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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 15, 1981)
Jackie Winters: Meeting new challenges By Larry Baker ‘‘For above all. in behalf o f an ailing world which sorely need our defiance, may we, as Blacks or womm, never accept the nation of our place. " (Lorraine Hansberry - Black Women in White America) Jackie Winters can still tell you about those days during the 50s, when she and her children had lived in those half torn-dow n, raggedy, cold water, one bedroom flats. She can still tell you how she and her children had to make a game out of getting up on those cold, chilly win ter mornings, with a rolled-up newspaper and a broom, they flush cockroaches out from behind an old broken-down gas stove, so she could cook breakfast. But the main story o f Jackie Winters was how she, a Black woman, could refuse to let herself and her children remain on that down and out road o f life; how her love fo r helping other people gain Jackie Winter’s fame and for tune in helping her go from rags to riches. Born in Topeka, Kansas during the depression o f 1936, Jackie Win ters was the youngest o f six children born to Kathleen and Forrest Jackson. The Jackson fam ily was very religious, with a southern Bap tist background. M rs. Jackson taught her family to be very thank fu l and generous w ith what the family had and on many occasions invited large groups o f servicemen to their Thanksgiving and C hrist mas tables during World War 11. The Jackson family was drawn to Oregon when the shipyards were booming, and lived in Vanport until the flood in 1948. As a youth, Jackie attended Boise and Holiday grade schools, and Jef ferson High School. Many o f her schoolmates are leading citizens in the Black community today: Bobbie Nunn, Blake Eliot and Caley Cook. But Jackie credits a Black instructor named M r. Ford, who produced school plays, with teaching her the basics o f acting and dancing and how to overcome any setbacks in life which she might face as a Black woman who had the ability to per form. A t that time, it was only normal for many young. Black girls to want to grow up and become nurses or teachers, thinking these would be the only professions open to them as adults. But, there was something in Jackie’ s dreams that wanted to call fo r more. But, even as an honor student, falling in love and getting married stopped Jackie, short o f finishing high school. She met and married a young serviceman named B ill McClean and moved to New York where he was stationed. She loved being a mother and homemaker. She gave birth to four children (all boys) before her husband was called fo r overseas duty in England. Jackie and the children remained in New York where she eventually acquired a job as a typist in a mail order house to make ends meet. “ New York gave me a sense o f knowing how a city can decay, snd the lack o f fam ily support for the poor,” Jackie recalls. ‘ ‘ It became a struggle for survival with my little family, where beans and cornbread became a reality.” The following years in New York, from 1957 through 1960, were stormy years for Jackie, including her marriage which eventually en ded in a divorce. She returned to Portland where her parents played a great role in her life. She went back to work for Oregon Medical School as a clerk- typist, and by 1963 had worked her self up to a supervisory position. In some manner this occupation wasn’ t exactly what she wanted because she was a “ peoples person.” • In 1966, when the Model Cities Program was created, she saw her chance to do just that, help people. She attributes a lot o f her early days o f learning to people in the Black com m unity, such people as Hazel Hays, Tom Vickers, A1 Bap tist and Rev. John Jackson. She was instrumental in assisting the plan ning and developing o f child care centers. " I remember my New York days, how such a need for good child care centers would have been a first priority while I looked for a decent job, if there had been one,” Jackie said. In 1968, Jackie met and married Ted Winters, who was an assistant to the G overnor’ s firs t Om bud sman, Mark Haggerty. Ted Winters also had known rough times in his own life as he had just been released from the Oregon State Penitentiary, from serving a life sentence. “ Ted placed no restrictions or roles on me. It’ s a sharing relation ship and he encourages me to reach out for whatever height in life 1 could o b ta in ,” she further ex plained. For a short time Jackie worked for the State Office o f Equal Oppor tunity, before transferring into the State Childrens Services Divison as a coordinator. Ted became Oregon’ s Ombudsman (Governor’ s) and they bought their first home in Salem in 1971. One would think that success had fulfilled the life o f Jackie Winters, but no, not quite. Ted retired from state government and went into private business in 1975 which even tually became very successful. Jackie continued with C.S.D., but began to expand her horizons into volunteering helping to create Salem’ s first branch o f the NAACP shortly after becoming its president. She and Ted spent many evenings with different prison projects and organizations which volunteered their assistance. Both volunteered themselves with United Way, Salem C ity Council and other com m unity projects. Jackie was chosen the “ Outstanding C itizen” for the city o f Salem in 1977. One o f Jackie’ s children AOBA calls leadership meeting The’ third Call-to-Action Leader ship Conference, sponsored by the Oregon Assembly for Black Affairs, w ill be held on January 31st at the Chumaree Rodeway Inn in Salem. Among the topics to be discussed are the Black Commission, reappor tionm ent, the legislative process. Am ong the participants are Secretary o f State Norma Paulus, Senate President Fred Heard, Speaker o f the House Hardy Myers. Governor Atiyeh will speak at the recognition luncheon at 11:45 a.m. For in fo rm a tio n çall 282-7421 (Portland) or 745-5570 (Corvallis). $100 total move in to vets. low down FHA, FHA 245, and conventional terms also, model open Sat. ft Sun. noon to 5 p.m. 92nd Ave. at Burton Road. Vancouver, Washington. Call for a showing anytime. This Model 4 bedrooms w ith family room, 2 baths, brick fireplace, w /carpets, double garage, appliances. 10X20 concrete patio. Energy ef ficient w ith 10 year Home Owner Warranty Price only $58,800. Other Models priced from $48,500 HAZEL DELL BRANCH 7160 N E 99th Street Vancouver, W A 98666 Phone 206 574-1522 Vancouver or 503 241 3723 Portland, OR M INN EHAHA BRANCH 47 St Johns Road Vancouver, W A 98661 Phone 206 694 8577 Vancouver or 503 223 8229 Portland, OR became a musician with Oregon’s na tio n a lly known group named “ Pleasure.” When Senator Victor Atiyeh was elected governor o f Oregon in 1978, he was well aeqainted w ith the ability Jackie Winters had in serving people in Oregon, and offered her the o ffice o f State Ombudsman; yes, the same job her husband had once held. As Ombudsman, Jackie became nationa lly known in “ Who’ s Who’ s in Black America.” Last m onth Jackie W inters resigned the office o f G overnor’ s State Ombudsman in order to seek new challenges, and to help her husband’ s business, Majac In stitute, a vocational school to upgrade people’s learning ability.) 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