Tag Archives: African American Teachers

English teacher Brittney Miller also serves in the Nevada State Assembly

Posted on by

Middle School English teacher Brittney Miller also serves her community in the Nevada State Assembly. Photo Credit: Brittney Miller

Many talented classroom teachers also serve as successful politicians. One of these is Brittney Marie Miller, a middle school English teacher who currently serves in the Nevada State Assembly.

Brittney was born in 1974 in Detroit, Michigan. Her father, a former Marine who served in Viet Nam, was a police sergeant in Detroit. Her mother, a former civilian employee for the US Army Tank Arsenal, was a registered nurse.

Brittney earned her Bachelor’s degree in 1996 in Criminal Justice from Saginaw Valley State University located in University Center, Michigan. In 1999 she earned her first Master’s degree, in Public Administration from Oakland University located in the cities of Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills, Michigan. In 2011 she earned her second degree, in Teaching from Sierra Nevada College, Incline Village, Nevada.

For several years after earning her degrees, Brittney channeled her considerable energy in prisoner re-entry programs, training programs, and employment services. But for the past 11 years, she has been teaching Language Arts at Canarelli Middle School in the Clark County School District in Nevada. “After years developing programs in public schools, work force development, and prisoner re-entry, I knew that becoming a teacher was one more way I could serve,” Brittney once said. “Indeed, I reduced my salary by over a third when I became a teacher, but that’s how passionate and devoted I am to service. I believe strongly in education. To build a future, we must invest in our children first,” she added.

In 2017, Brittney was elected to represent District 5 in the Nevada State Assembly, where she still serves. She succeeded Republican Assemblyman Erv Nelson who resigned from his post to run for the Nevada State Senate. As a representative, Brittney is a member of four committees: Education; Corrections, Parole, and Probation; Health and Human Services; and Judiciary.

To learn more about this accomplished Chalkboard Champion, check out this interview by Nevada Public Radio or her website at Miller4ThePeople.

NY dance teacher Persephone DaCosta earns coveted FLAG Award

Posted on by

Dance teacher Persephone DaCosta started a girls’ empowerment club at her New York City public school that was so successful it was transformed into an academic class. The enterprise has earned her a coveted FLAG Foundation Award. Photo Credit: PATCH

I always enjoy sharing stories about creative educators who have earned accolades for their work with students. One of these is Persephone DaCosta, a dance teacher from New York who has earned a coveted FLAG Foundation Award for Teaching Excellence.

Persephone teaches traditional, West African, and Africa-Caribbean dance at Khalil Gibran International Academy, a public school located in Boerum Hill in Brooklyn, New York. The school offers a multicultural curriculum and intensive Arabic language instruction. There she inaugurated a young women’s empowerment circle she called ROSE, an acronym for Respectful Outstanding Sisters of Excellence. As part of the program, high school students gathered after school to talk about sisterhood and leadership. Before long, Persephone noticed the positive impact of the program on her students. Their attendance improved, they were getting better grades, and they were behaving better. Inspired by the students’ progress, Persephone transformed ROSE into an academic class that focuses on leadership and mentorship. In this course, students plan school-wide events, visit college campuses, and learn about mental wellness.

Of Trinidadian descent, Persephone began her dance training at the age of 6. She has studied ballet, tap, jazz, and traditional African dance. She graduated from Stony Brook University, where she studied dance, anthropology, and “Community Development through the Arts.”

The FLAG Award “is meant to identify teachers, recognize them for the incredible things they are doing in and out of the classroom, and award them for all of their efforts,” explains FLAG co-president Risa Daniels. “These are teachers who are having an impact beyond the classroom and doing things that are having long lasting, ripple effects on their schools,” she continued. As a winner of the FLAG award, Persephone will receive $25,000 and Khalil Gibran International Academy will receive a $10,000 grant to spend on their arts education program. Persephone intends to use the grant to renovate her sparsely-equipped dance studio.

B. F. Bowles: Educator and leader of the African American community

Posted on by

Educator Benjamin Franklin Bowles earned a place in history as a leader of the African American community. Photo Credit: The St. Louis Globe-Democrat Magazine

I always enjoy sharing stories about dedicated educators who have also earned a place in history for their work as a leader of the African American community. One of these is Benjamin Franklin (B.F.) Bowles, a teacher and principal from Missouri.

B. F. was born on April 3,1869, on a farm near Cooperville in Pike County, Ohio. As a young man, he attended Wilberforce University, a private university in Wilberforce, Ohio, where he earned his degree in 1905.

After he earned his degree, B. F. relocated to Illinois, where he taught for six years in elementary schools in both DuQuoin and Metropolis. Next, he accepted a position as the principal of Lincoln High School in East St. Louis, Missouri, where he worked from 1896 to 1914. He also instructed courses at Lincoln University, a historically African American college located in Jefferson City, Missouri.

Like so many Black leaders of his day, B. F. worked to improve the lives of his community. In 1921, the Chalkboard Champion signed a petition circulated by the NAACP in support of the Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill. Also, to increase opportunities for education for Black students, B. F. founded Douglass University in 1926 to offer education opportunities to Black students in segregated St. Louis. The institution offered degrees in education, law, medicine, engineering, architecture, public administration, liberal arts, fine arts, and more. B. F. operated the school until the late 1920’s, when he was compelled to turn over the leadership of the school because of declining health. Despite a change in leadership, the school remained open intermittently for two decades.

