Lillie Anna James

Lillie Anna "Mother" James (née Brown; c. 1878 – November 3, 1957) was an American educator who established a school for black children in Pensacola, Florida. Her son, Daniel James Jr., became the first black general in U.S. history. She is listed as a Great Floridian.

James was born in Pensacola, where she lived her whole life. On December 23, 1894, she married Daniel James, a native of Alabama. They had 17 children; Daniel James Jr. was the youngest.

James established the Lillie Anna James Private School for her children and other black youth in her community, which became a prestigious middle school and junior high school. Her 11th commandment was: "Thou shalt not quit," a call for her children to prove they could compete on an equal basis. She died in 1957.

Her former home where she ran the school is located at 1606 Martin Luther King Boulevard. Pensacola's Memorial Garden includes a marker in her honor.

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