In late Summer 1968, Mrs. Rucker’s relocation was selected by UPO (United Planning Organization) to establish DC’s first Parent Child Center (PCC) with a start up grant from the National Office of Economic Opportunity which earlier launched the Head Start Program under President Lyndon Baines Johnson.

To this end, Mrs. Rucker informally did what we would call today, a Community Needs Assessment, and discovered there were many other families who were faced with the same dilemma as her own. Therefore, as she pursued her hopes and dreams, which turned into goals and objectives for her own family, she set out to meet the needs of others. At that time, even facing many obstacles from the political world, as well as the social and working classes, Mrs. Rucker did not take ‘no’ for an answer but continued to pursue her passion. She persevered against all odds as she sought out to live her dreams while helping other mothers do the same.

With some of these very same issues still being faced some 50 years later, Mrs. Rucker was honored by current and former Board Members, Staff, Parents and the community by celebrating the longevity of the agency and the many hours of service she gave to the agency. When asked during the ceremony about her secret of success that lasted over 50 years, Mrs. Rucker responded (in a very soft voice), “the Mazique Center has always put children first, and the staff has continued through the years to always seek to identify and meet the critical needs of the children and families.”

Unfortunately, Mrs. Rucker passed on September 8, 2018. So today, as the Founding Director’s dream lives on, we, the Mazique Team, are very grateful to Mrs. Rucker for her tenacity, bold stand for equality, and for her intentional service towards reaching her goal of empowering families in the District of Columbia through services rendered at the Mazique Centers.