Alma L Davis

Alma Lucille Davis was named after each of her grandmothers, and was the third of four generations of “Alma’s” in her family. She was born in Brooklyn, New York on Sunday, November 11, 1951 to Alma Vernell and Harris Miles Davis. She was raised in Montclair, New Jersey where she went to elementary, middle and high school. She was always a diligent and responsible student. Through her years in school she was on the honor roll and won awards for perfect attendance.

Alma was always very conscientious about matters that concerned empowering the Black Community. When Alma was seventeen she joined the Black Power Organization along with her sister Lydia. The Committee for Unified Newark, founded by Amiri Baraka. The two Davis sisters were apart of the young women’s division of the CFUN called the “Makailas”. This organization led the voter registration and election of the first black mayor of Newark, in addition to being the second black mayor in an American city. Her title while in the organization was “Makaila Tumaini”

After graduating from Montclair High School in 1969, Alma attended Hampton Institute in Virginia (currently Hampton University) where she majored in Early Childhood Education. Ever since she was a young girl she wanted to to be a teacher. When she played with her dolls she would pretend that they were her students. While at Hampton she was the Business Manager and Secretary for the Hampton Script. She later followed in her mother’s foot steps and became a 1st grade teacher in addition to a Kindergarten teacher. At Hampton University, Alma was the third generation to attend. While there, she researched her family’s genealogy and found a branch of relatives, the Andersons, related to her great grandmother. One she graduated she later became an active member of the National Hampton Alumni Association.

Upon graduating from Hampton University with high honors, she worked as a teaching supervisor at Montclair Childhood Development Center. She worked at Children’s Preschool Center for a few years teaching first grade. Alma was later hired by Newark Board of Education in 1984. At Burnet Street School, she worked as a 1st grade teacher along with her mother Alma Vernell Davis who was the 2nd grade teacher at the time. While at Burnet she taught kindergarten as well. She was also fortunate enough to teach her daughter Alma Davis-Reid in first grade. On May 6, 1993, she was honored with the Governor’s Teacher Recognition Award. Once Burnet closed in 2013, she worked as a 1st grade teacher and then a kindergarten teacher at BRICK Avon Academy until she retired in 2017.

As a child, Alma became saved and was a member of St. Mark’s Methodist Church in Montclair, New Jersey. While at Saint Marks she sang in the choir. As a teenager she always loved to visit the Pentecostal Church, Trinity Temple COGIC in Montclair, New Jersey with her childhood friend and neighbor. As an adult she joined Strangers Home COGIC were she was a Sunday School Teacher and Choir Director.

Alma or “Lucy” as she was affectionately called by her family enjoyed cooking, singing, playing the piano, tap dancing and speaking Spanish. She learned to play the piano at the age of 12 and shared her love of music with her daughter Alma Davis-Reid. Alma was able to make a song out of anything. Her love of dance led her to taking classes in New York and regularly at the Bette White Dance Center in Maplewood, NJ. Alma’s greatest advocation was cooking.  She started cooking at a very young age with her mother. Even as a young child, Alma would make meals for her family with pride and excitement. No matter how tired or busy she became she always made sure she made her food “from scratch”. Her food was always filled with love and a perfect amount of flavor in each dish.

Alma Lucille Davis loved the Lord with all her heart and soul. She always carried, read and studied the Bible. Alma is survived by 1 daughter, Alma Davis-Reid; 1 sister, Lydia Davis-Barrett; 2 nephews, Tehuti and Issa Barrett, 1 Aunt, Margaret Bailey and a host of other relatives and friends.

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