Dagnee "Dee" McKinney
2009 People Doing Business Series Woman On The Move Snapshot Written By Aubrey Williams There is no chance, no destiny, no fate, that can hinder or control the firm resolve of the determined soul.~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox To chronicle the life of Dagnee “Dee” McKinney is to understand, inextricably, the power of perseverance and determination. Growing up as the only girl amongst three older brothers, Dagnee McKinney was tomboyish and uncompromising. Reared in Houston's South Park - an area considered by many a place of hopelessness and despair, Dee, as I will refer to her, found herself miles away from prosperity. This is the story of Dagnee “Dee” McKinney. For Dee, as a young child, being poor was a misnomer up until her latter childhood years, when in elementary school she would experience firsthand the reality of what being underprivileged meant and the stigma it carried with it. One day in the first grade, Dee's parents, now without food and money, sent her to school without lunch or money to purchase it. Ignorant to a world of bias and partiality, she notified the school staff of her inability to pay and was ridiculed for coming to school without lunch money and sent home to eat. When she reached home and told her father what happened, he sent her back to school, still without lunch. In an attempt to embarrass and humiliate her, she was told that they could only give her a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and milk. However, even in all their persistence, their attempt to “weaken” her was unsuccessful, as there were two major assessments the school “failed” to recognize in their evaluation of Dee; one: a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with milk (preferably ice-cold) was her favorite meal, and two; if growing up in the ghetto did anything at all for Dee - it fortified her. It developed within her an unyielding endurance and a will-power that refused to do anything less than overcome. Growing up in her surroundings and under the guidance of strong, intelligent women, it's no surprise that Dee, as a teenager, was considered “tough”. After being called “obnoxious” and “militant” by an 11th grade teacher, she found herself interested and intrigued with the likes of Malcolm X and Nikki Giovanni, not because of their beliefs necessarily, but because of the clear-cut identity they displayed. For Dee, the attraction was their communal link; the fact that they too celebrated their individuality and that their disposition was unambiguous. They exuded confidence within themselves amid a populace filled with rejection that more often than not, contradicted their perspectives and consequently, cut them off. Three weeks before graduation, Dee decided to quit high school because she was simply tired of going. However, when she thought about facing her mother and grandmother with this news, she quickly changed her mind and graduated with honors from Jesse H. Jones High School. After graduation, Dee enrolled in Houston Community College. She was so against attending that her mother would drive her to school, wait in the lobby until the classes ended, and drive her home. Her mother knew that Dee would skip school if she were not monitored. This lasted for about a year until Dee finally grew accustom to college. After graduating from Houston Community College she enrolled at the University of St. Thomas (Houston, TX). It somehow seems inappropriate to simply state that Dee merely “enrolled in and then graduated from college”, as if it were some simple achievement or a sort of familial custom acted upon in adherence to those who went before her. Dee did not come from a family of college folks, and moreover, most people in her neighborhood did not even graduate from high school. In fact, even though she had excellent grades, Dee never applied for any scholarships to college as no one had ever advised her to do so. For Dee, at age 22, there had never been an occurrence that was more heartbreaking than that of losing her firstborn child and existing through four dreadful days in which she powerlessly watched him fight for his life. During this ordeal, Dee burst her stitches while reaching for the phone for news of her newborn's condition and was left with a hole in the dead center of her stomach. To further test her strength, Dee was late to her son's funeral due to being discharged late by hospital staff. School was scheduled to begin a few weeks later and Dee was uncertain as to whether or not she should miss the fall semester or return. While sitting in her car in the university parking lot, that invisible force, that driver called will, and that power to see things opposite their outward reality - perspective, rose up against every odd and made a decision to keep going. Even during a period of time when even the most inflexible person would have given her a pass to pout-it-out, perhaps even shout-it-out; she kept her face forward and her mind focused on the intended purpose. And so the phrase “enrolled in college” seems incredibly inappropriate to use in her case; the better phrase would be “that she enrolled in college and vowed (promised, guaranteed, declared, [be] determined) to complete her commitment, especially when we consider that this was only one of the many obstacles that she endured and persevered through. She learned not to take things for granted and to understand that you can control your emotions and pain by going to God when the hurt is just too much to bear. She experienced what, “you have to go through...to get to” ...really meant. She went on to earn her bachelor's degree