Topic: Katherine Jackson

Katherine Esther Scruse-Jackson (born May 4, 1930) is the matriarch of the Jackson musical family.

Born as Kattie B. Screws in Barbour County, Alabama, she was the daughter of Martha (née Upshaw) and Prince Albert Screws (born October 16, 1907 – died January 21, 1997). Katherine's father later changed his surname to "Scruse", and her name was changed to Katherine Esther Scruse when she was four years old. Katherine contracted polio as a child, but she eventually made a full recovery from the disease. However, because of the disease's effects, she walks with a noticeable limp. Her family moved to Gary, Indiana when she was 4 years old. There she met Joseph Jackson, whom she married in 1949. After studying the Bible as a young woman, in 1965, Jackson became a Jehovah's Witness.

During the group's early years, the mid-to-late 1960s, Jackson served a role as the group's designer. She often made suits for her five eldest sons to wear during their lengthy rides to the predominantly black venues and theaters where they usually performed. After the Jackson 5 signed with Motown Records in 1968, Jackson's role was more limited. Throughout the Jackson 5's rise to fame, and later the solo careers of Michael and Janet, she was often described as a loving and devoted mother and wife to her family. In 1984, she joined her husband in helping to create their sons' Victory Tour. In 1985 Essence magazine named her the "Mother of the Year".