Jewel Prestage

Jewel Limar Prestage was born in Hutton, a small community in Vernon Parish, Louisiana, to Sallie Bell Johnson and Brudis Leroy Limar, Sr. She was one of 16 children, although only 10 siblings lived to adulthood. She moved at a young age to Alexandria, Louisiana where she was baptized at the True Vine Missionary Baptist Church. At the age of 16, Prestage graduated as the valedictorian from Peabody High School. She started in the fall of 1948 at Southern University. Prestage was inducted into the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority through the Beta Psi chapter in 1950. She majored in political science and graduated summa cum laude in 1951. Prestage met her husband, Dr. James Jordan Prestage, while attending Southern University. They married in 1953, after he returned from his military service in the Korean War. In 1952, she received a master's degree and completed a doctorate in 1954 at the age of 22. As a student at the University of Iowa, she recalled not having any African American professors or mentors, so she relied on Southern University for Black male political science mentors. There were no female political science mentors at Southern University that Prestage could find. Prestage strived to remedy this lack of representation throughout her career. == Career ==

After completing her doctorate, Prestage taught at Prairie View A&M University for two years. Then, she returned to Southern University as a faculty member. At her alma mater, Prestage pioneered many initiatives that brought prominent political science figures to Southern University. Some of these figures included ambassadors to nations like Kenya and Sierra Leone as well as the President of the United Nations General Assembly. Prestage also participated in the founding of the National Conference of Black Political Scientists. In 2002, the National Conference of Black Political Scientists (NCOBPS) recognized Prestage as one of the founders of the organization. They also created an award in her honor, the Jewel Limar Prestage Faculty Mentorship Award, which is presented to political science professors who demonstrate exemplary leadership and mentorship at a Historically Black College or University. Jewel Prestage was also recognized on a national level for her work in education and politics. President Jimmy Carter appointed Prestage to the National Advisory Council on Women’s Educational Programs, because of her astounding impact on education within her community. One of the major acts that was executed during her role was the Women’s Educational Equity Act addressing sexual harassment and women's rights. == Activism ==

Not only did Prestage hold an influential role in higher education, but she also invested in the education of young students. She wanted to transform the political socialization of grade school students, so she worked with the National Defense Education Act Civics Institute (1967-1969) to enhance the role of teachers. Results of her work showed that many Louisiana teachers were better prepared to educate their students about becoming productive citizens of society. Prestage was also a leader in her community. She registered many Black people to vote in Louisiana with the Second Ward Voters League and worked with newly elected Black officeholders as the director of the Louisiana Center to Assist Black Elected Officials. == References ==