Judith “Judy” Jackson, Marion High School Class of 1968, was a pioneering social worker who worked to improve the lives of children in foster care and those with developmental challenges. She was the first female president of the National Association of Black Social Workers, and was an advocate and advisor who helped promote policies to benefit children and families in several major U.S. cities.
At Marion High School, she was a member of the National Honor Society and demonstrated an early passion for leadership by participating in Girls State, where she was elected by her peers as Superintendent of Education.
After MHS, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Indiana University in 1972. There she joined Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and was elected Chapter President in her senior year at IU.
She went on to earn her Master’s in Social Work, Policy and Planning, and Community Organizing from Washington University in St. Louis in 1974.
Jackson was well respected in the field of Social Work and Community Development. After earning her MSW, she began her career with Lutheran Social Services in St. Louis as a Social Worker and Therapist — the first African-American MSW to be hired at Lutheran Social Services.
In 1976, she relocated to New York City, where she began working with the Children’s Aid Society, helping to develop a program to reunite families that had been forced to place children in foster care due to social and economic difficulties. Soon after, she went to work for the State of New York’s Department of Mental Hygiene, where she was quickly promoted to Supervisor. Her primary focus was to improve the lives of the developmentally disabled and to also change attitudes about developmental disabilities. She soon discovered, though, that her interest was not in the large state institutions, but rather more family and community based.
In 1980, she moved to Detroit to work with Family and Neighborhood Services, a social work organization in Wayne County, Mich.
In 1982 she went to work as the Deputy Director of Franklin-Wright Settlements, Inc. She worked there for more than 18 years, driving the concept of self-help for the continuous improvement and preservation of the family. Jackson became the first female Executive Director at Franklin Wright in 1990.
In 1999, she became Vice President and Chief Operations Officer for a new youth project that would later be named YouthVille Detroit, part of the Detroit Youth Program, aiming to help prevent or solve problems but also promote positive values such as education and leadership. In 2008, she moved into the role of President and Chief Executive Officer, roles she served in until the closing of YouthVille in 2014.
Jackson was active in a number of civic and professional organizations. She was elected the first female president of the National Association of Black Social Workers, Inc., (NABSW) for the 2002-2006 term. Under her administration, NABSW purchased a new office in Washington, D.C., to influence public policy. She was also the former chapter president of the Detroit Association of Black Social Workers, Inc. She served on the Board of Directors as Vice Chairperson for Plymouth Education Center Charter School and as a Board Member of New Detroit, Inc., and ARISE Detroit! Additionally, she served in an advisory capacity with the Governor’s Task Force on Family Preservation, the Michigan Child Welfare Improvement Task Force, and the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative. She was also a graduate of Leadership Detroit.
Jackson was a passionate, effective advocate for children, youth, and families facing socioeconomic and educational challenges. She fostered the development of many young adults and professionals. From providing bedding to assisting with transportation for youths she mentored, there was no task too small. She was integral in providing job opportunities and guidance to those seeking to improve their station in life. Her expectations were high but her willingness to help was limitless. Though she passed away on Oct. 9, 2015, her legacy of service will continue to live in the lives of all she touched.