January 21, 2021 – The History of the Heartland organization published the story of Anna Waters on their social media page Monday. Former Head Start student (1967-68) Cassandra Brown read about the legacy of Anna and recalled her time at Head Start that formed the “foundation of my life.” “I attended Head Start and Decatur Public Schools, graduating from Stephen Decatur High School in 1982. I credit my early learning for making such a difference in my life.”
Brown now lives in Atlanta, Georgia and serves as director of sales for a global IT company. “I earned a 4-year ROTC scholarship and used it to attend Tuskegee Institute (now University) and have been fortunate to travel the world for business. I had many great teachers in the Decatur Public School system and beyond, however, none more important than the ones at the Anna Waters Head Start program. The Anna Waters Head Start program provided countless others and me with the early learning foundation necessary for a successful and productive adulthood.
“Through her commitment to the community and to the children in it, Mrs. Waters leaves a rich and enduring legacy that should be acknowledged by adding her name back to the program in which she played such an integral role,” says Brown.
Cassandra Brown embodies the success Anna Waters strived for the Head Start students. The History of the Heartland story notes, “Waters became involved in civic affairs in the 1950s and eventually became a community organizer for DMCOC – Decatur Macon County Opportunity Corporation. Her legacy was established through Head Start. Mary Pipher, DMCOC director during Waters’ tenure, said her function was “making contacts and bringing us problems.” She retired from DMCOC in November 1971 and Head Start was renamed in her honor shortly after.”
History of the Heartland is a local not-for-profit formed to promote the preservation of our structures, homes and the stories of our people. Ayn Owens serves on the organization’s board and says, “We realize our social media presence is assisting in bringing knowledge and awareness of the stories of our people. We published the story of Judge Parsons (Parsons school namesake), and then a follower commented that Anna’s name was to be removed from the Head Start program. We already had her story in the works and contacted DMCOC leadership to confirm the rumor before publishing the story.”
Cassandra Brown hopes hundreds of people will sign the petition she created to present to the DMCOC Board of Directors to maintain the legacy of Anna Waters. The link to the petition can be found at the top of the History of the Heartland Facebook page.
