Remembering Dr. Maxine Mimms: A Lifelong Educator, Mentor, and Inspiration to Many

Dr. Maxine Mimms, educator, activist, and mentor to many, leaves behind a legacy of empowerment, scholarship, and community activism. As the founder of The Evergreen State College’s Tacoma campus, her life was focused on creating spaces where education could be accessible, especially for marginalized communities. 

Over the years, Dr. Mimms became a cornerstone of Seattle’s Black community, mentoring many future leaders who now carry her teachings forward in their own work. Although a lifelong educator, Dr. Mimms’ legacy extends far beyond the classroom into connections that foster community and inspire future generations to use knowledge as a catalyst for change. 

Dr. Mimms passed away on Oct. 8, 2024, at the age of 96.

A Lifetime of Education and Empowerment

Born in Virginia in 1928, Mimms grew up in a house where education was a priority. Her mother was a schoolteacher, and her father made sure she was instilled with pride in her Black identity. After attending Virginia Union University, an HBCU, Mimms married, eventually following her husband to Washington in 1953, when he took a job at Boeing. Here, she started her career in education, teaching in elementary schools and eventually working in administration at Seattle Public Schools. 

In 1972, after spending time in Washington, D.C., working for the Department of Labor, Mimms returned to Washington State and began teaching at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, commuting from her home in the Hilltop neighborhood of Tacoma. After teaching all day in Olympia, Mimms would return home with the belief that education was a tool for empowerment. This sparked her to begin teaching those in her community — working adults and Black students without access to college — around her kitchen table.

Dr. Mimms’ approach to inclusive education was radical for the time, which was before state colleges had satellite branches, and the demand for such an approach eventually outgrew what the kitchen tables could accommodate. In 1982, what Mimms called the “hidden HBCU,” Evergreen State College Tacoma, was officially recognized. Her legacy lives on in the thousands of students served by the college in the decades since and in the many educators, activists and community leaders she nurtured.

A Mentor to Many 

More than an educator, Dr. Maxine Mimms was a mentor to many in Seattle’s Black community. She had a knack for recognizing potential in others and cultivating spaces — whether in formal settings or informal ones around her kitchen table — where the next generation of leaders could find encouragement.

As the community reflects on her passing, those who knew her share personal stories and insights that celebrate her spirit and how her wisdom continues to guide their paths forward. 

“Dr. Mimms profoundly influenced my life through her dedication to the education and empowerment of Black children,” said Noni Ervin, author, organizer, and founder of Kinara Park Kids. “Her work continues to inspire me as I carry on the mission of nurturing identity, culture, and capacity in our youth.”

For Ervin, the leadership style that Dr. Mimms embodied was powerful because it stemmed from her ability to see the potential that resides in Black children. “She dedicated herself to creating environments where that potential could thrive. She did more than talk about change — she acted on it,” said Ervin. “Her leadership was rooted in a deep love for the community and a determination to see education address more than academics by nurturing cultural and personal identity.”

The informal mentorship many experienced beyond her formal education roles is a key part of what many remember about her legacy. South Seattle Emerald reporter, multi-genre writer, podcast host, and educator Reagan Jackson recalled interviewing Mimms for The Deep Friends podcast and being invited to gatherings of Black women at Mimms’ cottage in Shelton. The cottage was once a family getaway but became Mimms’ permanent residence after retirement.

Jackson remembered one gathering that included an overnight “slumber party” that became quite lively. Mimms gave the women a stern talking-to “in such a loving way” for keeping her awake. Despite being annoyed, “she also acknowledged that as Black women we needed that release … the value of laughing with each other,” said Jackson.

Memories and Reflections

For those who knew Dr. Mimms, memories of her are intertwined with humor, wisdom, and lessons learned in and out of the classroom. 

Ervin said, “The most important lesson I carry is the responsibility to continue her work. In a note I once wrote to her, I said, ‘We are busy taking care of the things you have tasked us with — namely, the education, care, and protection of our Black children.’” 

In the early 1980s, Afua Kouyaté, who runs ADEFUA Cultural Education Workshop, became acquainted with Dr. Mimms. Mimms became a mentor to Kouyaté, often inviting her organization to take part in events where Dr. Mimms was invited to speak.

Kouyaté recalls attending Dr. Mimms’ cottage gatherings, which she says were sacred spaces for Black women, with therapeutic deep dives that included sharing stories and passing on values. 

“She had groomed this tree that grew through the deck of her foundation there. It was a wraparound deck, but this huge tree grew right through it, and basically they continue to build around it,” Kouyaté said. “And so every time anyone would come, she would say, ‘Go hug the tree.’” 

Even though they met outside the classroom, Kouyaté credits Dr. Mimms and time at the cottage “hugging the tree” with the completion of her degree at Antioch University Seattle. For her final project, she spent a weekend with Dr. Mimms and Evergreen, Tacoma, Dean Dr. Marcia Tate Arunga, who acted as advisers to her as she navigated the project. 

“We did deep dives of the successes, the challenges, and celebrations of my life that needed to be reidentified, and we put that together, the five phases of my journey,” Kouyaté said. “She is the one that gave me the engine for that, because I do speak on my five phases in different settings still 30 years later, but it was Dr. Mimms that helped me create that platform.”

From Knowledge to Action: Dr. Mimms’ Ongoing Legacy

Dr. Mimms’ influence continues on through the many she taught and mentored. This legacy lives across generations, throughout the area’s Black community and beyond, into a future that carries forward her spirit of empowerment, education, and collective action. 

The stories and reflections shared by those who knew her highlight a life committed to education, the power of mentorship, and the importance of creating spaces for change. 

The Emerald invites our readers to honor Dr. Mimms by sharing your own memories, photos, and reflections in our Google Form. We will publish these stories in an upcoming remembrance. Each story told and lesson remembered shapes Dr. Mimm’s legacy, one reflected in the efforts of those who continue her work. 

According to her obituary, a private ceremony for Dr. Mimms was held on Oct. 9 at the Scott Funeral Home in Tacoma. A public celebration will honor her life in March 2025 at The Evergreen State College in Tacoma.