Anyone who knows Lillian Allen of West Oakland will tell you she is nothing short of phenomenal.

 At 100, she is not only coherent, but also brilliant; not just physically capable but limber and strong; not just able to dress herself, but can rival any New York fashionista.

LILLIAN ALLEN

Yet, she’d be the first to tell you that she’d like to be remembered for her work, not her years. Said Allen, “I hope that’s not the only thing they’ll remember me for, just that I’ve made 100! I feel if you are going to be honored, it should be because of your contributions to society.”

Considering the stellar life she’s led as a notable Black Pittsburgher who has not only led a triumphant life but has also made an impact on and influenced the community, Allen has no need to worry that she will be appropriately remembered…and celebrated.

Allen was born in Montgomery, Ala., but there is slight confusion over the official date of her birth. Her birth certificate reads that she was born April 20, 1909, while the government insists on a birth date of April 23, 1908. Yet, Allen feels no need to be consumed by this tiny detail.

In her comedic, quick-witted manner, she said, “Who cares if I’m 99 or 100. I mean, I’m old, so that’s it! Let’s go by what the government says. When you get that old who cares?” But age is not slowing Allen, nor is it showing. As Rev. Paul Roberts proclaimed on Allen’s 100th birthday celebration, held April 26 at Friendship Community Church in Oakland, “Why is she 100 years old and still with us? Because she’s never stopped dreaming!”

Allen achieved her dream of becoming an entrepreneur in the early 1940s when she opened what was then the largest Black hair salon, Your House of Beauty, in the Hill District. Allen said that opening the shop has been the crowning achievement of her life.

She is also a published writer and has traveled all over the world. Literally. And although she recalls trips to Egypt, Senegal, Switzerland, Germany, Paris, Rome, Haiti and India, she said, “I can’t remember all the places I’ve been!” Said Allen’s daughter,  Carolyn Gray Colbert, of traveling with her mother, “It’s like a working vacation! Most of the time, we’re up at 5 a.m. because she wants to see everything. She wants to look at things that have stood the test of time, like she has.”

It’s no wonder, then, that all who know her feel blessed that she was divinely gifted to the city of Pittsburgh, which became her home after the death of her mother.

Yet, Allen will not withhold her feelings about the racism in either Pittsburgh or Pennsylvania, saying, “Pittsburgh is still very racist. It’s a Southern city in the North.”

One of her poignant memories of being a shop owner included an unexpected visit from two white men. She related in vivid detail the day they entered her shop. She recalled, “I had seen white shops and thought, ‘Well, I can do that.’ They sent a few people who looked like they were from Nazi Germany. I could almost look and tell they were thinking, ‘What’s a nigger doing with a shop like this?’ They said I owed the government $6,000. At that time, (1944) my shop was the best in town.”

Yet Allen said that although many of her dreams have been dashed by racism, she is committed to loving. “I’m not bitter about anything that people have done to me, because God has given me my health. It could be a lot worse. I see a lot of people who don’t have their health.

“People ask me all the time if at this age I have any pain, and I tell them that I had a corn, which I had removed last week! My health is fine!”

During her birthday celebration, Allen greeted guests, smiled and laughed over the tributes she received. She said, “I’m overwhelmed.”

One of the guests in attendance included Dr. Larry Glasco of the University of Pittsburgh, who met Allen when organizing for the inclusion of the African Culture classroom to be added to the University of Pittsburgh. He said, “Lillian would just breeze into those meetings with a big smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye…and helped us to stay focused on the goal…That’s when I started to fall in love with her. Everybody loved her.”

Judging Allen’s youthful spirit, her dedication to others and her laughter, whether she’s 99 or 100, there is clearly far more living to do. Allen, however, has decided on her funeral arrangements, saying, “I told (my daughter) don’t have a real funeral for me because they won’t fix my hair right!”