Mackey, Anita J.

Anita Johnson Mackey is a Santa Barbara community leader and nationally recognized social service worker. As a licensed clinical social worker, she worked for the Veteran's Administration for thirty years in three cities: Chicago, as the first African American supervisor in social service; Los Angeles as the first African American supervisor there; and Santa Barbara as administrator of the Social Work Service Office. Mrs. Mackey was born in Riverside, California as one of eight children. At the age of ten she lost her mother and was raised by her father and an older sister. She received her early education in California. She earned a B.A. in speech from the University of Redlands in 1937. She earned her M.A. degree in medical social service administration from the University of Chicago in 1941.

Mrs. Mackey has also taught at various colleges and universities, including teaching as a field instructor in the School of Social Welfare at UCLA, and for Atlanta University and the University of Chicago. At Santa Barbara City College, Mrs. Mackey was the first instructor of the overwhelmingly popular course " Afro-American Culture,". She has been active in many community and civic organizations and boards, including the Board of the Comprehensive Health Planning Association of Santa Barbara County, as a member fo the Santa Barbara Citizens' Adult Educational Planning Council, and on the Board of Directors of the NAACP.

Mrs. Mackey's papers are of special value to researchers interested in studying the history of the Santa Barbara Community, civil rights, women, African American issues, and the Veterans Administration.