WS Chronicle

By Derwin L. Montgomery

The Chronicle

On March 14, 2025 – Pi Day, fittingly – Dr. Virginia K. Newell passed from this life at the age of 107. That she left this world on a date celebrated for its infinite mathematical value is no coincidence, only confirmation: her life was mathematically precise, divinely appointed, and infinitely impactful. Her passing marked the close of a monumental chapter not just in Winston-Salem history but in American history – and the opening of a new call to action for the generations she inspired.

Her life was not simply long; it was wide, deep, and rooted. A teacher, an advocate, a trailblazer, and a mother to many, Dr. Newell didn’t just live through the 20th and early 21st centuries; she helped shape them. Her story spanned wars, revolutions, scientific breakthroughs, social transformations, and the rise of civil rights – and through it all, she remained a woman committed to purpose. She was a mathematician, educator, mother, councilwoman, and mentor – but above all, she was a servant-leader whose life exemplified the full measure of dedication to God, to community, and to the betterment of others. Her life was the benediction. For anyone seeking a blueprint for what it means to live fully, courageously, and for others, the life of Dr. Virginia K. Newell is worthy of deep study and reverent emulation.

Dr. Newell did not just touch lives – she multiplied them.

From Rural Roots to Mathematical Heights

Born in 1917 in the segregated South, Dr. Newell’s journey defied the gravitational pull of limitation. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Talladega College in Alabama, a master’s from New York University, and eventually a doctorate from the University of Sarasota. In an era when Black women were seldom granted access to higher education, Dr. Newell didn’t just gain access – she expanded the doorway for others.

Her passion for mathematics was not academic in the abstract. It was mission-based. She believed that math could be a liberating force – and education an equalizer in a world marked by inequality. She co-authored “Black Mathematicians and Their Works,” the first book to chronicle the contributions of African Americans in the field. Her vision helped define what came to be called “the journey of Black mathematics.”

Dr. Johnny L. Houston recalled their work together as transformational. “She was a shining star,” he said. “She believed we must activate our students through experience and exposure.”

And that, she did. From her time as chair of the Mathematics and Computer Science Department at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU), to the founding of summer academies and enrichment centers, Dr. Newell gave Black students the tools to dream – and the discipline to achieve.

Her daughter, Virginia Deanne, recalled: “She went to Chicago for a year to further her mathematical training, leaving us with our father who became a full-time caregiver. She didn’t just preach purpose – she pursued it.”

The Journey of Black Mathematics

At WSSU, Dr. Newell’s impact became institutional. She joined the faculty in 1965 and chaired the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science from 1979 to 1985. She introduced computers to the university, elevated the academic standing of the department, and laid the foundation for future generations. Her legacy lives on through the Virginia K. Newell Academic Computer Center housed in the Ellison Jones Building.

In 2025, WSSU celebrated the unprecedented acceptance of 11 Black math majors into top graduate programs across the nation. Chancellor Bonita J. Brown cited Dr. Newell as a foundational reason why.

“There is a national shortage of underrepresented minorities in math and statistics. Winston-Salem State is helping to close that gap. We owe much of that progress to Dr. Virginia K. Newell.”

She didn’t just love math – she loved what math made possible.

Through New Directions for Our Youth – a program she led in partnership with First Calvary Baptist Church and former pastor Calvin Runnels – Dr. Newell created avenues for young minds to thrive in East Winston and beyond. These were not mere enrichment programs – they were revolutions in educational opportunity for Black children who were too often told what they couldn’t be. She taught them otherwise.

No Excuses. Only Standards.

Dr. Newell did not believe in excuses.

“If you were supposed to be home at nine, you needed to be home at nine,” one of her grandchildren recalled, describing a summer night when a missed curfew met the steely resolve of a woman who set high expectations because she believed deeply in what people could achieve.

Her legacy was forged not in comfort but in character.

“She taught us to put God first,” her daughter Glenda added. “She didn’t just tell us about church – she took us to church.”

She passed down these principles through a legacy of mentorship. She wasn’t just a presence in the lives of her students – she was a constant. Many remember her not only as a tutor but as a life coach.

