By Harriette Cole
Special to the AFRO
There was something extraordinary about Doris Cole. When she entered a space, the energy changed. It was as if a light had been turned on— a light that radiated joy, connection and grace. Yes, she was stunning, often dressed in a brightly colored outfit with matching 3-inch pumps well into her 80s. As she walked into a room, heads turned. They lingered because what people received simply by being in her presence was an electric connection. With twinkling hazel eyes and a megawatt smile painted in her signature red lipstick, she dazzled all who crossed her path.
Doris Cole saw the good in people and chose to amplify that. She greeted others with a deeply rooted joy that made them feel good about themselves. She chose to see the light of God in everyone and everything, and we were all the better for it.
“Doris Cole greeted every person with a smile and a twinkle of her eye,” daughter, Harriette Cole, said. “When she looked at you, you knew she was paying attention and that she cared. She never had a bad word to say about anybody. She chose to see the goodness in people and celebrate that.”
Doris Irene Freeland was born on Oct. 28, 1929, in Baltimore to Harvey Freeland, a porter, originally from Calvert County, Md., and Carrie Alsup Freeland, from Baltimore, a maid. Her parents were so-called “poor,” but they never lived that way. For Doris and her older brother, Wendell, who became a prominent civil rights attorney in Pittsburgh, Pa., they always had enough. And that extended to family members from “the country”– not far from where Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman called home. There was always a couch to sleep on, a hot meal to eat, a hug to receive.
Carrie Freeland, Doris’ mother, who stood a solid 4-feet-9-inches tall, was a sweet powerhouse. She taught her children and later her grandchildren how to see the world through an unbiased lens–even as she had grown up not long after the end of slavery and had endured unmentionable indignities as a colored woman in the South. Carrie taught Doris to live through a lens of love, to see goodness in everyone and to resist judging people for any reason at all.
Doris took her mother’s lessons to heart. In her bubble on Gold Street, she played with her friends, starting with Margaret Turner, her bestie from three years old to today (some 92 years later), giggled together and dreamed about the future.
Doris attended Booker T. Washington Junior High School, Frederick Douglass High School and Coppin State College. She had set on being an educator, and that is exactly what she became. Doris chose young minds to cultivate by settling into the role of a kindergarten teacher. Some of her students, now senior citizens, still remember being in her class. One former student told her recently that he will never forget how happy she made him feel and how energized he had been to learn from her.
In 1957, Doris married the man whom the Afro American Newspaper had named “The Most Eligible Bachelor of the Year.” He was Harry Cole, a charismatic dreamer who was intent on impacting the world. Harry would go on to become the first Black state senator in Maryland and the first Black judge on the Maryland Court of Appeals. As a testament to Judge Cole’s accomplishments, Bill Clinton, in his last days as president, named the main post office in Baltimore for him.
All of that was not even a dream when Harry and Doris met. He was nine years older, which is light years when you are young. One day, the Morgan State College (now University) valedictorian and WWII veteran came to her house, after having noticed her for quite some time. As this long, lean, brown-skinned charmer strode the steps to her door, she only had eyes for him.
The two shared 41 years of marriage before Harry died in 1999. In 1961 they moved from the heart of Baltimore City to Forest Park Avenue in West Baltimore, just as neighborhoods were transitioning and Black families who were building wealth had the opportunity to live out new dreams. They settled in a horseshoe enclave just across from what was then the only public golf course in Baltimore City, among the first homeowners in a community that soon would be made up of Black professionals. These descendents of enslaved people and children of laborers had stepped onto the launchpad of a life that their ancestors could barely have dared imagine.
Harry and Doris had three daughters, Susan Cole Hill, Harriette Cole and Stephanie Cole Hill. When Stephanie was born, the couple made the decision that Doris would stay home to take care of the children as Harry went on to build a career that was centered on justice, especially for marginalized Black people. You know that saying, “Behind every great man is a great woman”? Doris Cole was greatness personified. Because of her strength, vision, beauty, resourcefulness and humility, Harry was blessed with the perfect partner to support him in fulfilling his dreams.
Meanwhile, with laser focus, Doris taught her girls how to live honorable lives. She instilled faith as the foundation of how to be–courage, character and courtesy as the guideposts on how to behave. How you carried yourself and how you treated others were paramount. And by the way, every rule of etiquette was reinforced. Proper grammar, presence and social engagement were fundamental.
“Mama taught me that when times are hard and you are searching for ways to relieve your pain, do something for someone else. And it works!” Said Susan Cole Hill.
Daughter Harriette Cole also spoke to her mother’s spirit and teachings.
“Mama, like her mother Carrie Freeland before her, taught us to keep good company,”said Harriet Cole. “She said if you surround yourself with people of integrity and grace, your life and theirs will be better for it. Resist spending time with people who want to bring you down or speak negatively about others. Be positive, always.”
