Helen Outlaw Carr

In lieu of flowers please donate to jschool-museum.org/donate Helen Cecelia Outlaw Carr was born on June 19, 1930, in Upper Ville, Virginia, to Florence Outlaw Paige and Edward Outlaw. She was the oldest of three girls. Her sisters, Cardell Jones and Conswella (Connie)Daly, preceded her in death. Helen’s early education began in the one-room schoolhouse in Upper Ville ~ a school she begged her mother to let her attend before she was old enough. From the very first day of first grade, she knew she wanted to become a teacher. At age twelve, she moved to Washington, DC, to continue her education. Thanks to the generosity of the parents of her friend and classmate, Rosemarie Norwood Elliot, she was able to attend and graduate from the renowned Dunbar High School, a historic institution known for cultivating Black excellence. After graduation, Helen moved to Baltimore, where her mother and sisters were now living, to attend college. She graduated from Coppin State Teachers College in 1951 with a degree in Elementary Education. She later earned her master’s degree in library science from Wayne State University in Detroit in 1972 and completed postgraduate work at Johns Hopkins University. That same year, she married George H. Carr, whom she met during her college years. They had one daughter, Vikki Lann. The marriage later ended in divorce. Helen spent most of her 36-year career with the Baltimore City Public Schools as an elementary school teacher, school library media specialist, and ultimately as an Educational Specialist in Media Library Services. She also spent three years with the Baltimore Department of Social Services as a caseworker in the Foster Care Home Finding District. Helen was baptized at age nine at Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church in Virginia. As a young adult, she became dissatisfied with Baptist teachings and practices and began searching for something different. She found her spiritual home in the Episcopal Church and joined The Church of the Holy Trinity in 1963. There, she served as the first female Senior Warden, a vestry member, lay reader, and church schoolteacher. She also served on the Commission on Ministry for the Diocese and worked as a trainer in human relations and diversity. Volunteering was a central part of Helen’s life, both during her career and in retirement. She served as a Girl Scout leader; participated in the Big Brother/Big Sister program, mentoring two young girls from elementary school through college; volunteered with Literacy Volunteers and the NAACP; tutored in schools; and served on several boards. Most notably, she was a founding board member of the Josephine School Community Museum in Berryville, Virginia, preserving Black history in the original school building that her stepfather attended. Helen was also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Baltimore Alumnae Chapter, where she served on the History and Archives committee. When Helen retired, she returned to her roots in Upper Ville, where she could be close to her mother, who was living in nearby Berryville. Even in retirement, Helen continued to work in roles that involved children and books. She worked as a salesclerk and later assistant manager in a bookstore chain, served as a substitute teacher and school librarian in Fauquier and Clarke Counties, and became a business owner. She created L and L Books ~ named for her grandchildren, Libre’ and Lamar ~ selling children’s books by and about African Americans through mail order and at events and conventions. Her joyful slogan was “For Little Brown Babies with Sparklin’ Eyes.” She also worked as Assistant Librarian at the Middleburg Library, focusing on children’s services.

Tributes

Helen Outlaw Carr

June 19, 1930 - January 14, 2026