Virginia Jackson Kiah (June 3, 1911 – December 28, 2001) was an African-American educator and artist who spent a large part of her life in

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Brita ...

, where Kiah Hall is now named for her. She was the daughter of civil-rights activist

Lillie May Carroll Jackson Lillie May Carroll Jackson (May 25, 1889 – July 5, 1975), pioneer civil rights activist, organizer of the Baltimore branch of the NAACP. Invariably known as "Dr. Lillie", "Ma Jackson", and the "mother of the civil rights movement", Lillie May C ...

."Accusations among friends, family fly while Savannah artist, icon Virginia Kiah's house crumbles"
– ''

Savannah Morning News The ''Savannah Morning News'' is a daily newspaper in Savannah, Georgia. It is published by Gannett. The motto of the paper is "Light of the Coastal Empire and Lowcountry". The paper serves Savannah, its Savannah metropolitan area, metropolitan ...

'', December 1, 2017

Early life and career

Virginia West Jackson was born in East St. Louis,

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

, to Keiffer Albert Jackson and

. Kiah graduated from the Pennsylvania Museum School of Art with a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

degree in 1931. She followed this up with a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

degree from

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

in 1950. In 1951, Kiah and her husband of nineteen years, Calvin Lycurgus Kiah, moved to

.Kiah, Virginia (1911–2001)
– The Johnson Collection Calvin was a professor at

Georgia State University Georgia State University (Georgia State, State, or GSU) is a Public university, public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1913, it is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities. It is al ...

and

Savannah State College Savannah State University (SSU) is a public historically black university in Savannah, Georgia, United States. It is the oldest historically black public university in the state. The university is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College ...

during his career. In 1959, they opened the first floor of their home at 505 West 36th Street, in the Cuyler-Brownsville neighborhood, as the Kiah Museum, a teaching facility."Kiah house continues to crumble"
– ''Savannah Agenda'' The home was built in 1915.

Personal life

In 1992,

Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is a private art school with locations in Savannah, Georgia; Atlanta, Georgia; and Lacoste, France. It was founded in 1978 to provide degrees in programs not yet offered in the southeast of the United ...

acquired the deteriorating former

Central of Georgia Railroad The Central of Georgia Railway started as the Central Rail Road and Canal Company in 1833. As a way to better attract investment capital, the railroad changed its name to Central Rail Road and Banking Company of Georgia. This railroad was constr ...

headquarters building and began renovations. A year later, the building was dedicated to Kiah, a member of SCAD's board of trustees between 1987 and 1997."Accusations among friends, family fly while Savannah artist, icon Virginia Kiah's house crumbles"
– ''

'', December 1, 2017 Kiah received an honorary

doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

from SCAD in 1986. In failing health, she moved into a nursing home in 1990. In 1993, she donated much of her art to the university, which held an exhibition of her work in 2009.

Death

Kiah died in a Savannah nursing home in 2001, aged 90, having survived her husband by seven years. She was interred beside him at Hillcrest Abbey on Wheaton Street in Savannah on December 30. In 2022,

Historic Savannah Foundation Historic Savannah Foundation (HSF) is a preservation organization founded in 1955 and based in Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and the county seat of Chatham County, Georg ...

(HSF) purchased her former home for $60,000, saving it from demolition due to its ruinous state, having lay vacant for 32 years. They will sell it to a party interested only in restoring the house, a project estimated to cost around $500,000. In November the following year, plans to restore the house received approval from the Metropolitan Planning Commission's Historic Preservation Commission, a step toward converting the house back to a museum. In 2024, HSF secured approval for the Kiah Museum to be placed on the Georgia Register of Historic Places.

References

External links

"Hungry for History? Finding Virginia Jackson Kiah - A Notable Savannah Woman"
- City of Savannah, YouTube, 2021 {{DEFAULTSORT:Kiah, Virginia Jackson 1911 births 2001 deaths 20th-century African-American educators 20th-century American educators 21st-century African-American educators 21st-century American educators 20th-century African-American artists People from East St. Louis, Illinois Activists from Savannah, Georgia Columbia University alumni Savannah College of Art and Design