Annie Bizzell Jordan Willis facts for kids
Annie Bizzell Jordan Willis (born May 30, 1893 – died around 1977) was an amazing American educator. She helped many children and families, especially in the Suffolk area. Annie was part of the Unitarian Universalist faith, which believes in helping all people. Her father, Rev. Joseph Fletcher Jordan, was the first African American minister in this faith. Annie taught for decades and was a leader at the Suffolk Normal Training School. Her life showed how one person could fight racism and support their community. Some of her students became important leaders, like surgeon L.D. Britt and Suffolk's vice mayor Moses Riddick.
Her Early Years
Annie Bizzell Jordan was born in Louisburg, North Carolina. Her father, Joseph Fletcher Jordan, was a minister. He later became one of the first African American Universalist ministers. This was a big step for his faith. A special event in 2019, the Harper-Jordan Memorial Symposium, was partly named after him.
In 1904, Annie's family moved to Suffolk, Virginia. They started the Suffolk Normal Training School (SNTS). This school was a mission to help black students. By 1909, the school had 184 students and three teachers. Young Annie began helping out as a teaching assistant. She also joined the Young People's Christian Union (YPCU).
Annie went to the Norfolk Mission College. There, she met Richard L. Willis. They got married and lived in Norfolk. Annie still traveled from Norfolk to Suffolk to teach at SNTS. In 1915, they had a daughter named Dorothy. In 1917, the family moved to Suffolk. Richard later joined the army during WWI.
A School for the Community
In 1929, Annie's father, Joseph Fletcher Jordan, passed away. Annie Bizzell Jordan Willis then became the superintendent of SNTS. She continued her father's work with the support of the Universalist church. As superintendent, she made the school's mission stronger. She even used a Universalist Sunday school curriculum to teach classes.
The school was in a two-story building. It was near a peanut processing plant. Many black parents worked long hours there, from early morning until evening. The school was very important for these families. It provided a safe place for their children to learn.
During the Great Depression, Annie and SNTS gave important help to the Suffolk community. But the community's needs grew very large. The Universalist church also faced money problems. Leaders in Boston wanted Annie to change the school's focus. They wanted it to offer more social services instead of just education. This was because public schools were starting to offer education for all students. Annie wanted to keep the school's learning programs. But she eventually agreed to the change.
Helping Families in Need
Annie's school was renamed the Jordan Neighborhood House. It was named after her and her father. It started offering new services. These included care for pregnant mothers and health checks for babies. It also had music programs for teenagers. The kindergarten stayed open. But the school's main focus on education was reduced. Annie was also asked to follow directions from the mostly white male leaders in Boston.
In 1949, the new Universalist Service Committee (USC) took over the Jordan Neighborhood House. They put money into the staff and buildings. This helped Annie and the Universalists work better together. The USC also brought back the focus on education. They helped Annie open an integrated Head Start preschool program. The Association of Universalist Women also helped the kindergarten.
In 1961, the Unitarians and Universalists joined together. This caused some disagreements about how to support long-term projects. Support for places like the Jordan Neighborhood House became weaker. Even though a group was set up to oversee Jordan House, it didn't give enough help. In 1967, the USC decided to stop supporting the Jordan Neighborhood House.
Even without the USC's help, Annie kept the Jordan kindergarten open. She oversaw the education there until she retired in 1974. She continued to live at the school until she passed away in 1977. Her last words were to the person who took over the kindergarten: "Watch out for my children." The Jordan kindergarten stayed open for seven more years after Annie's death, closing in 1984.
