Essence Magazine:
By Kizzy Cox ·Updated January 29, 2025
As a child growing up in East St. Louis during the 1970s, Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersee didn’t know how far her talents would take her—but the local community center was her key to discovering the answer. At the Mary Brown Center, she became involved in cheerleading and, ultimately, track and field. “Being surrounded by people who believed in me and saw the potential that I did
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