In celebration of Black History Month, in addition to our weekly prompts to Get Outside, every Wednesday in February, we will be exploring the history of 4-H and Black History.
4-H and Black History
For over 100 years 4-H has served black youth in the United States. This February, the National 4-H Council is celebrating black 4-H alumni who have become university leaders at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) as well as industry change makers. Here are some snippets of their stories.
Dr. Robert Jones – Georgia 4-H Alumus
Dr. Robert Jones was the son of a sharecropper and grew up in southwestern Georgia during the Jim Crow era. He joined 4-H in elementary school at a time when 4-H clubs were strictly segregated by race. His time in 4-H helped him better understand himself and develop his leadership skills.
Dr. Jones attended Fort Valley State College, an HBCU in Georgia. He then went on to earn his master’s and doctoral degrees in crop physiology and is now an internationally respected authority in the subject. Dr. Jones served as the president of the University of Albany and is currently the Chancellor of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
To make enough money to pay for his first year of college tuition, Dr. Jones had to work two full time jobs. Now he is striving to make “world-class college education affordable and accessible.” To help increase the diversity of the student body at the University of Illionois Urbana-Champaign, he helped create Illinois Commitment, which offers free tuition and fees for any in-state student coming from a family making $61,000 or less a year. This program has resulted in bringing in the largest cohort of African American and Latinx students in the university’s history.
Click here to read more about Dr. Robert Jones.
Dr. Dawn Mellion-Patin – Louisiana 4‑H Alumna
Growing up in Iberville Parish, Louisiana in the 1970s and 1980s, when Dr. Dawn Mellion-Patin joined 4-H there were only one or two African American kids in the local 4-H clubs. When recalling her experiences as a child, she said, “Now that I think about it, those of us who joined 4‑H were hand-picked; I believe my teachers were trying to integrate 4‑H.” During her time in 4-H Dr. Mellion-Patin gained confidence and improved her public speaking skills while taking advantage of opportunities and experiences that she wouldn’t have had otherwise.
Dr. Mellion-Patin earned her bachelor’s degree from Southern University, an HBCU in Louisiana. During her undergraduate studies she focused on agriculture, which brought back her memories of 4-H. Eventually she pursued a doctorate in Extension agriculture and Extension education at Iowa State Univeristy, before returning to her alma mater for an outreach and teaching appointment. Now she works full time doing extension and outreach as the Vice Chancellor for Extension and Outreach at Southern University.
Click here to read more about Dr. Dawn Mellion-Patin.
Dr. Carolyn Williams – Texas 4-H Alumna
Dr. Carolyn Williams grew up in the diverse rural town of Palestine, Texas. When she joined 4-H in 1968 there were separate clubs for black and white youth. During her time in 4-H she honed her skills in sewing and cooking. She also met Extension Agents that inspired her to pursue a career in Cooperative Extension.
With the help of a 4-H scholarship, Dr. Williams attended the HBCU Prairie View A&M University in Prairie View, Texas where she graduated with a Bachelors of Science degree and became a County Extension Agent for Texas A&M Agrilife Extension. While serving as an Extensive Agent and then a Program Leader, she earned both a master’s degree and a doctorate degree. Then in 2011, 43 years after she first joined 4-H, she became the Executive Associate Director of Cooperative Extension at Prairie View A&M where she has administrative oversight of agents and specialists in 35 Texas counties.
Click here to learn more about Carolyn Williams.
Avery Williamson – Tennessee 4-H Alumus
Avery Williamson grew up on his family’s farm in Milan, Tennessee. He joined 4-H in elementary school, where he learned a lot about agriculture and taking care of cows. As a fourth generation farmer he has a passion for farming and agriculture; he is also passionate for football and is linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He has partnered with 4-H and loves to share his farming experiences with young people using his platform to “give kids opportunities and experiences that could inspire an interest in agriculture.” Check out this video where Ohio 4-H member Joyona joins Avery Williams on his farm.
Need to get up and move, click here for to try an at-home work out with Avery Williamson!
Click here to read more about Avery Williamson.
4-H has had a lasting impact on the lives of these individuals. Their experiences in 4-H played a role in their journey to become leaders and change makers.
As Black History Month comes to a close, let us all take a moment to reflect on how we can make sure that our 4-H programing celebrate diversity, include all youth and are truly equitable. Who are we empowering to be the leaders of tomorrow?
Learn more about other black 4-H Alumni continuing to make a difference in their communities!
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