Dr. Jonelle Knox, great-grandson of Rosa Stewart presents a check to HWS Elementary Principal, Ramon Forbes, in memory of the long-time Starkville educator.
The family of long-time Starkville educator, Rosa Stewart, has established a charitable fund to benefit students at Henderson Ward Stewart, the SOCSD elementary school that bears her name. Dr. Jonelle Knox, an educator and great-grandson of Stewart created the family fund this spring with an annual gift of $1200 to be used at the discretion of HWS administrators in providing resources for students.
"I was fortunate to know and learn from my great-grandmother well into my twenties, an experience for which I am forever grateful," Dr. Knox said. "Following her footsteps, I have dedicated my career to higher education as a senior administrator, and I deeply understand the impact that a quality education during the formative years has on lifelong achievement and success."
Dr. Knox also credits his great-grandmother with instilling in him a passion for education that has motivated this on-going contribution to memorialize her legacy in the Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District and the community as a whole.
"We are very grateful to Dr. Knox for his commitment to supporting our Jacket students on the Hill," HWS Principal, Ra'mon Forbes said. "Mrs. Stewart's influence on education in Oktibbeha County is felt every day on our campus as we live out our goal of providing whatever it takes for every child. We appreciate his willingness to provide these funds on behalf of Mrs. Stewart's family for ongoing resources that will motivate and reward our students."
The fund aims to provide money each year to be used for student supplies, field trips and other opportunities that will enhance classroom activities and the overall educational experience at Henderson Ward Stewart. Forbes said that one possible use of the fund is to create student rewards, events and incentives through the school's Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program, which encourages positive behavioral choices and serves as a proactive way to build leadership skills in students.
Born in 1902, Rosa Stewart was an English teacher at the former Oktibbeha County Training School (OCTS), which was established on the current site of Henderson Ward Stewart in the late 1920s. An elementary school was built adjacent to OCTS on the campus in 1954 and was later given the name Stewart Elementary in her honor. OCTS and the Henderson complex served African American students prior to integration in 1970, and was incorporated into the then Starkville School District that year.
In 1968, Stewart retired from teaching as the head of the OCTS English Department. She was also a notable civil rights activist, participating in demonstrations surrounding hiring practices, and was the first African American woman to run for a seat on the city's Board of Aldermen. Stewart died in 2004 and was named a Starkville Unity Park honoree in 2018 for her contributions to Black History in Oktibbeha County.
Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary currently houses 2nd through 4th graders in the Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District and serves more than 1000 students.
