Doris Ross Reddick:  A Lifetime of
Making a Difference - by Andrew DeLong

(Tampa, 2/27/08)  Doris Ross Reddick, a spirited 80 year old, has built bridges that extend from our schools to our communities. She has campaigned for preserving Black History and helped close the communication gap between white teachers and black students. She believes that all students should have a role model and should design a road map to help them envision their route in life. She believes wholeheartedly in making a difference in the lives of others.

Ross Reddick, who graduated from the USF College of Education in 1969 with a master's degree in special education, is a longtime teacher and a pioneer in her own right.  She was the first black woman to serve on the Hillsborough County School Board, and did so for 12 years making significant strides for equality among multi-cultural boundaries. She was Thonotosassa Elementary School's first black teacher back in the late 1960s. She also had a brief stint teaching in Kingston, N.Y., where she was the first black person some of her students had ever met. This was  her first experience working around people outside her ethnic group, but it certainly was not her last.

Ross Reddick has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to black history and is willing to share her heritage with anyone who is interested. She and her friend Altamese Simmons co-authored a book titled Cross Over the Walls, which is a language guide designed to help Caucasian teachers communicate better with black students.

Growing up, Ross Reddick was an only child whose role models were her mother and grandmother. Today, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren and reminiscing about her mother, who had a master plan for her daughter years before she was born. "My mother, when she was a little girl in second grade, decided that when she was a lady she was going to get married, have a little girl named Doris, and Doris would become a teacher - and I did," said Ross Reddick.

Ross Reddick's husband, Harold Reddick, was a Pullman Porter for the railroad in 1937. During his tenure, he was referred to as George. "They were all called George because George Pullman owned the company. There were 1,000 Pullman Porters called George and they were considered a piece of furniture. He passed away four years ago. He was a wonderful husband," she said.

Today, Ross Reddick and her mother's legacy have come full circle. Her mother, Clemmie Ross James, who was also an educator in the Tampa area, has an elementary school named after her at 4302 East Ellicott St. in Tampa. In the fall, an elementary school currently under construction near Wimauma will bear Ross Reddick's name.

As she reflects on her past, she is most proud of her children and their accomplishments. She feels blessed to have been a part of the lives of so many. "I'm also proud of the gift that God gave me to communicate with all people," said Ross Reddick.