Ravenna events Oct. 7 will honor Sara Jackson and Deseree Liddell
- Wendy DiAlesandro ,
Skeels-Mathews Community Center will dedicate a shelter in memory of the late Sara Jackson at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 7 at the center at 4378 Skeels St. in Ravenna.
Program Manager Sharon Sanders said she remembers Jackson as a “community icon” who worked with neighborhood youth for years, teaching arts and crafts, etiquette and basic life skills.
The event will also include a formal road dedication for Deseree Liddell. Portage County commissioners recently approved changing the name of Portage Street to Deseree Liddell Boulevard.
Liddell is a long-time Ravenna Township resident and community activist. She is also an author, having published her memoir titled, “The Higher You Climb, the Broader the View: From the Jim Crow South to a Thriving Northern Community.”
The dedications will be held immediately after the Skeels-Mathews Community Center’s annual Deseree Liddell Minority Scholarship Fundraiser, also at the center. A breakfast will be held from 8-10 a.m. Tickets are $10, available at the center from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. or at the door.
Two scholarships are awarded each year to graduating Ravenna High School seniors who intend to pursue further education at a college, university or trade school. Recipients must be racial or ethnic minorities.
Wendy DiAlesandro
Wendy DiAlesandro is a former Record Publishing Co. reporter and contributing writer for The Portager.