Tag Archives: African American Teachers

Denver teacher Marie Greenwood, a Civil Rights pioneer

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Denver teacher Marie Greenwood made significant contributions to the Civil Rights Movement in her community.  (Photo credit:: The Denver Post)

Many fine educators have made significant contributions to the Civil Rights Movement in their community. One of these was Marie Greenwood, the first African American to earn tenure in Denver Public Schools. She is known for breaking down barriers to racial equality within her city.

Marie was born November 24, 1912, in Los Angeles, California. When she was 13 years old, she moved with her parents to Denver, Colorado. As a youngster, Marie faced the challenges of segregation. She was not allowed to join her middle school’s swim team, and her guidance counselor advised her that her ambition to go to college would be a waste of her parents’ money, because the only work she could expect was as a cook or a housekeeper. Despite these challenges, Marie graduated third in her class at West High School. She also garnered a scholarship to Colorado Teachers College, which is now part of the University of Northern Colorado.

Once she earned her degree in 1935, Marie returned to Denver where she accepted a position as a teacher at Whittier School. She was one of the first African-American school teachers in Denver. She is highly regarded as a pioneer for integration in the city, and for breaking down racial barriers in the school district. in fact, she was the first African American teacher to earn tenure in Denver Public Schools. Marie taught at Whittier for ten years, and then left the profession to raise her family. In 1955, Marie returned to the profession, accepting a position as the principal of all-White Newton Elementary. Although this Chalkboard Champion retired in 1974, she continued to work with children as a volunteer, right up until right before her passing.

Marie was also a published author. When she was 95 years old, she penned a volume of vignettes about teaching children facing challenges, and three years later she published her autobiography.

Marie Greenwood passed away November 15, 2019. She was 106 years old. To read more about this remarkable educator, see this story about her published by Denver Public Schools.

 

West Virginia’s Vicky Bullett: Former teacher and basketball coach

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West Virginia’s Vicky Bullett is a former middle school teacher and previous Olympic athlete who works as a girls basketball coach.

There are many fine educators who have a history as a remarkable student athlete, and often these educators demonstrate exceptional talent as athletic coaches. One of these is West Virginia’s Vicky Bullett, a former Olympic athlete who also worked as a teacher and girls basketball coach.

Vicky was born October 4, 1967, in Martinsburg, West Virginia. While she was a young girl, she played basketball with her six brothers in their back yard.

After she graduated from high school, Vicky garnered a scholarship to attend the University of Maryland from 1985 to 1989. There she also played on the women’s basketball team. While at Maryland, she was named a 1989 Kodak All-American. In fact, over the course of her college years she averaged 16.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Vicky is one of the most decorated players in the university’s history. In 1989, Vicky earned her a Bachelor’s degree in General Studies and in 2001, she returned to school and earned an additional degree in Social Work.

Vicky was named to the US Olympic basketball teams in both 1988 and 1992. In 1988, the tewam earned a gold medal, and in 1992, the team earned a bronze medal. This exceptional athlete also played for the US team in the 1990 Goodwill Games, and she was a member of the US National team that went to the 1990 World Championships held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She played in Italy and Brazil, before joining the Charlotte Sting when the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) was launched in 1997. She played three seasons there and three more with the Washington Mystics.

In 2007, Vicky returned to Martinsburg, West Virginia, where she accepted a position as a teacher for the Berkeley County Board of Education. She completed graduate courses in Education and then became a teacher and basketball coach at South Middle School in Martinsburg. “For young people, today’s world is difficult,” observes Vicky. “You’ve got to be careful what you say to some kids. They respond to certain things and the coach’s job is to know how,” she continues. “Each kid has a different personality and different strengths. You’ve got to find a way to get the best out of them. They’re learning to trust you and you want your student-athletes to buy into your philosophy and what you’re teaching them,” she concludes.

In January, 2009, Vicky left the classroom and accepted a job as an Assistant Coach with the Washington Mystics. Later that year, she also became the Manager of Basketball Operations for the organization. In the years that followed she also served as the Head Coach for the women’s basketball teach at Hagerstown Community College in Hagerstown, Maryland. In May, 2016, she was named as the Head Coach for the women’s basketball team at West Virginia Wesleyan College.