and give birth to a beautiful baby girl! While in the Masters Program at the University of St. Thomas, Dee experienced the most embarrassing moment of her life. During a writing class there was a disagreement about a story involving cowboys and constellations. Dee expressed her opinion about the story, which consequently, enraged the professor, who then, in the presence of the entire class defiantly said, “People like you "BREED" ignorance!” Suddenly, Dee felt the most disconcerting sensation as though her heart had settled in her throat and knew that if she responded, her words would cause her to be expelled. She sat there amid enveloping embarrassment and heard the professor say, “Even Malcolm X could read!” Since they were discussing cowboys, she knew this was clearly a racial statement directed at her. When the class took a break, Dee feared - leaving as she knew she might not return. The professor came over and said, “I have a Ph.D., so I think I know more than you about writing.” When Dee returned to class the following day the entire class clapped announcing their gratification in seeing her, as they had presumed she'd quit school. The only other African-American student in the class remarked, “I've never seen a black person turn so red in my life”. This professor, although equipped with a Ph.D., had not been successful in having any of her work published. Seeking silent revenge, Dee engrossed herself in her writing. Not only did she prevail to write a story that brought the entire class to tears, she also managed to get her work published that semester. Her greatest joy was bringing the published work to class and making a point to show it to the then-still unpublished professor. After several such incidents, Dee wrote a letter to the President of the college, who responded by creating a focus group and writing a letter of apology. Dee received her Master's degree and in a move of protest, refused to participate in the graduation commencement. She immediately enrolled to South Texas College of Law and received the Corpus Secundum Award for Excellence in Torts her first semester. While in law school, and at 8-months pregnant Dee fell through an attic (I told you she was tomboyish)! Despite her injuries she returned to class the very next day, bruised ribs and all. Finally during spring break vacation Dee gave birth to a baby boy and almost immediately, returned to class to participate in a Mock Trial Competition. This was an especially important event to Dee as the opponents were top law students. Needless to say, Dee (and her partner) won the mock trial competition! After sixteen years of part-time study, Dee finally obtained her Law degree from South Texas College of Law. It wasn't until graduation day at age 34; Dee realized she had been in school since she was 18 years old. Before then, she'd never thought about how much time and effort she'd actually put in to reaching her goal. What is more, after all of the cramming: report after report, exam after exam, and all the while pressing through life and its many facets: working full-time, raising her children, the daily assignment of making sure she raised (elevated) herself, to site a few; at last; on November 6, 1998, Dee passed the State Bar Exam, earning her the right to practice law and serve the people of Texas, making it the happiest day of her life! Dee began her employment as a paralegal for Jim S. Adler & Associates and continued employment there as an attorney for 12 years and was well known for her candor and wit, and her ability to challenge herself in personal injury matters. During this time Dee became the President of the Fort Bend Young Lawyers Association. She then decided to accept a position as a Personal Injury Partner with another law firm. Soon, however, opportunity presented itself for her to step out on faith and begin her own practice in 2004 as the Law Office of Dagnee McKinney, PLLC. In beginning her own law firm, Dee was at that time, more than any other time before, in a position to “hustle”. She was notorious for passing out business cards at post offices and Wal-Mart stores, and for placing them on car windows, even to the point of almost being arrested at the Sharpstown Mall shopping complex in Houston, for soliciting. Her persistence paid off nonetheless, and that day in the mall, she picked up a client and was hired to defend a man in Jasper, Texas. When she arrived at the courthouse in Jasper, Dee was treated like royalty but even better, the Deadly Conduct case was dismissed! Dee's practice allows her to take up special interest in her clients, getting to know them and their individual situations and most importantly - provide honest legal support, without regard to their socioeconomic status and do so with integrity and with compassion. With focus on personal injury, criminal and family law, Dee's practice is almost equally divided. At present, most of her business comes from referrals from past clients. The biggest reward for Dee often does not come while in the courtroom at the time of the verdict, but rather well after the verdict has been read. It comes when she receives follow-ups from her former clients who have not only declared wanting to change their life for the better, but who have actually taken action in making that change happen and moreover, doing their best to maintain it. It is especially gratifying for Dee to be able to relate to and speak frankly with her clients. She usually asks the parents to step out of the room so she can speak honestly and sometimes even brutally, to the client's about their situations. For Dee, it goes so much further beyond merely