Jeanne Hopkins Lucas
Encyclopedia
Jeanne Hopkins Lucas born December 25, 1935, was the first Black woman elected to serve in North Carolina's state Senate
, represented the state's twentieth Senatorial district, including constituents in Durham County
. She was appointed to complete the term of former Senator Ralph Hunt, Sr also of Durham.
Known as the 'Queen' of the Senate, Lucas was a proud native of Durham, North Carolina
and an alumna of Hillside High School, attending the historically black school from 1951 until 1953 and teaching French and Spanish there from 1957 until 1975. She was also a proud and contributing alum of the first publicly-funded historically Black college
in the nation, North Carolina Central University
and was inducted into the university's Golden Eagle Society in 2003.
Lucas, a tireless fighter for education, served in the state Senate and served as Co-Chairman of the Senate Appropriations on Education/Higher Education committee. Lucas died on the night of March 9, 2007 at the age of 71.
Lucas was active throughout her 71 years on earth. She was a proud member of the Durham Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta
sorority, served with distinction at her home church of Mount Gilead Baptist Church and was active in the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, Links, the National Council of Negro Women, her Bridge club and a plethora of other civic groups. The son of late civil rights leader Floyd McKissick, Floyd McKissick, Jr, was appointed to fill the remainder of her term in the North Carolina Senate.
North Carolina Senate
The North Carolina Senate is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly.Its prerogatives and powers are similar to those of the other house, the House of Representatives. Its members do, however, represent districts that are larger than those of their colleagues in the House. The...
, represented the state's twentieth Senatorial district, including constituents in Durham County
Durham County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 223,314 people, 89,015 households, and 54,032 families residing in the county. The population density was 769 people per square mile . There were 95,452 housing units at an average density of 329 per square mile...
. She was appointed to complete the term of former Senator Ralph Hunt, Sr also of Durham.
Known as the 'Queen' of the Senate, Lucas was a proud native of Durham, North Carolina
Durham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
and an alumna of Hillside High School, attending the historically black school from 1951 until 1953 and teaching French and Spanish there from 1957 until 1975. She was also a proud and contributing alum of the first publicly-funded historically Black college
Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Historically black colleges and universities are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention of serving the black community....
in the nation, North Carolina Central University
North Carolina Central University
North Carolina Central University is a public historically black university in the University of North Carolina system, located in Durham, North Carolina, offering programs at the baccalaureate, master’s, professional and doctoral levels....
and was inducted into the university's Golden Eagle Society in 2003.
Lucas, a tireless fighter for education, served in the state Senate and served as Co-Chairman of the Senate Appropriations on Education/Higher Education committee. Lucas died on the night of March 9, 2007 at the age of 71.
Lucas was active throughout her 71 years on earth. She was a proud member of the Durham Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta is a non-profit Greek-lettered sorority of college-educated women who perform public service and place emphasis on the African American community. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was founded on January 13, 1913 by twenty-two collegiate women at Howard University...
sorority, served with distinction at her home church of Mount Gilead Baptist Church and was active in the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, Links, the National Council of Negro Women, her Bridge club and a plethora of other civic groups. The son of late civil rights leader Floyd McKissick, Floyd McKissick, Jr, was appointed to fill the remainder of her term in the North Carolina Senate.
External links
- Description of an oral history interview with Lucas regarding Hillside High School during school desegregation