B.F. spent his entire life supporting teachers. He was a life member of the National Association of Teachers in Colored Schools. He was also a member of the St. Clair County Teachers’ Association and the East St. Louis Teachers’ Association. In addition, he served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the University Club of St. Louis.

B. F. was also an accomplished musician and composer. He could play any brass instrument from the cornet to the tuba. In fact, he authored a book on the subject: The Musician’s Manual: Technics of the Brass Instrument.

Sadly, Benjamin Franklin Bowles—educator, Black community leader, and musician—passed away on Sept. 29, 1928. He was only 59 years old. He is interred in Saint Peter’s Cemetery in Normandy, Missouri.

 

Former teacher, trailblazer Teola Hunter served in Michigan House of Reps

Posted on by

Former teacher and trailblazer Teola Hunter served her community in a variety of roles, including 11 years in the Michigan State House of Representatives. Photo Credit: Digital Daily

Many excellent classroom teachers are also fine politicians who commit themselves to community service. One example of this is Teola Pearl Hunter, a teacher from Michigan who has also served in her state’s House of Representatives.

Teola was born on Feb. 5, 1933, in Detroit. When she was only 15. years old, she graduated from Class Technical High School in 1949. After her high school graduation, she enrolled at the University of Detroit, Mercy, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree Education in 1958. In 1971, she earned her Master’s degree in Elementary School Guidance and Counseling from Wayne State University.

After she earned her degrees, Teola taught in Detroit public schools. She was an educator from 1958 to 1974, a total of 14 years. During this period, she founded Buttons and Bows Nurseries and Preparatory School. She operated the school from 1971 to 1985.

In 1980, Teola was elected on the Democratic ticket to the Michigan State House of Representatives. There she represented District 5 from 1981 to 1992. While in the House, Teola served as the Chairperson of the House Social Services and Youth Committee; the Ad Hoc Committee on Early Intervention and Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency; and the Oversight Committee on Family and Child Services. She also served on the Governor’s Task Force on Access to Health Care. In 1987, she was selected to be the first woman Speaker Pro Temper for the House. She also served as a delegate to Democratic National Convention from Michigan in 1988.

Once her service in the Michigan State House was completed, Teola was appointed Deputy Director for Health and Community Services. In this position she was responsible for overseeing Mental Health Services, the Patient Care Management System, Youth Programs, the Co-op Extension, and the Child Care Fund. When her term there concluded, she was elected as the Deputy Director for the Wayne County Clerk, where she served two terms.

Throughout her life, Teola has served on the Boards of several nonprofits, including the College Board Kids Learning Center, the Lewis College of Business, and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History (Women’s Committee). She belonged to the National Order of Women Legislators, the patrons of the Arts for the Paradise Theater and Orchestra.

For her work as an educator and a legislator, in Feb., 2020, Teola was recognized by the the city of Detroit as one of four local iconic trailblazers honored during their Black History Month celebration.

Today, Teola Hunter is 90 years old and still going strong!

US veteran, American hero, and teacher Carl Kimmons

Posted on by

US veteran, American hero, and long-time Social Studies teacher Carl Kimmons. Photo Credit: United States Naval Undersea Museum

I always enjoy sharing stories about courageous servicemen who were also classroom teachers. One of these was Carl Kimmons, a Navy serviceman who was also a long-time public school teacher in Connecticut.

Carl was born on April 10, 1920, in Hamilton, Ohio, the great-grandson of a Mississippi slave and a slave owner. As an African American youngster, he was raised in poverty, racial discrimination, and segregation, from which he longed to escape.

In 1940, at the age of 20, Carl enlisted in the US Navy, during a period when opportunities for African American servicemen were limited. He inaugurated started his military career as a mess attendant, cook, and steward. Later he was assigned to the destroyer USS McFarland, where he completed administrative duties such as typing reports and updating the ship’s log. From 1942 to the end of the war, he served submarine duty on the USS Plunger, the USS Parche, and the USS Cobbler, where he saw action on no less than seven war patrols. For his bravery in battle, he earned a Navy Commendation Medal and a Presidential Unit Citation.

In 1961, Carl completed officer training school in Newport, Rhode Island. He then moved to Washington, DC, where he accepted a position in the US Hydrographic Office. His duties there included administration, security, and top secret control. He also served in these roles at the submarine base in New London, Connecticut. By the time he retired after 30 years of service, he had climbed to the rank of full lieutenant.

After his discharge from the military, Carl decided to settle in Connecticut. He went back to school, and at age 53, earned his Bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, in History from Connecticut College in 1973. He went on to earn his Master’s degree in History from Southern University of Connecticut.

After earning his degrees, Carl launched a new career as a Social Studies teacher at Waterford High School in Waterford, Connecticut. His career as an educator spanned 22 years. “I was a tough teacher, too, I guess because of my military background,” Carl once confessed. “In study halls I told them ‘Either study or fake it!’,” he said. “But many of my old students thank me now and say I really taught them how to study,” he concluded.

Carl Kimmons passed away on Aug. 4, 2016, in Waterford, Connecticut. He was 96 years old. He was interred in Arlington National Cemetery. In 1987, this American Hero and Chalkboard Champion was inducted into the Booker T. Washington Community Center’s Hall of Fame in Hamilton, Ohio. He is also pictured in an exhibit at the World War II Museum at Pearl Harbor.

To read more about Carl, see this feature article published on page 30 of the Connecticut College Magazine in 2011.