activist who inspired a movie, “The Education of Sonny Carson,” and thousands of articles and radio and television news segments.
Mae Duncan Carson, his “quiet revolutionary” wife, made her transition on June 2, 2023. Many of the speakers at the wake and at the Mount Sion Baptist Church told of their interactions on their journey to Ghana, and how that spiritual trip to Africa gave them an even greater appreciation of this strong, fearless, beloved lady.
Pastor Linwood Boyd smiled as he told the congregation that he so admired Sonny and Mae’s commitment to Afrocentric culture, be it through clothes, politics, or social emphasis. And there, dressed in white, in the open casket, was Mae, grasping her Ankh and wearing her turban. A devout member of the King Emmanuel Baptist church, the wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother “was the esteemed matriarch of five generations.”
She worked at the Cullen & Dykman Law Firm for more than 35 years until she retired in 2016. She endured many health challenges.
Respected on so many levels by work colleagues, blood and church family, neighbors, and friends in the Movement, she was memorialized for two days over the weekend, both at the Grace Funeral Home and Mount Sion Baptist Church. Paying respects were community activists and educators, including Professor James Small, Rahim Allah, Viola Plummer, and Colette Pean.
At her funeral service on Saturday, June 10, 2023, there were scripture readings, speeches, and poems by James Carney, Ashanti Rodney, Tracy Carson, Jomo Duncan, and Sati Rogerson, as well as musical selections sung by family members and the King Emmanuel Baptist Youth Choir, and Kweku Payton’s African drum tribute.“I sat at the foot of many elders and I’ve heard many stories. I said ‘See you later’ to my buddy Mae Duncan Carson yesterday on this worldly side,” family friend Santina Brown-Payton told the Amsterdam News on Sunday. “She was a God-fearing woman who has a connection with him. She will join her mate Sonny Abubadika Carson…And since this fight on this side is not over, there are many who will carry this torch. The Struggle continues, and although God has plucked some special flowers in our garden, he is building another army stronger than the last one. God will never leave us and neither will our ancestors!”
“Mae Carson … was the quiet resolve behind the scenes needed by such an enigmatic community leader. Their union lasted over 30 years until his transition in December 2002,” daughter Robynn Duncan told the Amsterdam News. “Mae was a beautiful, graceful, and selfless woman to all who encountered her. She was always willing to give of herself and go the extra mile for those she loved, even strangers. She exemplified tremendous courage in her lengthy health battles and always personified strength, resilience, and optimism to face the unknown. She was the esteemed matriarch of five generations. We honor and celebrate her ability to fearlessly stand in the storm for others while navigating her own storms without complaint. It is this amazing and inspiring attribute we will forever revere and hold dear in our hearts.”
She concluded that “the Carson family extends our sincere gratitude and thanks to everyone for their acknowledgments, sacrifices, heartfelt condolences, offerings, and blessings during this time.”
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