winning a case. Her position asserts, “What good have you done if you've won a case but have done nothing to try and help that person build a better understanding, to change his or her perspective on life? If there's been nothing done to help cultivate change within a person, was the case “really” won? What good is done when a criminal, convicted or not, is allowed back onto the street and there have been no words of caution, of genuine concern, of encouragement, of hope, spoken into their lives? The process of going through court and even the prospect of serving time in jail or prison certainly do not always deter criminal behavior. We know that through evidence of recidivism. Perhaps the solution for the world's ills does not rest on your or my tongue, although it very well may. I am convinced however, that our words can mean the world to one somebody and totally reshape their mindset. Words have the power to activate what lies dormant. We place so much emphasis on the “big” things when it's the small things that matter most. It does not require much effort on our part, what it does require is the ability to see beyond self - in order to spot the bigger picture. It's really only a matter of each one of us taking the initiative to set the pace.” Dee's practice allows her to deal with family issues from both the male and female perspectives. The process of divorce can be easier if parties decide to accept and not vow to hurt. She does not try to postpone the inevitable and counsels both parties in areas of self-esteem as well. Although gregarious in nature, Dee has never been one to try and fit into circles and has always opted to take the road less traveled. It's not always fun, but for Dee, it's what works best. She believes in being true to herself. When not in a business suit, you will catch her in tennis shoes, a baseball cap and jeans. Furthermore, the theory that fewer people equals to more space, and thus more freedom and peace of mind for Dee, has proven itself quintessential. She has more time to focus on the areas in her life that are most dear to her: raising her children and providing for them opportunities she never had and caring for the grandmother that helped rear her. To recall being hungry at night and not having food to eat, the luxury of choosing from more than one or two pairs of shoes, to watching her mother worry about whether or not the lights would be on when her children came home from school, was all the incentive Dee needed to ensure that her children never had to endure the type of hardships that come from being poor. The one thing that growing up poor didn't mean for Dee (and many other children reared in the ghetto) was to grow up without love, guidance and direction. Whatever needs Dee may have lacked physically: food and clothes namely, her mother and grandmother made up for emotionally, spiritually and intellectually; always teaching their children the value of love, hope, respect and education. These qualities have carried over into her adult life, proving that people, including children do not require “perfection” and that we can adjust to the fact that people are fallible and, in the process, learn something about human nature and about living. Given love and adequate support we can withstand even severe hardships - including those experiences that are beyond our control - and still turn out just fine. Dee doesn't see her life as having been difficult; it's only when she hears it played back from the mouths of others that she understands how they could see it that way. She counts the death of her firstborn, as a blessing because lessons learned during that time could not have been learned any other way than through experience. She also realizes that her prayers for a stronger faith in God had become a reality during her toughest times. She prides herself on growing up poor because she developed an appreciation for things that her children are unable to comprehend, and she wouldn't have had it any other way. After interviewing Dee, I made a comment to her regarding her spirit. She later mentioned to me that as we ended our conversation, she'd wondered what it was that I saw in her, that she did not herself see, and furthermore, that she was puzzled by what I'd said. In fact, it made her uncomfortable to think about it. With that said, I'd like to expound on the statement I made to Dee that evening, and how walking with her through the telling of her life story has affected my life story, both personally and professionally, and in the most profound way. Dee's life is an example of that determined soul; a life that bases its self worth and value not on that of which is tangible, but intangible: love, honesty, dignity, kindness and even courage. There is no doubt that Dee was born with an inherent strength and an indomitable spirit, nevertheless, I believe now that courage is primarily a learned behavior, a behavior not necessarily instinctive but developed. Courage is a behavior that without tribulation can neither develop nor increase. We know that as individuals we are affected by all that we experience; but it is the long run, broad-range picture that matters; the sum total of all that we are exposed to. And so if growing up having to struggle was the initiator in developing the character of this most incredible woman and is therefore the grounds for which I write this article, we can only determine that struggle can be a very good thing. Her life demonstrates that our strength is perfected in weakness and that the most important factor during the “trial” is never really our problem - the most important factor is our perspective. |
