Retired teacher, education advocate marks 108th birthday

ROBBIN COLE

Julia Ann McKnight Teamer, a retired Charlotte teacher and co-founder of Teamer Religious and Education Enterprises and Cosmopolitan Community Church, turns 108 on Jan. 16.

When Julia Ann McKnight Teamer was born 108 years ago, World War I was raging, Charlotte didn’t provide public education for Black students and women couldn’t vote.

Teamer, a longtime education advocate and teacher who co-founded Teamer Religious and Educational Enterprises with her husband Bishop James Teamer, was born Jan. 16, 1917, the seventh of 11 children. She graduated Second Ward High School in Charlotte’s Brooklyn neighborhood and attended Barber-Scotia College in Concord before earning her degree at Johnson C. Smith University. Teamer took graduate courses at New York and Columbia universities as well as the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned a master's degree.

Julia and James Teamer, who were married 52 years before his death in 1997, co-founded Cosmopolitan Community Church in the 1970s along with Teamer Religious and Educational Enterprises, a religion school in the Lincoln Heights community that provides a continuing education alternative for underprivileged Black youth. In 1985, the Teamers were recognized by U.S. Rep. Alex McMillan in the Congressional Record for “meeting community needs mentally, physically, socially, and spiritually.”

Julia Teamer was a Charlotte-Mecklenburg elementary school teacher for 38 years, where she was twice named teacher of the year on a pair of campuses. She taught at Fairview, Double Oaks, Oaklawn, and Allenbrook before retiring.

Afterward, Teamer advocated for nurturing students as well as encouraging them stay in school while devoting her time, energy, and resources to mentoring. She also worked as a Girl Scout leader, elementary school reserve leader, camp director, and was one of the first Head Start program instructors.

Teamer was the youngest member of The Phyllis Wheatley YMCA Board of Directors, Superintendent of church school at Cosmopolitan Community Church, and Bible school instructor.

Comments