Recently, a longtime supporter of the George Henry White Center visited, and was able to participate in the Fine Food and Fitness program, supported by the International Paper Foundation.
Ms. Linda Jackson, currently of Delray Beach, Florida, was a close neighbor of Vince and Paula Spaulding during their years of residency in Washington D.C.’s Hillcrest community. As active members of the Hillcrest Civic Association, they had worked together to encourage quality restaurants and businesses in the area and to develop numerous cultural programs and a scholarship program. They were involved in the development of the “Neighbors Through Art” initiative, sharing music and arts events, Black History/Civil Rights events, and many opportunities to fellowship. They worked to create a nonprofit, the Washington East Foundation, to support positive development.
Moving to Florida in 2013, Linda has been active with the Arts Garage, The Spady Museum of Black History, The FAU/Boca Raton, and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, where she serves on the Board of Advisors as Vice President.
When Vincent took on the work of establishing a living memorial to George Henry White under the auspices of the BESDF, Linda became a contributor, and helped provide much-needed funds to that weighty project.
Her visit to the center allowed her to witness how that effort is now bearing fruit. She watched a presentation about the development of the center. She toured the building, seeing all the historic and educational facilities. She joined the Fine Food and Fitness class, learning how to make delicious and health-enhancing dishes.
“Linda Jackson has supported the BESDF initiative to develop a community center based on the legacy of George Henry White to serve the people of his birth area,” explained Vince. “We’re so happy she could find time to visit, while staying in Myrtle Beach, so she could see the results of what she helped build. Her lifelong commitment to education, arts, community development and preservation of history endowed her with a strong sense of the value of projects like ours. It’s a pleasure to welcome visionaries like her to see the reality of what can be done when people all pull together.”