What do you do when you turn 100? You celebrate with a party, of course! And that’s exactly what Lettice Graham of New York City did on her milestone birthday.
The 100-year-old, whose first name is pronounced Le-teece, told “Good Morning America” that she had been looking forward to her special day for months and was pleased that her extended family, including nieces and nephews from California and relatives from North Carolina could join her for a big blowout.
"They were coming from everywhere and they were really having a good time," Graham told "GMA." "It really, really was a nice feeling that they had come this far, with the weather and all going on. It was great.”
Graham, who noted she loves to dress up (such as for cruises), was all smiles in a golden gown, a “100 and Fabulous” sash and a “100” tiara for her birthday party, held at the Alhambra Ballroom in Harlem. She posed for a photo at the celebration with New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who honored her with a proclamation that declared Saturday, Feb. 5 as “Lettice Graham Day.”
Graham was born on Feb. 5, 1922 and grew up in Jacksonville, North Carolina, with six older siblings. “My mother had eight children and I was the youngest one,” she said. “Out of the eight children, seven survived. I was the seventh child.”
She said she isn’t too surprised she made it to 100. “I come from a family of longevity," she said.
Looking back on her life, Graham said she never thought about living a long time and instead focused on her day-to-day experiences. “I would think about surviving because I was growing up in the country -- no transportation and then being Black, being segregated," she said. "A dilapidated bus would pick me up in the morning and I may have to walk back maybe about five miles. And being a young person, I was alone.
“When I think about it -- I'm not a religious person -- but someone up there likes me because I had walked alone a lot," she added.
MORE: 100-year-old woman dances to police officer playing the saxophone for her birthdayGraham’s walking has, in part, kept her going all these years. She said she started swimming at the age of 64 and although she doesn’t exercise as much anymore, she is mindful of staying in motion. “Continue to be active,” she shared. “You can't be inactive, even when you're young. When you're young, you're in motion, but when you get older, you have to make sure that you allot time to be active.”
“If you treat your body right, it will treat you right,” she continued. “You'd be surprised or I'm surprised that the body can endure so much.“
Graham added, “Age is just a number with me. And so, I've mentioned it, but I keep on going. I like to mention my age because I like for the younger generation to know that just because you get older, that doesn't mean that you cannot live a life.”