Children Come First, Katie Sample
Katie Sample
*Katie Sample was born on this date in 1933. She is an African American educator, social worker and child advocate.
Katie L. Williamson Sample is the youngest daughter of six girls born to Isaac and Eva Williamson in Rockford, Illinois. She graduated from Rockford West High School in 1952 From her childhood she attended Pilgrim Baptist Church which granted her a fulltime four year scholarship at American Baptist Missionary College in Chicago, Ill. She graduated in 1956 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Christian Education. From 1956 to1958, Sample worked as an American Baptist Home Missionary in Hammond, Indiana and at Brooks House Community Center as Children’s Director.
After her marriage to George Sample she returned to Rockford as Program Director at Booker T, Washington Community Center. During this time she pursued postgraduate work at Rockford College in Elementary Education. In 1968 they moved to Minneapolis, MN where she completed a postgraduate program in Social Work at the University of Minnesota. Here she worked as a school social worker in the Minneapolis Public Schools for 25 years, retiring in 1993.
In 1988 Katie founded the African American Academy for Accelerated Learning (AAAAL). This is an education enrichment program with the purpose of fostering an appreciation of the African history, culture and values among African American children, families and school educators in the Twin Cities. It offers summer programs, Saturday Enrichment Programs and education conferences. AAAAL accompanyied twenty six students, parents and friends to Ghana West Africa in the summer of 2001. Also, speakers such as the late Asa Hilliard and Dr. Ben Carson were a significant presenters at AAAAL education conferences, “Celebrating Successes in Educating African American Children.” After 21 years, Sample retired from AAAAL in 2009. AAAAL continues to offer summer and Saturday enrichment programs under the leadership of the board of directors and program coordinator.
Katie and George are the parents of Kevin Sample, Deanne Flomo, and Valerie McLendon. They have eleven grandchildren: Aaron, Christian, Nequaleh, Kevin, Kiara, Gabriel, Karlina, Amira, Nathan, Moriah and Koby.
Reference:
Black Box Interview
African American Registry
Box 19441, MPLS., MN 55419
Sample, Katie