Mrs. Copeland was born Jessie Highsmith, one of eleven children in her family, in Eagle Rock in Wake County, about sixteen miles from Raleigh. Her father made 50 cents a day doing roadwork for the WPA to support the family. She married and in 1944 moved to New York because of her husband's job.  While there she worked in a factory making mosquito nets from fiberglass. Though she stayed for four years, she never liked it a day. One sad remnant of her work in New York is the emphysema from which she now suffers.

Mrs. Copeland and her three children moved to Raleigh in 1950. They moved into a house on Coleman Street in Southeast Raleigh. It was substandard housing. The porch was rotten and there were holes in the walls. Mrs. Copeland applied to live in the Chavis Heights apartments.

Chavis Heights was one of two public housing communities built in the late 1930’s. Black families lived in Chavis Heights. Halifax Court housed white families. The apartment complexes were built because many poor people were living in terrible conditions. In 1938, 200 units opened in Chavis Heights. The apartments were modern and provided residents with the latest conveniences.

Mrs. Copeland was accepted to become a resident of Chavis Heights, but unfortunately did not receive the notification because she had moved without leaving a forwarding address. She reapplied in 1952 and was considered quickly because of the previous approval. At that time Mrs. Burnice Greene, the manager of Chavis Heights, was required to investigate people who applied to live in the apartments. She had to make sure they were in need, would care for their home, and would be good neighbors. When Mrs. Greene arrived at Mrs. Copeland’s house for the interview, she almost fell through the porch. Mrs. Greene quickly established need and the neighbors assured her that Mrs. Copeland was a good neighbor and good mother. On the happiest day of her life she moved her family into Chavis Heights, which was named for John Chavis. Finally the family had a comfortable, safe, and healthy place to live.

The neighbors in Chavis Heights were very nice. Most residents were friends. Their children could visit and eat with any of the neighbors. Mrs. Copeland remembers, “Those were the good times. We all cooked and whoever was hungry ate.” The children also played across the street at Ligon High School. There were no toys or playground equipment, so the kids made toys from tires or things they found.

When Mrs. Copeland moved into the complex there was no grass or flowers. The neighbors wanted their community to be beautiful, so the city left soil and grass seed at the school for residents. The children would bring it home. Residents planted the grass in their yards and also added flowers. They took great pride in their neighborhood.

Life in the neighborhood was difficult with limited resources, but the people were productive and made the best of it. Mrs. Copeland and many of the neighborhood women in the early fifties worked as domestics. She made 50 cents an hour and paid $24 a month for rent. On weekends she worked at her sister’s restaurant, the Wise Grill and Soda Shop. Sundays she and her family worshipped at Maple Temple then got a 5-cent ice cream cone before walking home to have dinner. Another favorite memory is of the True Tone television she purchased for $100 from her employer who worked for Sears. She paid him $2 a month for it. There were only two television sets in the neighborhood. All the neighborhood children would divide into two groups to enjoy this treat. Thus Mrs. Copeland's house was always bustling with children and activity.

Chavis Heights residents took great pride in their homes. Every morning everybody went outside and cleaned their porches and raked their yards. Their houses were already clean and had to stay clean. Managers and public housing employees, who could check without notice at any time during the day, inspected regularly to make sure the apartments were well kept and clean. That helped keep the neighborhood nice, but was a terrible invasion of privacy. The manager could visit any time for an inspection without warning. These screenings and inspections ended during the Civil Rights Era. Now when people get an apartment the managers just tell them what is expected and then they just move in the apartment.

Mrs. Copeland knows what it is like to be in need of help, so she has devoted her life to helping others. She founded the Copeland Center located in the middle of Chavis Heights. Through it people provide food, clothing, and tutoring. It’s also a place for neighbors to gather just to get out of the house. There’s always someone there to talk to when residents are depressed.

In 1989 Mrs. Copeland helped start the Clean Officers project to organize the neighborhood, rid it of drug dealers, and make it a safe place to live. The police substation in Chavis Heights was added as part of this initiative. This successful project is now known as Project Phoenix. It has improved the quality of life in the neighborhood. Community Police Assistance Stations in the subsidized housing areas are one of the most successful operations the Raleigh Police Department has initiated.

Mrs. Copeland is a community leader that devotes her life to improving the lives of others. She is recognized in the City of Raleigh and in Wake County for her service and wisdom. Because of this she has served on several committees and thus has contributed to improved quality of life for many in Raleigh and Wake County. For her efforts she has received the Rosa Parks Award in 1995 and the Presidents Volunteer Action Award in 1992. Mrs. Copeland's legacy includes improved quality of life other people in her family, community, church, and in the community at large.