Vicky was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 2011. In honor of being a member of the 1988 Gold Medal Team, Vicky’s home town of Martinsburg renamed the street in which she grew up to “Vicky Bullett Street.”

To read more about this Chalkboard Champion, see this interview entitled World Champions of the Panhandle by Katherine Cobb.

 

Two Georgia teachers become internet sensations

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Although it has been a few months since two teachers Georgia were featured on an episode of Good Morning America (GMA), I just stumbled across this story on You Tube today. The story of these colleagues, who have since become internet sensations, is so inspirational, I wanted to share it with you today.

The teachers, Audrianna Williams and Callie Evans, work at Monroe Comprehensive High School in Atlanta. Last August, these Chalkboard Champions created a rap video for their students to generate enthusiasm for a new year of online learning. The video was a remake of the song “What’s Poppin’,” originally penned by rap star Jack Harlow.

When Audrianna and Callie were interviewed on Good Morning America, they were surprised by a greeting from the rapper. “I grew up with teachers who had a huge influence on me all my life,” Harlow told the delighted teachers. “What y’all provide to society is invaluable,” he continued. “Thank you for making my song better.”

Here’s the GMA interview, and a snippet of the original rap video. Enjoy.

Mississippi teacher Samara Rand succumbs to Covid-19

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With great sadness we report that high school English teacher Samara Rand of Lexington, Mississippi, succumbed to Covid-19 on November, 19, 2020.  Photo credit: Rory Doyle for the Hechinger Report

With great sadness we report that Covid-19 has claimed the life of yet another talented educator. Samara Rand, a high school English teacher from Lexington, Mississippi, succumbed to the disease on November 19, 2020. She was only 25 years old.

Samara was raised in Holmes County, Mississippi, and lived in Lexington at the time of her passing. In 2017, the young teacher graduated from Alcorn State University in Lorman, Mississippi, summa cum laude. Once she had earned her degree, Samara launched her career as an educator in the Holmes County School District. She was in her second year of teaching.

Last spring, Samara spoke to reporter Bracey Harris of the Hechinger Report about how she was helping her students make it through a tough semester. A dedicated educator, Samara started adapting her lessons for online learning. She reached out to students who weren’t logging in, and she worried about how families would find ways to make graduation special. “Even though some students say they don’t like school, some depend on school as a safe haven,” Samara told the reporter. “Everyone misses it.”

Before being stricken with Covid-19, Samara had not demonstrated any previous health issues, and she was pregnant. About three months ago, as a result of complications from Covid, she began experiencing shortness of breath. Her breathing problems worsened to the degree that doctors decided to deliver her baby so she could be treated. The young educator was placed on a ventilator and never came off. Her baby, now three months old, is being cared for by relatives.

To read more about Samara Rand, click on this link to an article published by the Hechinger Report.

Emancipation schools educated newly freed African Americans

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Emancipation schools were organized by the US Freedman’s Bureau to educate newly freed African Americans. (Photo credit: New Georgia encyclopedia)

When enslaved African Americans were finally freed by the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, an entire group of people who had been previously been denied the opportunity to go to school were suddenly in need of education. (Before the Civil War, it had been declared illegal to teach a slave to read and write in many Southern states.) The schools that were created to meet this need were referred to as emancipation schools.

The United States government and the African American community realized that education was critical to advancement as free individuals in society. It wasn’t just the children, individuals in every age group from grandparents to toddlers needed educational opportunities, and they needed these opportunities right away.

The need was met in a variety of ways. Many intrepid educators from the North traveled to the South to establish schools under the auspices of northern aid societies. These educators were both liberal-minded, abolitionist white teachers and civic-minded, educated Black teachers. Some African Americans were offered educational opportunities in schools created by the army during the Civil War. In these schools, Black soldiers could learn to read and write through the army. In addition, the US government established the Freedmen’s Bureau, and this department was responsible for organizing many educational opportunities for newly freed slaves.

For a more informative discussion about emancipation schools, see this link to the American Experience.