Tag Archives: African American Teachers

Texas math educator Alene Baker inducted into the AAEAHP

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High school math teacher Alene Baker was inducted into the African American Education Archives and History Program Hall of Fame (AAEAHP) . Photo Credit: AAEAHP

There are many outstanding educators who teach in America’s public schools. One of these is Alene Baker, a respected mathematics teacher from Texas. She has been inducted into the African American Education Archives and History Program Texas Hall of Fame (AAEAHP) in 2023. The organization honors educators who have had a positive role in the African American education experience in Dallas County, Texas.

Alene graduated from high school the valedictorian of her class. She then earned her Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Prairie View A&M University in Prairie View.She earned her Master’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Texas at Commerce.

Once she earned her degrees, Alene inaugurated her career as a high school mathematics teacher at I.M. Terrell High School in Fort Worth in 1969. She went on to teach at L.G. Pinkston, H. Grady Spruce, and the Business & Management Magnet schools in the Dallas Independent School District. In all, her career as an educator spanned 35 years.

As a result of her hard work and expertise, the number of students who passed math courses increased, and their interest in mathematics improved. She is most proud of hearing success stories of her former students.

In addition to working directly with students, Alene served as a curriculum writer, resource person, department chairperson, staff development chairperson, and an alternative certification mentor. She also tutored students to help them master the state’s mandatory tests.

For this work, Alene earned many accolades. In addition to her induction into the AAEAHP, she was named her school’s Teacher of the Year in 1987. She was also named among Who’s Who Among American Teachers.

To learn more about the African America Education Archives and History Program, click on this link to their website.

Alvin Irby’s Barbershop Books program hooks Black boys on reading

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Alvin Arby, a former first grade teacher from New York City, founded Barbershop Books, an organization that places high-interest books in barbershops with a predominantly African American clientele. The effort has been successful in hooking Black boys on reading. Photo Credit: Barbershop Books

Alvin Irby, a former first grade teacher from New York City, was sitting in a barber’s chair one day when one of his young students entered the shop. The little boy was restless and distracted, looking for something to occupy his attention while he waited his turn in the chair. That day, Alvin reflected on the fact that many of his African American boys were decidedly uninterested in reading, and the teacher became determined to find a way to hook them on the all-important literacy skill.

With that determination, Alvin founded Barbershop Books, a nonprofit organization that places high-interest books in barbershops with a predominantly African American clientele. The effort took him out of the classroom and into the boardroom. Since the organization’s founding in 2013, Alvin has worked to spread the practice beyond his own neighborhood. In fact, Barbershop Books has provided titles for young boys to 250 shops in 20 states and more than 50 cities.

Alvin says that, while he sees the value of Black boys having exposure to characters and authors who look like them, he also believes the best way to get them to love reading is to make it fun. Photo Credit: Barbershop Books

Alvin says that, while he sees the value of Black children, especially boys, having exposure to characters and authors who look like them, he also believes the best way to get them to love reading is to make it fun. “Black boys are more than just their skin color,” Alvin declares. “They want to read about trucks. They want to laugh. So many of the books that feature Black boys don’t give them a chance to be boys: silly or gross or funny.”

Alvin is a native of Little Rock, Arkansas. His mother was a public school teacher for 30 years. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa. He earned his Master’s degree in Childhood Education from Bank Street College of Education in New York. He earned a second Master’s degree in Public Administration from New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service.

To learn more, click on this link to Barbershop Books.

Michigan’s Steve Hall named 2023 National Coach of the Year

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Boys Basketball Coach Steve Hall of Detroit Cass Tech has been named the 2022-2023 National Coach of the year by the National Federation of State High School Associations. Photo Credit: Cass Tech Basketball

The news is always exciting when it is about an exceptional coach who has earned honors for his work with student athletes. Today, the news is about Steve Hall, an outstanding Boys Basketball Coach. He has been named the 2023 National Coach of the Year by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).

Steve coaches at Detroit Cass Technical High School in Detroit, Michigan. In fact, the school is his own alma mater; he graduated from there in 1988. In addition to his basketball coaching duties at Cass Tech, Steve serves as the Athletic Director and the Boys Cross Country Coach.

