, ▁E tta ▁J . ▁St anton , ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁school ▁teacher , ▁lect uring ▁at ▁public ▁school ▁systems ▁until ▁her ▁marriage . ▁Since ▁the ▁law ▁did ▁not ▁allow ▁married ▁women ▁to ▁teach ▁in ▁the ▁public ▁school ▁system , ▁she ▁taught ▁in ▁Catholic ▁par och ial ▁schools ▁to ▁help ▁support ▁her ▁family , ▁including ▁Clara ▁Jones ' ▁ende avor ▁to ▁attend ▁college . ▁Jones ' ▁father , ▁Ralph ▁Herbert ▁St anton , ▁was ▁a ▁manager ▁at ▁the ▁Standard ▁Life ▁In sur ance ▁Company . ▁He ▁eventually ▁accepted ▁a ▁position ▁with ▁the ▁Atlanta ▁Life ▁In sur ance ▁Company , ▁where ▁he ▁worked ▁until ▁his ▁death . ▁Jones ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁a ▁highly ▁seg reg ated ▁St . ▁Louis ▁neighborhood , ▁but ▁she ▁was ▁not ▁da unted ▁by ▁the ▁assumed , ▁implicit ▁Jim ▁Crow ▁laws ; ▁she ▁instead ▁regarded ▁her ▁young ▁life ▁to ▁be ▁privile ged ▁with ▁all ▁her ▁primary ▁ment ors ▁being ▁African ▁American . ▁ ▁Education ▁Education ▁and ▁solid ar ity ▁were ▁heavily ▁emphas ized ▁in ▁Jones ' ▁family . ▁She ▁obtained ▁a ▁well - r ounded ▁education ▁even ▁though ▁the ▁St . ▁Louis ▁public ▁school ▁system ▁was ▁completely ▁seg reg ated . ▁She ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁an ▁entirely ▁African - American ▁world , ▁with ▁black ▁role - models ▁and ▁ment ors . ▁In ▁high ▁school , ▁Jones ▁asp ired ▁to ▁become ▁an ▁elementary ▁school ▁teacher , ▁even ▁though ▁her ▁future ▁sal ary ▁would ▁be ▁slightly ▁below ▁white ▁counter parts . ▁ ▁This ▁position ▁would ▁still ▁provide ▁a ▁high ▁standard ▁of ▁living