Teacher and Mentor

Prestage spent 46 years as a distinguish professor of political science lecturing at numerous institutions of higher education throughout the United States. However, it was her service at two historically black universities, Prairie View A&M University and Southern University A&M College, that anchored her career. She began a promising and intellectually stimulating career at Prairie View under the tutelage of noted African-American political scientists such as C. Earl Lewis, a University of Chicago Ph.D., and Thomas R. Solomon, the second African American to receive a degree in political science (Michigan, 1939). The students she taught at Prairie View included promising future political scientists who have become outstanding faculty in the profession and include E. Wally Miles (San Diego State University) and Maurice Woodard (Howard University and former program officer, American Political Science Association). Numerous other students have made outstanding contributions in the business sector, government and legal professions.

Prestage joined the faculty of her alma mater, Southern University, in 1956 and became the colleague of her mentors, Twiley Barker and Rodney Higgins. She eventually succeeded Rodney Higgins as chair of the department of political science, serving in the position for 18 years. Prestage sponsored many programs designed to broaden the intellectual development and exposure of students to international leaders and renowned scholars. The first African initiative at Southern University brought to the campus numerous dignitaries and scholars including Martin Kilson, John Henry Clark, Angie Brooks, president of the United Nations General Assembly, Ambassador Elliot Skinner, and ambassadors from Kenya, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, to name a few. An annual symposium on the status of women in the American political system introduced students to Angela Davis, Oklahoma State Representative Hannah Atkins, Texas State Representative Willimenia Delco, and numerous political notables.

In 1983, Prestage was appointed dean of the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs, a graduate program in political science and public administration. She held this position until August 31, 1989, when she retired after 33 years of teaching political science and as an academic administrator. Southern University conferred upon her the status of Distinguished Professor Emeritus. Under her leadership and mentoring, a generation of students received academic preparation that led them to graduate and professional schools. Jewel's Gems of Southern University represent 45 Ph.D.s and over 200 lawyers, judges, elected officials, administrators, commissioned military officers, and business executives. However, her retirement was short-lived as Prestage joined the faculty of Prairie View A&M University for the second time in her academic career. She served as dean and professor of political science of the Benjamin Banneker Honors College, continuing her impressive record of guiding students toward post-graduate education. Presently there are two Ph.D. and four ABD students in political science and others have earned advanced degrees in engineering, physics, business, and psychology. In September 2002, Prestage retired from Prairie View after a stellar academic career than spanned 46 years.

Citizen Activist

James and Jewel Prestage became actively involved in political activities of the community surrounding Southern University. They registered to vote as soon as Louisiana laws permitted. The Prestages joined the Second Ward Voters League, the Negro political organization in the area, because direct involvement with the Democratic party was not possible for Negroes. Their primary responsibility was taking unregistered Negro citizens to the Office of the Registrar in an attempt to register them to vote. Eventually, the changing political landscape of the South and passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 provided Prestage the opportunity to apply her political acumen to the training of newly elected Black officials. She was instrumental in the establishment of the Louisiana Center to Assist Black Elected Officials and as its director, was successful in challenging Louisiana's discriminatory voting procedures; registering citizens to vote; and providing political training and technical assistance to newly elected officials.

Prestage also directed her citizen activism toward the critical issue of the poor quality of civic education in elementary and secondary schools of Louisiana. She spent much of her time and academic energy to improve civic education through initiatives such as the National Defense Education Act Civics Institute (1967–1969) and the Robert A. Taft Seminars for Social Science Teachers (1979–1992). Under these programs, over 500 Louisiana teachers improved their teaching methodology in civic education.

Scholar and Researcher

The scholarly research of Jewel Prestage addressed the Political Socialization of Black Americans, Political Behavior of Black American Women, Black Politics in the American South, Politics of Black Higher Education, and Black Politics in Louisiana and filled major voids in research literature of the political science discipline. Through presentations at professional conferences and publications, she focused her research on the involvement of black women in the political process and gave visibility to their invaluable contributions. She was the first person to pursue research that focused on African-American women legislators and the first to offer the theory of marginality to describe the political behavior of African-American women. Her book, A Portrait of Marginality, coauthored with Dr. Marianne Githens, has been described as a classic study in the area of women and politics. Her chapter on “Black Women State Legislators” represented the first significant effort to get direct input from black women officeholders through interviews. Her work gave voice to the experiences of these women in the political arena. She also pioneered early research focusing on the political socialization of black children and established “a political reality thesis of political socialization” which asserts that black children's political attitudes are grounded in the reality that they experience.

