African American Centenarian Stories: Mrs. Ruby (Williams) Jones (US Air Force, Retired)

92-year-old trailblazer Ruby (Williams) Jones joined us in CFH to talk about the highlights in her life story.
Ruby was born on Pinckney Island, Beaufort County, South Carolina when it was still owned by the Pinckney family. She shared the story of her birth and the midwife who delivered her.
She spoke about what it was like to grow up with a real sense of community when neighbors came together and supported one another. One of the highlights in the early part of the interview was listening to her talk about how the islanders would use rowboats to go from island to island. She also spoke about the little family farms, what they grew and produced, fishing, and how her community provided for one another in lean times. Her family moved to Hilton Head after the island's owner failed to pay taxes.
Mrs. Jones spoke about her early education when she was taught in a one-room schoolhouse on Hilton Head. She talked about a typical school day.
Another highlight in her interview is when she spoke about how her father helped her enlist in the U.S. Air Force when she graduated from high school. She was the first African American woman to enlist in the Air Force from Beaufort County, South Carolina. She shared what it was like being a young Black woman in the U.S. Air Force during Jim Crow. While she and other African Americans were treated as equals on the base, their lives were segregated off the base.
Mrs. Jones became a cosmologist, opening her own beauty salon. She also helped and empowered young Black women in her community.
If you have a family or community member who is 90 years old or older, we would love to interview them as part of our Centenarian Stories archive. People who live more than 90 minutes from the museum can arrange for an online interview.
Please email [e-mail] for more information.