HISTORY IN MOTION
Dr. Helen Jackson: 1928-2019
Architect of Style Influence Education
My Day
By Dr. J. Ester Davis
Around the 1980’s Southern Dallas African Americans had a treasured group of citizens who I affectionately called the ‘Board of Governors’ or ‘Community Royalty’. Actually, there were three poignant groups. Bill Blair’s Rountable, Theodore Lee’s Generals and Robert Price’s South Dallas Café All Stars. Let me not forget the Regular Fellows , who gave the most awesome parties on their property. These masterminds gave free solicited and unsolicited advice, met with all candidates, welcomed new comers to Dallas. All three were separate, brilliant and culturally diversed. The birth of the Lace Glove Modeling & Etiquette Program was started with a conversation with Julia Jordan, who was a devoted Link, Inc., former President. She and Bill Blair were great buddies dating back to Dr. Jordan’s house calling days. So this novice idea went from Julia Jordan to Bill Blair who had boundless admiration for Helen Jackson. He was the self appointed “President of the Helen Jackson Fan Club”. He regularly spoke to his peers and constituency about Helen Jackson, her education, all her children’s high academic status and their chosen fields of study, employment and progress.
Sidebar: Helen Jackson had eight(8)children all with degrees and beyond. An amazing feat.
We started the Lace Glove Modeling and Etiquette Program at my church, Greater New Zion Baptist Church in South Dallas. The program grew rapidly from the church to Ann Taylor Gallery to Red Bird Mall. We had lots of professional help, models from the Apparel Mart, Mary Kay consultants, the full nourishment of the community. The second person I met with was Fred Jones, a male model about mentoring young men. Everything worked like a finely tuned well-oiled vintage grandfather time clock.
Getting Helen Jackson’s attention was easy. Ruth Carter was a member of my church and her sister, Helen Jackson was a regular visitor. These two sisters were profound fashion aficionados, well dressed, full of grace, confidence, positivity and blessed assurance. Ruth was a full time volunteer fixture at St. Phillips School in South Dallas, her neighborhood. Helen was not only a “full time cheerleader for eight children”, but I think a college professor at the time. She was no nonsense, direct and later on ‘witty’. The part that won her over was . . . it is not a modeling program… “it is a self esteem centered program with etiquette, manners, protocol”, (. . . even though some of our girls did rise in the 90’s to $600.00 a day modeling assignments). Helen told me something one busy day that I never forgot. For years, I did not understand it, but it stuck in my mind. “You do with ease what others do with effort”.
Helen Jackson was timeless and tireless. I could not believe all the things she handled with such efficiency defying all logic. Her combination of poise, wit and intelligence was matchless. She was a master of appearances, cool and organized. Both sisters, circumstances out of their control, well beyond their reproductive years, also raised grandchildren. Their energy, polished image and dignified manner never fainted. The grandchildren grew up and joined their first generation of highly educated productive adult children.
Helen Jackson has a distinguished litany of awards and honors. “A lifelong student, she returned to school and earned a Doctorate of Theology at age seventy-five”, said her daughter Dr. Astra Sparks. Dr. Karen Hollie is the celebrated pastor/daughter the metroplex is most familiar with. Even in retirement Helen Jackson served as a volunteer and mentor for the City of DeSoto Library, decided to create and fund her own library in her hometown of Hubbard, Texas. She was even presented the prestigious Mabel Chandler Educators Award, the Living Legend Award. . . on and on. Y’all, I am totally out of time and space.
I have to conclude with this. Ironially enough, as I was finalizing this article I spoke with another young rising star, Dr. Keisha Lankford, at her campaign kickout party on Sunday afternoon about Helen Jackson changing addresses. In conversation she said Helen told her something one day that she did not quite get. I was curious. It was the same thing she told me thirty plus years ago.
What a legacy! Isn’t that what architects do? Inspire your mind with their iconic building.
Ester Davis,EDTV, was the USA Delegation Media Host
World Summit in Seoul, interviewing with the
South Africa Broadcasting Corp (SABC) and
Several other countries.
Email: estyler2000@aol.com
