Jewel Prestage facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jewel Prestage
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| Born |
Jewel Limar
August 12, 1931 Hutton, Louisiana, U.S.
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| Died | August 1, 2014 (aged 82) |
| Education | Southern University |
| Alma mater | University of Iowa |
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Notable work
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A Portrait of Marginality |
| Spouse(s) |
James Jordan Prestage
(m. 1953) |
| Children | 5 |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Prairie View A&M University Southern University |
Jewel Limar Prestage (born August 12, 1931 – died August 1, 2014) was an important American political scientist. She was also a citizen activist, a teacher, a mentor, and an author. A political scientist studies how governments work and how people are involved in politics.
Jewel Prestage made history as the first African-American woman to earn a doctorate degree in political science in the United States. A doctorate is the highest university degree. She helped many students and colleagues in her field. Because of her guidance, she was known as "The Mother of Black Political Science." Prestage did a lot of research on how African Americans take part in politics. In 1977, she helped write a book called A Portrait of Marginality. This book looked at how Black women learn about politics and become involved.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jewel Limar was born in Hutton, Louisiana. Her parents were Sallie Bell Johnson and Brudis Leroy Limar, Sr. She was one of 16 children, but only 10 of them lived to be adults. When she was young, her family moved to Alexandria, Louisiana. There, she was baptized at the True Vine Missionary Baptist Church. Jewel was very smart. At just 16 years old, she graduated from Peabody High School. She was the best student in her class.
In 1948, Jewel started college at Southern University. In 1950, she joined the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. She studied political science and graduated with top honors in 1951. While at Southern University, she met James Jordan Prestage. They got married in 1953 after he returned from serving in the Korean War.
After college, she went to graduate school at the University of Iowa. She earned her master's degree in 1952. By 1954, at only 22 years old, she had completed her doctorate degree. Prestage remembered that there were no African American professors at the University of Iowa. So, she looked to her former professors at Southern University for guidance. She also noticed there were no female political science mentors. Throughout her career, Prestage worked hard to change this lack of representation.
Her Career as an Educator
After getting her doctorate, Prestage taught at Prairie View A&M University for two years. Then, she returned to Southern University, her old college. At Southern University, Prestage started many new programs. She invited important political figures to speak, like ambassadors from countries such as Kenya and Sierra Leone. She also hosted the President of the United Nations General Assembly.
As a professor, she mentored many political science students. These students, known as "Jewel's Gems," went on to become political scientists, lawyers, and state representatives. Prestage later became the head of her department. She also became the dean of the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs. When she retired in 1989, Southern University honored her. They named her a Distinguished Professor Emeritus for her great work.
Contributions to Political Science
Prestage wrote many important works for the political science community. Her research helped fill a gap in studies about African Americans in American politics. In 1977, Prestage and Marianne Githens wrote the book A Portrait of Marginality. This was one of Prestage's most famous works. She also wrote an article called "The Case of African American Women in Politics." This article explored the role of Black women in the political world.
Prestage also helped start the National Conference of Black Political Scientists (NCOBPS). In 2002, the NCOBPS recognized her as one of its founders. They also created an award in her honor. The Jewel Limar Prestage Faculty Mentorship Award is given to political science professors. It celebrates those who show great leadership and mentorship at a Historically Black College or University.
Jewel Prestage was also recognized nationally for her work in education and politics. President Jimmy Carter appointed her to the National Advisory Council on Women’s Educational Programs. This was because of her amazing impact on education in her community.
Her Activism Work
Jewel Prestage was not only a leader in higher education, but she also cared deeply about younger students. She wanted to improve how grade school students learned about politics. From 1967 to 1969, she worked with the National Defense Education Act Civics Institute. Her goal was to help teachers better prepare students to be good citizens. Her work showed that many teachers in Louisiana became better at teaching civics.
Prestage was also a strong leader in her community. She helped many Black people in Louisiana register to vote through the Second Ward Voters League. She also worked with newly elected Black officials. She directed the Louisiana Center to Assist Black Elected Officials, helping them succeed in their roles.
