Selma Jackson
Revson Fellow 2008-2009
Project Director
4W Circle of Art and Enterprise, Inc.
Selma Jackson is the co-founder of 4W Circle of Art & Enterprise, Inc., a retail arts incubator serving Fort Greene, Brooklyn for 17 years. 4W Circle’s legacy includes birthing 12 businesses in the surrounding communities that have contributed to community and economic development. A proponent of community and economic development throughout her career, Selma has been the recipient of numerous awards including Brooklyn’s Founder Award 2008, State Senator Montgomery’s Magnificent Dozen Award 1998, NCNBPW Sojourner Truth Award 1989, and YMCA Black Achiever in Industry 1977.
As I look back, I am aware of just how “formative” my Revson year was for me. Much of my energy and new ideas for a church-based response to poverty, racism, unemployment, and violence came out of the debates and discussions with the Revson Fellows in my class. One of the most neglected human resources in the city is the activists. The Revson Program redresses this critical imbalance, believing that democracy and public policy will be qualitatively improved if activists return to their communities with newly acquired skills, refined insights, and an informal network of new friends.