Nationally renowned journalist Rolonda Watts, who was tutored by Dr. Newell at her kitchen table, said:

“She told me I would do many things in life and never would one of them be stupid.”

That’s who Dr. Newell was – a cultivator of potential, a builder of self-confidence, and an unrelenting cheerleader of Black brilliance.

A Civic Trailblazer: Breaking Ground and Building Power

In 1977, Dr. Newell made history as one of the first Black women elected to the Winston-Salem Board of Aldermen. She served the East Ward for 16 years.

Her campaign was not just about politics. As Mayor Allen Joines reflected:

“She wasn’t loud or boastful, but she was clear. She knew what she wanted and knew how to get it.”

When she pointed to an empty field at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and New Walkertown Road and told the mayor, “I want a shopping center here,” there was no retail development in East Winston. But she didn’t take no for an answer. After tireless organizing, advocacy, and a touch of divine stubbornness, a Food Lion opened – and it became the top-performing store in the entire chain.

Dr. Newell also helped bring a bank branch to East Winston, built affordable housing, and founded Ivy Arms with her sorority sisters in Alpha Kappa Alpha. Her public life was anchored in what she called “purpose-driven development.”

“She came alive with a vision for a better city – and then she made it happen,” Mayor Joines said.

A Sisterhood Rooted in Service

To her sisters in Alpha Kappa Alpha and The Links, Dr. Virginia Newell was a living legend. A platinum member and past president, she mentored younger members, pushed civic initiatives, and never let age slow her down.

One soror noted: “She didn’t just leave footprints – she left marching orders.”

Her service wasn’t limited by time or title. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Newell was still advocating for voter registration and racial justice.

“She believed love was a bond stronger than death,” one speaker said. “She showed us what it looked like to walk boldly, speak truth, live purposefully, and be a voice for the voiceless.”

Ethel Isaacs Williams, Esq., national president of The Links, Incorporated, said:

“Her service was the model, and her life the benediction.”

A Faithful Woman Who Didn’t Just Go to Church – She Took You With Her

Faith wasn’t a performance for Dr. Newell. It was her posture.

Her daughter Glenda Newell-Harris said:

“She didn’t just tell us about church. She took us to church. She enrolled us in Sunday School – sometimes even Vacation Bible School.”

Rev. Darryl Aaron, who preached her eulogy, remembered how she’d show up unannounced at First Baptist Church in Winston-Salem – often in her signature white Mercedes – ready to speak truth to power.

“She told me what needed fixing. How many kids needed help. How many preachers needed maturity. Then, she’d straighten my tie and say, ‘Now get to work.’”

A Grandmother, a Guide, a Giant

To her grandchildren, she was not “grandma” or “nana” – she was Mama Newell. She preferred it that way.

She wanted to be respected as a matriarch and remembered as someone who never aged in her purpose.

“She didn’t just want the best for us. She wanted the best for everyone,” said Brittany Harris Beauchman. “She made us work hard because she believed we could be excellent.”

Phillip Harris recalled faxing her math problems from high school – and how she’d fax back corrections, then call to talk him through them.

“She helped me through algebra, calculus, and life. Even at midnight, she was still working through equations. She didn’t rust out. She wore out.”

Evelyn Acree put it best:

“If you have something to do, you do it and do it well.”

The Final Charge: Get to Work

The sermon delivered at her funeral captured the urgency and clarity of Dr. Newell’s mission.

“She emptied her alabaster jar,” Rev. Aaron said. “She didn’t leave this earth with more than she came with. She gave it all.”

Then came the call: “You gotta work. I gotta work. All God’s people gotta get to work.”

When We All Get to Heaven

As the recessional hymn, “When We All Get to Heaven,” rang throughout Wait Chapel, the room swelled not only with memory – but with mission.

Her life wasn’t just long – it was deep. It shaped systems, policies, neighborhoods, classrooms, and hearts.

We are not to rest on her legacy.

We are to live it.

We are to teach with it.

We are to march with it.

We are to vote with it.

We are to love with it.

We are to work with it.

Because Dr. Virginia K. Newell didn’t just write the book – she lived the proof.

Her life was a sermon.

Her work, the benediction.

Her legacy, the altar call.