Dorothy’s Legacy, Inc. began as Ruleville Community Development Corporation in 2002.  Dorothy Jackson was the driving force behind the corporation, which not only helped the children of Ruleville, Mississippi, to pass subject area tests and to perform successfully in the classroom, but the program also supported the community through a community garden, health initiatives, and offered field trips and activities for local youth.  Dorothy worked tirelessly to make sure that the children in her program were successful and would remain dedicated to living a life of excellence even after they graduated from the program.

Dorothy’s philosophy was that if each child is given an opportunity, no matter their background, income, or race, those children could perform at or above the same level as those who were raised in the best schools and the best environment.  She knew that with encouragement, discipline, and a strong work ethic, the children in her community could soar.

When Dorothy became ill in 2012, she asked one of her daughters, “What will your legacy be?  How will people remember you?  When you leave this earth, nobody cares how much money you had.  All they remember is what you did for others.”  Dorothy left a rich legacy — a legacy of young men and women who will never be the same because of the values she instilled within each of her students in the program.  She not only taught educational skills, she taught life skills, and her hope was that her students would leave her program and make an impact on their community.

Prior to her death in 2012, Dorothy’s dream was that she could pass the torch to someone who would keep her legacy alive long after her death.  In 2017, her daughters ran with her vision, and thus, Dorothy’s Legacy, Inc. was created in her honor to give hope to those in her community.