Ida Louise Jackson

Ida Louise Jackson (October 12, 1902 – March 8, 1996) was an American educator and philanthropist. She attended and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley following her family’s move to California. As one of 17 Black students who attended the university at the time, Jackson prioritized creating safe spaces for African American community members. Throughout her undergraduate career, Jackson was invested in a teaching career, specifically in Oakland, California. Despite pushback from school administration, her dreams were finally realized in 1926 when she became the first African American woman to teach high school in the state of California. At the same time, her ambitions were rooted in giving back to her community back in Mississippi. Through the networks that she formed in California, Jackson returned to her home state in 1935 to develop programs around education and health care for poor, rural Black folks. Ida Louise Jackson’s contributions were celebrated by her alma mater when the University of California, Berkeley, named its first graduate apartment housing unit in her honor.

Early life Ida Louise Jackson was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, on October 12, 1902. She was the daughter of Pompey Jackson and Nellie Jackson. Although a former slave born in Alabama, her father was a pastor and farmer. Her mother was born in New Orleans. Jackson was one of eight children, but was the youngest child and their only girl. At the young age of three, Jackson had learned to read and was permitted to go to school with her older brothers. By the time that she was eight, she was enrolled in Vicksburg’s Cherry Hill High School. She later graduated from high school at the age of eleven in 1914. Ida Louise Jackson attributed her love for education to her parents. In an interview with the Bancroft Library, as part of their Black Alumni series, Jackson recalls the time her father told her and her siblings to, “Get an education. It's the one thing the white man can't take from you.” Many have incorrectly reported that the Kappa chapter of another sorority was first however, this is incorrect. None of the women were actual members of the other organization until September 1922. In 1922, Jackson earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a major in Education, Vocational Guidance, and Counseling. She then applied for a teaching position in the Oakland Public Schools, only to be told by administration that she was still not qualified. Determined to prove otherwise, she earned a Master of Arts Degree from the University of California, Berkeley, the following year.

Although Jackson was able to secure teaching positions following her master’s program, her love for education did not end. In the 1930s, she furthered her studies at Columbia University, pursuing a doctorate in education.

Jackson spent two years teaching at this high school and was set on returning to Oakland to apply yet again. However, this time was different. On top of having two degrees from the University of California, Berkeley, she now had two years of teaching experience under her belt. She had met each question of her qualification with determination to prove herself. When she was told that she was unqualified after having a teaching credential and Bachelor’s, she then earned a Master’s degree. When administrators required that she have more teaching experience, she applied to teach in a neighboring school district for a couple of years. During this time, Ida Louise Jackson was also building a network of support. She was very involved with her local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Before submitting her intent for a teaching position in the Oakland Public School District for the third time, she spoke with her NAACP chapter members about the difficulties that she had encountered during her first applications. In doing so, she was connected with Walter Butler, who was the head of the Northern California branch of the NAACP. He was particularly helpful with Jackson’s situation as he had previously worked with influential members of the Board of Education. Other members of the NAACP also went on to endorse Jackson’s teaching abilities and qualifications.

Following these interventions by community members, Jackson officially submitted her third application for teaching in Oakland. In 1926, she received an offer for a long-term substitute teacher position at the Prescott School. Once she accepted this offer, she officially became the first African-American teacher in all of Oakland's public schools. After teaching at this school for a year, Jackson then went on to teach history at McClymonds High School.

Throughout her teaching career, Jackson was also invested in giving back to the communities that supported her in college. In 1934, Jackson became the national Alpha Kappa Alpha president. Although her term ended in 1937, she was able to accomplish many things. Within this role, she organized chapters at schools all along the east coast. Under her leadership, chapters were founded in colleges in Los Angeles, Arizona, and Seattle. Her goals did not end there; she never forgot about her home state of Mississippi and the poor, rural Black folks that needed support. Before venturing out to Mississippi, she had established a low-cost dental clinic in Oakland. As part of her term, she led an initiative that provided summer schooling for rural teachers in 1934. The first established school was in Lexington, Mississippi and teachers from the AKA organization volunteered to help train local teachers and provide quality, comprehensive education to low-income students. Jackson hoped that by preparing teachers and students, more Black people would be interested in higher education.

With the help of Dr. Dorothy Boulding Ferebee and AKA volunteers, Jackson co-founded and became general director of the Mississippi Health Project. This was a system of clinics that aimed to address the health needs of rural Mississippi. As this project expanded, both adults and children were provided with health care.

Following her time as the national AKA president, she took on a brief term as the dean of women at the Tuskegee Institute, from 1937 to 1938. She later returned to McClymonds High School where she taught until her retirement in 1953. Jackson then transitioned to running her family’s sheep ranch in Mendocino County. Ida Louise Jackson died on March 8, 1996, aged 93. She is buried at the Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland.