Breaking Barriers and Inspiring Generations Through Literacy: Honoring the Life of Former Board Member, Jacqueline Rogers

Blog Post Written by Yaimar Molina, First Literacy Marketing and Communications Intern
Essay Written by Jacqueline Rogers, Former First Literacy Board Member

At First Literacy, we mourn the passing of Jacqueline (Jackie) Rogers, a cherished former board member, advocate, and lifelong champion of education and literacy. Jackie’s life was a testament to service, resilience, and compassion, and she leaves behind a legacy that will inspire generations to come. Born and raised in Montgomery, Alabama, during the Jim Crow era, Jackie’s journey was shaped by her early passion for education, her determination to break barriers, and her unwavering commitment to uplifting others.

Jackie’s impact on literacy was rooted in both her professional career as a social psychologist and her personal experiences, which she eloquently captured in an essay that reflects her life’s mission to empower others through the transformative power of reading. From her childhood in a segregated South to her distinguished academic career at Hampton University and Harvard University, Jackie dedicated her life to ensuring that access to education and literacy could change lives, just as it had for her. In her memory, we are honored to share her essay, which highlights her passion, resilience, and belief in the transcendent qualities of reading and learning.

In Her Own Words: Jackie Rogers’ Essay on Literacy

Literacy has a critical impact on social problems. Improve literacy and adults get better jobs, provide more for their families, become healthier so that health care costs are reduced, act as positive role models for their children, and pay more taxes. While working as a psychologist, in a male correctional facility, I found that recidivism declined when inmates enrolled in Adult Basic Education or G.E.D. classes.

My passion for increasing adult literacy stems from very personal reasons. When I was in elementary school, I discovered that the smartest woman that I knew, my maternal grandmother, could not read or write her name. She had been taken out of school at the age of 8 to support her family while her brother went to college and got a master’s degree. She was also the best cook in a family of great cooks. She told me that if you had to use a recipe, you were not a real cook. I was 10 when I discovered that she could not read a recipe and that she had in her way turned a deficit into an asset.

I grew up in Montgomery, Alabama during the Jim Crow era. Things were separate but far from equal. I began to read at age 3. By age 12, I had read most of the books in the Black library both children and adults. I often passed the main white Public Library – a glass structure where the thousands of books that it housed could be seen from the street. The distance between me and the coveted books seemed insurmountable.

An amazing thing happened when I was 14 years old. The Civil Rights Act was passed in the summer of 1964, which meant that I could finally go into the main Public Library! During those early days, I was the only Black person in the library who was not providing janitorial services.

The librarians were rude and unwelcoming. They ignored me; spoke to me harshly; questioned my ability to read the books that I had chosen; and would not accept my library card from the Black library. None of this deterred me. My dream of having an unlimited number of books to read would not be deferred.

During the next year, the situation with the librarians improved. They began to engage me in conversation about the books that I had read. By the time that I left Montgomery to attend college, they were setting aside books that they thought I would enjoy. A shared love of reading became a bridge over the racial divide.

Reading a good book has the ability to transcend boundaries; to provide a welcome respite in dire situations; and to broaden horizons. Reading took me to faraway places long before I had the financial resources to travel. It provided the role models for the untraveled roads on which I would venture. It has sustained me throughout the night in intensive care units as I fearfully wait for news on severely ill family and friends. Reading has relaxed me in tense situations and provided solace as I struggle with my own health issues.

While I value literacy’s role in increasing employability; improving productivity, and health, it is this transcendent quality of reading that I wish to share with others. This is why I am passionate about adult literacy.

Carrying Forward Jackie’s Vision for Literacy

Jacqueline Rogers’ life was a beautiful symphony of service, advocacy, and achievement. Jackie’s work was driven by her belief in the power of education to transform lives. Her essay, which we are privileged to share, is a window into her remarkable journey and her enduring passion for adult literacy.

At First Literacy, we are deeply grateful for Jackie’s contributions to our mission and her impact on our community. Her legacy continues to guide us as we work to empower adult learners and foster opportunities for growth and self-expression through literacy. Though she is no longer with us, Jackie’s spirit of perseverance and her commitment to uplifting others will live on in the lives of those she touched and in the work we do in her honor.