Mary Lewis-Warren Bankston (1942- ) was born in Nashville, Tennessee, and at the age of eleven moved to West Palm Beach, Florida, along with her eight siblings. Mary graduated from the all-black Roosevelt High School in 1959. Mary’s life has revolved around the issue of segregation, in both Nashville and her time in West Palm Beach. After graduating high school, she wished to pursue higher education in Palm Beach, which led her to Palm Beach Junior College. However, the college had yet to be desegregated at that point.In conjunction with Attorney William M. Holland, who was one of the first black lawyers in Palm Beach County and played an essential role in the desegregation of the Palm Beach County School System, Mary took the brave step as the first black American to attend Palm Beach Junior College. After PBJC Mary went on to earn her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Education from Florida Atlantic University.
Mary Lewis-Warren Bankston played integral roles in the establishment of numerous social and economic programs and strategies for the state of Florida. She was essential in the implementation of The Comprehensive Guidance and Human Development Center, Inc., as well as three Adult Congregate Living Facilities: Meharry Hubbard’s Residential Care, St. Helen’s Retirement Home, and Comprehensive Guidance Group Homes, Inc. Mary also contributed to the establishment of The Comprehensive Guidance Alternative School for Emotionally Handicapped and Disturbed Children, the Comprehensive Guidance Thrift Store, and the Florida Med-Waiver Program. Mary has worked as a teacher for many years and currently lives in Tampa, Florida, where she is an Evangelist with The Church of the Living God, the Pillar and Ground of the Truth, Inc.