Recognized for her outstanding service and publications on women and higher education issues, Prestage was appointed by President Jimmy Carter and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve on the National Advisory Council on Women's Educational Programs, U.S. Department of Education. She later was named chair of the Council, becoming the first minority woman to hold the position. The Council was responsible for advising the Secretary of Education on Women's Programs and for overseeing the implementation of the Women's Educational Equity Act (WEEA). It provided the first attempt to define sexual harassment, issued reports on Title IX, and provided expert testimony (written and oral) for congressional committees.

Jewel Limar Prestage. Photo taken at the Conference on the Political Science Curriculum at Predominantly Black Institutions, April 1969.

Leader in the Discipline

Prestage set out to become a “mainstream” political scientist through involvement in activities and associations of the discipline and development of long-standing professional relationships. Throughout her academic career, she presented her research findings at the premier professional organizations of the discipline such as Southwestern Political Science Association, Southern Political Science Association, American Political Science Association, National Conference of Black Political Scientists, American Society of Public Administrators, and the National Association of African American Honors Programs.

As a leader in the discipline, Prestage has served as an officer and on the executive council of many of the nation's esteemed political science organizations. Her early and active involvement in the Southern Political Science Association led to her election to its executive council, later secretary, vice-president, and subsequently president. Prestage was also elected to offices in the Southwestern Political Science Association, first serving as vice president and later as acting president (1968–1969). Some years later (1973–1974), she became the first African-American and first female president of the parent body, the Southwestern Social Science Association. Prestage has also served on the executive council of the American Political Science Association. Her capstone accomplishment was her role in the founding of the National Conference of Black Political Scientists.

In recognition of her service and achievements these organizations have honored Jewel Prestage with their highest awards: the Fannie Lou Hamer Award of the National Conference of Black Political Scientists, the Frank Goodnow Award of the American Political Science Association, and the Manning Dauer Award of the Southern Political Science Association. The Policy Studies Organization and the Southwestern Political Science Association have also honored Prestage by creating awards in her name to recognize outstanding academic achievement in the areas of race, gender, and politics. At the 2002 annual meeting of the National Conference of Black Political Scientists, Prestage was honored as a founder of NCOBPS and for her dedication and service at historically black colleges and universities through the establishment of the Jewel Limar Prestage Faculty Mentorship Award. This award provides a plaque and cash award to a professor of political science who has dedicated service at an HBCU. Mack Jones of Clark Atlanta University and the first president of NCOBPS was the first recipient of this award honoring Prestage. In September 2003, Prestage was honored during a session of the U.S. House of Representatives as her contributions to the discipline of political science were read into the congressional record by her former student, Congressman William Jefferson (D. La).

Wife and Mother

On August 12, 2004, Prestage celebrated 51 years of marriage to Dr. James Prestage who has encouraged, supported, and shared in her professional and life accomplishments. They are the proud parents of five children, Terri Prestage-White, James Grady Prestage, Eric Warren Prestage, Karen Prestage-Washington, and Jay Wilkins Prestage.

In summary, Jewel Limar Prestage has spent five decades as a teacher, mentor, citizen activist, scholar, and leader in the discipline of political science. She has been a trailblazer and pioneer in the profession. In her teaching, scholarship, service, and commitments, she has never forgotten her roots or her responsibilities to her race, gender, and students. When asked to discuss her teaching philosophy, Prestage stated,” you must always keep your students in mind, because if your students do not achieve then you are nothing, because the essence of teaching is reflected in changes we make in the human condition.” This has been the philosophy that has influenced a generation of African-American scholars and is testimony to the entitlement of Jewel Limar Prestage as the “Mother of Black Political Science.”