Pamela Lipscomb Gardner, former librarian and powerful member of the Jackson-Reed community passed away on October 15, 2023. One of the longest-serving librarians at JR, she played an influential role in developing student programs and promoting literacy on all levels in the building.
Born on July 31, 1956, Lipscomb-Gardner was native to the Washington DC area. She attended Powell Elementary as a child, became one of the first Black students to integrate Alice Deal Middle School in the 1960s, and later graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1973.
During her childhood, Lipscomb-Gardner cherished the “Nancy Drew” book series, which ignited her passion for learning, reading, and the arts. In high school, she was accepted into the Workshop for Careers in the Arts (WCA), a program that has become Duke Ellington School of the Arts. Lipscomb-Gardner graduated from Howard University with a degree in Technical Theater and later graduated as valedictorian of the Wood Tobe Coburn Fashion School with a fashion merchandising degree.
Prior to her role at Jackson-Reed, Lipscomb-Gardner was an international model and production manager for a global touring company based in New York City. After her battle with cancer in 1986, she returned to DC, where she began to work as an educator in the DC Public School system. She earned her master’s degree in Library and Informational Science at UDC, commencing her career as a librarian at Richardson Elementary. She went on to shortly work for the College Board while managing Gospel Live, her own gospel entertainment restaurant in Hyattsville, Maryland.
In 2005, she returned to her alma mater, Wilson, to continue her work as a librarian, a tenure that lasted another 16 years. When Wilson reopened the newly-renovated library and the entirety of the books were lost, Lipscomb-Gardner organized donations online and across the city, obtaining over 30,000 books and restoring the library.
At Jackson-Reed, Ms. Lipscomb-Gardner did more than just check out books. She brought the non-profit organization “White Coats Black Doctors,” a scholarship program promoting the development of future black physicians, to Jackson-Reed. She fostered a relationship with the Tenleytown Library to encourage students to utilize its local resource, while also sponsoring poetry club that hosted poetry competitions and open mics on Fridays. On top of the various extracurriculars she ran, Libscomb-Gardner served as the president of the alumni association at Jackson-Reed and was responsible for managing its archives and reunions.
Lipscomb-Gardner’s initiative to empower the students at Jackson-Reed was felt school-wide. Commonly referred to as “Mama G” by students, Assistant Principal Marc Minsker explained how “she was really was a motherly figure for students who felt lost, felt alienated… she always greeted [them] with open arms…” To make the library truly feel like a safe haven for her students, Lipscomb-Gardner began student internships to handle book circulation and experience the insights gained from the management opportunity.
Gardner, not only being incredibly kind and empathetic, had a discerning eye for music and design. She was a historian, an advocate for students and learners, a keeper of books, and a mentor for so many Tigers. Her considerate spirit and intelligent character will be missed and forever remembered by the community at Jackson-Reed. Please consider scanning the QR code below to contribute to the GoFundMe to assist her family in covering her final affairs.
