Brenda Buchannon-Jackson was from Tuskegee, Alabama, but she also grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. Brenda attended high school in Atlanta, and that is where she first learned to dance and do choreography.
She later had training under the famous Dyann Robinson of Broadway's "Bubbling Brown Sugar". She moved to Tuskegee's Water Street Apartments (now called "Hightower Apartments") with her new family.
Brenda would notice how the children would just be in the streets with nothing to do, so she had an idea. She decided to begin having dance class right on her front porch. Bremda began working with the girls and then she joined up with Mrs. Annette Wallace, of the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service. Mrs. Wallace was using the Water Street Community Center for her outreach program, so she began opening it up for Brenda to practice with the children. Together they held a dance recital with the children and the rest is history.
The original group became known as the "Purple Rain Dancers" because one of the dances Brenda taught them was from Prince's song "Purple Rain". Brenda later partnered with Carla McNeil Ransom, Denise Hall, and Guy Trammell. They along with Brenda's sisters: Janet Buchannon Robinson and Patricia Buchannon formed the group now known as the Starbabies. The group has won several dance competitions down through the years and Brenda won a few awards in the Teacher's category of dance.
Brenda's Interests:
Brenda enjoyed dancing, singing, going to church, reading the Bible and learning more about Jesus. Her favorite singer was Whitney Houston, and she created a dance from Whitney's, "Jesus Loves Me". Brenda loved to give and help other people. She became a member of the Divine Inspiration Ministries of Tuskegee, Alabama. She worked with the children in Divine Inspiration, and later became the manager for their newly established Thrift Shop ministry.
