Roxie Jackson Thomas, daughter of the late Emma and Semmon Jackson, was born in Orange County and reared by the late Sadie Blakley until she left Orange at the age of sixteen to be with her sister in Philadelphia. After finishing school, Thomas moved to New Jersey where her mother was. She was then married and had five children, including a daughter who died at the age of three.
Thomas got an associate's degree in early childhood and, after 26 years of marriage, lost her husband. Wanting to further her education, but having four children, she went to school taking night classes one at a time while also taking care of her sick brother. Thomas then lost two sons, in separate accidents. Even with all she was going through, Thomas continued to pursue her education through night classes.
Thomas became a grandmother and helped with rearing her son's children. She soon found out that she had glaucoma in her eyes. An operation to correct the problem failed and she became blind in one eye. However, none of this stopped her. She continued to attend classes.
With the help from a guidance counselor, Thomas learned that she had enough credits to graduate and soon graduated from the New Jersey City University at the age of 61 with a major in special education.
Thomas wants young people to be serious about their education and for parents to stay in tune with their child's education. She hopes parents will start early and steer their children in the right direction.
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