During last year’s season, Steve led his basketball team to the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division I state title in 2022-2023. His success on the basketball court, Steve believes, can be traced to his overall approach to coaching. He says he emphasizes using sports to instill important personal qualities in his young players, not only as athletes, but also as contributing members of society. “Be better today than yesterday,” he advises, “and better tomorrow than today.” He leads his young players to championships and scholarships, but Steve says that accountability, reliability, dependability, and responsibility are the most important characteristics he values.

“I believe it’s a calling,” declares Steve. “It’s something I enjoy doing, especially back at my school,” he continues. “Being a part of these kids’ lives at this point in time is something I treasure, and I think they’ll remember it forever. It’s important to me, and it’s natural for me,” he concludes.

To learn more about the National Federation of State High School Associations, click on this link to NFHS.

Hardworking, dedicated teacher Mazie Ann Fairfax graduated from Tuskegee University

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Elementary school teacher Mazie Ann Fairfax who earned her degree from Tuskegee University in Alabama. Photo Credit: The San Bernardino Sun

I always enjoy shining a spotlight on a hardworking and dedicated educator who has worked with students in our pubic schools. Today, I highlight Mazie Ann Fairfax, a popular elementary school teacher originally from Atlanta, Georgia.

Mazie was born in Atlanta on April 18, 1928. As a young girl, she attended Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. This was the church where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., served as a pastor from 1960 until his assassination in 1968. In fact, The church was the location of the funerals of both Dr. King and, in its later expanded sanctuary, the late Congressman John Lewis. This is also the church where current US Senator Raphael Warnock  has been pastor since 2005. The historic church building and expanded sanctuary building are located in the historic area designated as the Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historical Park.

Once Mazie graduated from high school, she enrolled in Tuskegee University in Alabama. Tuskegee is a private, historically Black university located in Tuskegee, Alabama. It was founded on Independence Day in 1881 by the Alabama Legislature. Dr. Booker T. Washington was the school’s first teacher and founding principal. The campus was designated as the Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site by the National Park Service in 1974. It was there, during the struggles of the Civil Rights Movement, that Mazie earned her Bachelor’s degree.

She then relocated to California, where she earned her teaching credentials. In 1965, Mazie inaugurated her career as an educator when she accepted a position at Newman Elementary School in the Chino Unified School District. She remained in the classroom for 30 years.

Sadly, Mazie Ann Fairfax passed away at her home in Alt Loma, California, on her birthday in 2024. She was 96 years old.

 

Teacher Mary Jane Patterson: From slavery to classroom

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Mary Jane Patterson: From slavery to classroom. Photo Credit: Pubic Domain

Here is the story of a truly remarkable educator: Mary Jane Patterson. Mary Jane was born the daughter of slaves in Raleigh, North Carolina, on September 12, 1840. Her father, Henry Patterson, worked as a master mason. After Henry gained his freedom in 1852, he relocated his family north to Oberlin, Ohio.

Oberlin was a favored destination for free Blacks and fugitive slaves seeking an education because it boasted a college that was integrated and co-educational. When Mary Jane earned her Bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College in 1862, she became the first African-American woman to receive a degree from an established American college.

After earning her degree, Mary Jane taught for a short time in Chillicothe, Ohio, before moving to Philadelphia to work at the Institute for Colored Youth, a college preparatory school for African Americans. She taught there for five years. In 1869, the young teacher moved to Washington, DC, where she eventually became the principal of the Preparatory High School for Colored Youth. That school was later renamed M Street High School, and today the facility is called Paul Lawrence Dunbar High School.

Mary Jane was the first African-American high school principal in Washington, DC. She is still remembered today for her strong, forceful personality, and for increasing her school’s enrollment from fewer than 50 students to 172 students. During her tenure there, she also initiated high school commencements and a teacher-training department.

In addition to her accomplishments in the school, Mary Jane was a part of the Colored Woman’s League of Washington, DC, an organization committed to women’s rights. The group focused on training women to become kindergarten teachers, rescue work, and classes for industrial schools and homemaking.

This remarkable educator passed away September 24, 1894, at her home in Washington, DC. She was only 54 years old. Her home at 1532 15th Street, NW, is part of the Washington, DC’s historic walking tour.

To read more about the remarkable Mary Jane Patterson click on this link to BlackPast.