Stephanie Cole Hill also shared a favorite lesson learned from her mom: “She taught me that if you know better you have to do better no matter what anyone else is doing around you. You have to do the right thing, show love, respect and stand up for yourself or people [who] need you to stand up for them.”
Doris wasn’t just about imparting wisdom, though. She and her husband had lots of fun. Their favorite activity was dancing. They hosted elegant New Year’s Eve parties in their basement, where Baltimore’s Black elite came, mink coats in tow, to dance the night away to a live band amidst the intimacy of fellowship. Indeed, they had a “black-tie closet,” a spacious walk-in that featured a row of impeccable, sparkling evening gowns and complementary shoes and handbags, next to Harry’s assortment of custom-made suits dating from his election to the Senate in 1954. All of this merriment was important, especially when set against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement, the fight for equality, fair employment practices and basic safety for this very same community.
Being part of the heart of Black Baltimore, Doris and Harry understood that no matter what your station in life, Black people were family. We stood together and fought for each other.
The two belonged to key civic and social clubs that were part of the growing Black middle class across the country. Harry was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., The Boule and The National Bar Association. Doris belonged to the Family and Children’s Society, The Continentals (for which she was founding member of the Baltimore Chapter), The Smart Set, Philomathians, Precious Collection and Modern Grannies. These organizations gave Black women a chance to build meaningful relationships, serve their communities and foster joy.
A fundamental source of joy for Doris was the church. She grew up at Sharp Street United Methodist Church, a majestic structure established in 1787 as part of the antebellum freedom movement. During Doris’ day, Sharp Street had a dynamic congregation where so many Black Baltimoreans found their spiritual anchor and fortified their commitment to equality for Black people.
Doris was active at that church, as well as at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church and later, Heritage United Church of Christ. She was a beloved Sunday School teacher. And with a pitch-perfect soprano voice, she sang in the choir from age 8 to 88. In her last days, she enjoyed singing at family-fashioned concerts at her home alongside her favorites, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Barbra Streisand.
Doris Cole put family first. She was 100 percent devoted to her children, grandchildren and great-granddaughter. She poured every ounce of her being into ensuring their success. All three of her children have enjoyed a level of acclaim that prompted Doris recently to say, “your father would not have even believed.”
Susan, who lives in Los Angeles, built a career first as a television news anchor and later as an executive in human resources. She was in leadership at Disney for more than 20 years and now runs HR for an international toy company.
Harriette started her career in magazines, becoming fashion editor at Essence, the first female editor-in-chief of Ebony, all the while writing books and running her own media company for more than 30 years.
Stephanie is an international leader in STEM, having started her journey as a software engineer and built a 30-plus-year career in a field dominated by men. She currently runs a $17 billion business for Lockheed Martin and is the highest-ranking Black female executive in the aerospace and defense industry.
Doris set her children up for success as she also did all that she could to nurture the next generation. She and Stephanie’s mother-in-law, the recently deceased Dorothy Hill, and her husband Bennie Hill, took turns handling pick up and after-school care for Stephanie’s three children, Kori-Morgan, Cole-Stephen and Cameron-Davis, during their formative years.
“Mama selflessly took care of my children in the afternoons when I would work—all year round,” Stephanie Cole Hill said. “She made things fun for them. The impact she had on all three of my children is a huge part of why they are the wonderful people they are today. She gave them so many experiences. She gave up all of her time to take care of the children until I got back from work.”
Doris also would travel to New York City every Fashion Week to be with Harriette’s daughter Carrie when Harriette and her husband, George Chinsee were working late nights. She was always present–with a smile on her face.
Doris Cole lived an extraordinary life. While she believed that her greatest achievements were her children, those of us blessed to know her understand her legacy extends far beyond. When you were in her presence you knew that you were loved, special and could achieve your biggest dreams.
“I don’t have just one,” Susan Cole Hill said, when asked about her favorite memory of her mother. “Instead, I have the strongest feeling of my mother knowing exactly who I am, seeing me and loving me completely.”
A humble and regal woman, Doris is the quintessential example of the impact one person can make on the world when choosing to live with an unwavering generosity of spirit—lifting others up to their highest potential, loving unconditionally and radiating a warmth and light that will continue to inspire us for the rest of our lives.
Doris Cole is survived by: three children, Susan Cole Hill, Harriette Cole (George), Stephanie Hill (Corey); four grandchildren, Kori-Morgan McKoy (Christopher), Cole-Stephen Hill, Cameron-Davis Hill and Carrie Chinsee; one great-grandchild, Harper-Grace McKoy; three nieces, Patricia Branch, Estalena Cole and Lisa Freeland (George); one nephew, Michael Freeland; two grand-nephews, Delvin Branch and Daquan Branch; five close friends, Margaret Turner, Ellen Howard, Mattie Mumby, Alice Smith and Herbert Brown; caregivers, Shirleen Champagne, Tracey Little, Lekisha Mcdonald and all of the loving caregivers at Morningside House of Ellicott City, and a host of other family and friends.