Seasoned Saints: Community Organizer, Mrs. Valena Henderson

Seasoned Saints is a series of stories on Atlanta seniors who have helped shape the way the city is seen through local media, community activism, and a national lens. These stories are representative of Black History Month and the people who helped make Black history every day. Some are well-known the world over, while others’ names might only ring a bell within their respective communities. Black history is all around us.

-D. Suggs, Editor in Chief, The Atlanta Voice

‘Life’s a Puzzle’

Upon entering the Mechanicsville home of Mrs. Valena York Henderson, one can’t help but notice how many family and personal framed photographs she has on the walls. Understanding full well that this isn’t unusual for any home, the photos at Henderson’s home are a bit unique. Along with photos of her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren, the photos also have former United States President Bill Clinton, former United States Vice President Al Gore, and former Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell in them.

At 104 years old, Henderson has met plenty of people during her career as a community organizer. Her impact on several neighborhoods in her native Atlanta continues to be felt. A mother of seven children, six daughters and a son, and a 50-plus member of Wheat Street Baptist Church, Henderson has passed those traits of compassion, faith, patience, and patronage on to her family.

“She never met a stranger, and if she can help someone, she would,” said Edrick Henderson, 69, the youngest of Henderson’s children. 

According to a Pew Research poll, in 2024, 101,000 people in the United States were living at the age of 100 or more. That number may seem like a lot of people, but in comparison to the more than 340 million Americans living in this country, according to United States Census data, it’s a tiny slice of our population.

Edrick may not be aware of those percentages, but he takes very seriously the uniqueness of his opportunity to see his mother still every day. He is among many family members who make sure to see Henderson during the week. For Henderson’s only son, the visits are just as much about pleasing his heart as it is his mother’s.

The Atlanta Voice spent time with Henderson at her home earlier this month as part of the Seasoned Saints series. Welcoming, warm, and funny, Henderson sat in her favorite chair near the kitchen and answered interview questions while an afternoon episode of Judge Judy played on the television.

A nice long life

Those photographs in Henderson’s home aren’t just on the wall. There are plenty of photo albums on a bookshelf in the living room. There are images of generations of children going back to the 1970’s. Some of the photos are of children just finishing college. Henderson believes family is the foundation of a well-lived, long life.

“In my day, family did everything together,” she said. 

Asked about the fact that his mother has lived over 100 years, is approaching her 105th birthday on July 20, and remains able to continue to spend time with her family, Edrick said it was “nothing but the Lord” that has made that possible.

“It is something that God gave to us,” he said. 

Born at home in 1920, she still remembers the name of the Black doctor who delivered her, Dr. Charles W. Womack-Henderson, who has always called Atlanta home. Black people weren’t allowed to have their babies born at Atlanta’s largest hospital, Grady Memorial Hospital, back then. 

“And that was at 64 Mason Avenue in a community called Edgewood,” Henderson recalled. “When I was born it was nothing but Black people living in Edgewood.” 

Today, Edgewood is one of many former Black neighborhoods in Atlanta that are full of white families and less and less Black families. As a grassroots community organizer, Henderson worked to make sure the apartments in communities like Edgewood and Old Fourth Ward, for example, were up to standard and available for Black families in certain financial demographics. That’s how she met Clinton, Gore, and many other politicians during her career. She said what she loved most about working on behalf of her people was the connections she made.

“You come in contact with some of everybody, of all kinds. My job was to help them be able to mix with everybody in the community,” Henderson said. 

That career includes working as the Neighborhood Planning Units (NPUs) chair for Old Fourth Ward for decades. Henderson also served on several Atlanta Housing Authority boards and was a founding member of the Historic District Development Corporation, which is located in the city’s historic Sweet Auburn District. 

“I tried to improve relations in order to bring people together,” Henderson said.  

Family Business

An independent woman, Henderson still has plenty of help from family members throughout the day. Many of her grandchildren, for example, drop by the house to help make sure she has what she needs. Edrick and his mother have a daily routine where he stops by the house on his way home to Lithonia from work in Atlanta. 

“I got to put eyes on her,” he said about the times he sees his mother. “You never know if you miss one visit that it might be the last time you see her. For me to be able to go by there and see her every day is really special.” 

The children of former Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell, a friend of Henderson during his Atlanta City Council days and her time working in the community, were some of the kids who called her granny. She shared stories of watching Campbell and his wife’s children while they were out campaigning for mayor. 

“I helped raise Christina and Billy,” Henderson said of the Campbell children. They still call her Nanny Bunny. 

Campbell remains a close friend and can be seen in many of the photo albums Henderson’s family members put together for her. One of those albums commemorates her 100th birthday where Campbell was a guest at that party.  

“I’m granny all over the city of Atlanta,” Henderson said about the many relationships she made during her community organizer days. 

Some of her favorite things

Henderson, who became a homeowner in her late 80s, lists crab legs as one of her favorite foods. These days, she doesn’t cook as much as she once did as a mother of seven children, but she has fond memories of those days.

“When I was cooking, I cooked every day,” Henderson explained. 

A naturally opinionated person, Henderson still has no problem sharing her thoughts on some issues, including the Black family, the importance of attending church, and turkey bacon. Yes, turkey bacon. She is famous within her family for asking where the bacon comes from on a turkey.

“Turkeys don’t have no hips,” she said with a hearty laugh. 

Henderson said her favorite color is purple because of its connection to royalty.

The Bible remains a key source of information and enlightenment for Henderson. She reads the Good Book every day and also enjoys listening to old-school R&B music, according to family members that The Atlanta Voice spoke to for this story.

She used the phrase “Gee Whiz” when asked who her favorite R&B artists are. She just enjoys soulful songs playing in the house.

Look at where I am at 104

It’s hard to miss the Bible verse in gold lettering on the living room wall of Henderson’s home. Psalm 98:4 reads, “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises.” It’s her favorite verse, and she can recite it at any time. During the interview, she did it twice. 

“We think we are it, but we were made by God,” Henderson said. “We get beyond ourselves sometimes, but we should remember that it was He that made us, and not we.”

He, the good Lord, made Valena York Henderson, and at the age of 104, she remains an example of God’s grace. On the way out of the house, just before you approach the front door, is a framed portrait of the Ten Commandments. 

Asked what the key to a long life is, Henderson used the phrase “Gee whiz” again before speaking. She said life is a puzzle that you start piecing together when you talk to God.

“You talk to God at night, and he’ll tell you exactly what to do,” Henderson said. “Look at where I am at 104. Look at me.” 

A smile spread across her face. 

“I’ve never been sad, the only time I have been sad is when I have had to deal with death,” Henderson said. “God is good.”