Edna Burke Jackson facts for kids

Edna Burke Jackson (born January 25, 1911 – died February 21, 2004) was an American teacher and writer. She made history as the first African American woman to teach at Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington, D.C.. In 2022, the school was renamed Jackson-Reed High School to honor her and Vincent Reed. He was the school's first Black principal.

Edna Burke Jackson's Life

Edna Burke Jackson was born in 1911 in Washington, D.C. She was the oldest of four children. Edna was a very bright student from a young age. In 1928, she graduated at the top of her class from Dunbar High School. This was a well-known public high school for African American students. She was also the editor-in-chief of the student newspaper there.

Her College Years

Edna studied Romance languages, especially French, and social studies at Howard University. She won a four-year scholarship for placing second in an Elks Oratorical Contest. She finished college early, after only three years.

A famous civil rights leader and educator, Mary McLeod Bethune, invited Edna to teach at her school in Florida. Today, that school is Bethune–Cookman University. But Edna chose to stay at Howard to earn a master's degree in education. Later, she continued her studies during the summers at Howard, Catholic University, and Cornell University.

Starting Her Teaching Career

In 1934, Edna could not find a teaching job in Washington, D.C. So, she moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma. There, she worked at Booker T. Washington High School. She started and led the school's Language Department.

After six years in Tulsa, she returned to Washington, D.C. She became a teacher at Cardozo High School.

Breaking Barriers at Wilson High School

In 1954, Edna Jackson and chemistry teacher Archie Lucas were hired at Woodrow Wilson High School. This was a top-ranked school that was only for white students. They were the first Black teachers there.

Most public high schools in D.C. started to allow students of all races that year. But Wilson High School stayed all-white until September 1955. When Edna first started at Wilson, some of her white co-workers would not sit with her at lunch. They also used hurtful racial slurs around her.

Edna Jackson taught at Wilson for over 20 years. She taught European and world history. She strongly believed that schools should be more integrated, meaning students of all races should learn together. She also pushed for schools to teach Black studies courses. These courses focus on the history and culture of Black people. She retired in 1976.

Her Work as a Writer and Volunteer

Besides teaching, Edna Jackson was also a writer. In the 1930s, while living in Tulsa, she wrote a weekly column for a major Black newspaper, the Oklahoma Eagle. From 1959 to 1970, she wrote book reviews for The Journal of Negro History. She also spent a lot of time volunteering with the African Methodist Episcopal Church and other groups.

Edna Burke Jackson passed away in 2004 when she was 93 years old.

School Renamed in Her Honor

By 2020, Wilson High School, which used to be segregated, had become the most diverse public high school in D.C. For a long time, people wanted to change the school's name. The school was named after President Woodrow Wilson, who supported segregation. Segregation was the unfair separation of people based on their race.

In 2020, the Black Lives Matter movement led to many discussions about renaming buildings and monuments across the country. The D.C. government agreed to change the school's name.

Many new names were suggested. But people started to strongly support Edna B. Jackson. Her name had been suggested before. They wanted to honor her as a pioneering Black educator at the school. The school's student newspaper supported this choice. They wrote that Edna Jackson's identity as a Black woman was the opposite of President Wilson's views. They felt her legacy was closely tied to the school's past efforts for equality.

In April 2021, the D.C. schools chancellor suggested renaming the school after the playwright August Wilson. This needed approval from the D.C. Council. However, many people argued that the council should not approve this. They felt the playwright did not have strong ties to the Washington area.

In December, the council voted to rename the school Jackson-Reed High School. This honored both Edna Jackson and Vincent E. Reed. Vincent Reed was the school's first Black principal. The name change officially happened on March 15, 2022. This made Edna Jackson the first woman to have a D.C. public high school named after her.