Tag Archives: African American Teachers

Educator Ida B. Wells was also a Civil Rights activist

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Educator Ida B. Wells was also a Civil Rights activist.  Photo credit: State Library of North Carolina

Throughout our country’s history, there are many examples of classroom teachers who have also worked tirelessly for the Civil Rights of African Americans. One of these is Ida B. Kinney, a 20th-century educator from Southern California, who was among those who were honored by the NAACP with special stamps issued by the US Postal Service.

Ida was born on May 25, 1904, in Lafayette County, Arkansas. She was raised by her grandparents, who were former slaves. In 1920, when Ida was only 16 years old, she moved to California, where she lived with her mother in Santa Monica. Following her graduation from Santa Monica High School, young Ida returned to Arkansas where she attended Philander Smith College. After one year, she returned to California, where she enrolled in the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). It was there she met and married Carl Minion. The couple settled in the San Fernando Valley in 1940, where Ida completed the requirements for her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology at San Fernando Valley State College. The institution is now known as Cal State Northridge.

Because she was an African American, Ida’s application for her teaching credential was denied. She sent a petition to then California Governor Pat Brown, who ordered a credential be issued to her. She received the coveted document within ten days. Ida inaugurated her career as an educator as a substitute in Kern County. Later she worked in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

In addition to her work in the classroom, Ida became dedicated to improving conditions for African Americans. She was influential in securing access to medical treatment for Black women which had been denied them by a hospital in Van Nuys. She inaugurated a local Head Start program for children. She also worked tirelessly to secure the rights for Black workers to join the union at Lockheed Aerospace. During the remainder of her life, she joined such Civil Rights giants as Medger Evers, Rosa Parks, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to participate in marches, protests, and other activist practices.

After her retirement from the classroom, Ida was appointed to the Commission on Aging for the County of Los Angeles. She served in this position for 12 years. She was also instrumental in establishing a senior center in Pacoima, California. The facility opened in 1971. In addition, Ida played a key role in creating the Pacoima Boys & Girls Club.

On her 100th birthday, Ida B. Kinney was honored with other Civil Rights activists for her work in securing rights for African Americans. When she passed away from natural causes in Lake View Terrace, California, on Jan. 1, 2009, she was 104 years old. To read more about this Chalkboard Champion, see this obituary published by the Los Angeles Times.

 

Roberta Sheridan: First Black teacher in Baltimore public schools

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Many fine educators have worked tirelessly towards advancing the cause of hiring African Americans as public school teaches. One of these is Roberta Sheridan. She was the first African American to teach public school in Baltimore, Maryland.

Roberta was born in Baltimore County, Maryland. The exact date of her birth is unknown, but it is believed she was born in 1864. As a young girl, she attended the segregated schools in her home town.

When she grew up, Roberta dedicated herself to the teaching profession. As an African American teacher during the age of segregation, Roberta faced difficulties finding employment. Despite discrimination, records describe her teaching career from 1883 until her death in 1918. She was an avid supporter of the movement to garner government support of education for African American children in Baltimore. Prior to 1867 African American children were educated largely in churches, private schools, or free schools organized by the American Missionary Association and the Association for the Improvement of Colored People. When these schools were turned over to Baltimore City in the fall of 1867 students were taught exclusively by white teachers.

We know that Roberta taught in school in Baltimore County between 1882 and 1888. In 1888, she secured a position at the Waverly Colored Public School. In 1889, after a heated debate over allowing African American teachers to work in public schools in the city, she transferred to School #9, where she became a member of the first staff of teachers to work at that school.

While teaching at Waverly, Roberta met fellow teacher George W. Biddle. She left the classroom to marry him. By the time two years had elapsed, Roberta had given birth to a daughter and left her husband because of spousal abuse. After her divorce, Roberta returned to the classroom. She taught at School #108 until she passed away in 1918 following a brief illness.

To read more about Roberta Sheridan, click on this link to Archives of Maryland: Biographical Series.

 

Teacher and librarian Charlotte Stephens of Arkansas was a trailblazer

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Charlotte Stephens, born into slavery, became the first African American teacher in Little Rock, Arkansas. Photo credit: Encyclopedia of Arkansas

Many fine educators are notable for their “firsts.” One of these was trailblazer Charlotte Stephens, the first African American to teach school in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Charlotte was born into slavery in 1854 in Little Rock. After the end of the Civil War, in 1869, she inaugurated her career as an educator when she became a substitute for her own teacher, who had fallen ill near the end of the school year. Charlotte was only 15 years old at the time. At the end of her first full year of teaching, Charlotte used her savings to travel to Ohio, where she completed courses in pedagogy at Oberlin College. There she studied Latin, geometry, the history of Rome, music, English, and the Bible. For three years she continued to perfect her craft, returning intermittently to Little Rock to teach and earn additional money to pay for her courses.

Charlotte’s lengthy career as an educator included 30 years as an elementary school teacher, 30 as a high school teacher, and 10 as a teacher librarian in both high school and junior college. In all, Charlotte’s career spanned an astonishing 70 years before her retirement at age 85 in 1939. Among her most notable students were African American composers Florence Price and William Grant Still.

This Chalkboard Champion passed away on December 17, 1951. In 1910, Stephens Elementary School in Little Rock was named in her honor. To read more about her, see this article published in the Encyclopedia of Arkansas.

Florida’s Dr. Brenda Snipes: Teacher, administrator, and public official

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Retired teacher and administrator Brenda Snipes served for 15 years as the Supervisor of Elections for Broward County, Florida. Photo credit: Public Domain

Many public officials have also served their community as teachers in public schools. One of these is Dr. Brenda Snipes, a former high school teacher who served for many years as the Broward County Supervisor of Elections.

Brenda was born on Oct. 24, 1943, in Talladega, Alabama. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Modern Foreign Languages from Talladega University. She earned her Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Florida Atlantic University. She completed the requirements for her PhD in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University.

Brenda inaugurated her career as an educator in 1964, when she accepted a position as a French teacher at Blanche Ely High School in Pompano Beach, Florida. Over the next four decades, she worked with students of all ages, including elementary through adult education and vocational education. For some years, she served as the principal of Robert Markham Elementary School in Pompano Beach. As an administrator, Brenda developed training programs to identify and nurture potential future leaders in the school system. After a career that spanned a total of 39 years, Brenda retired from the teaching profession  in 2003.

From 2003 to 2018, Brenda was appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush to replace Mariam Oliphant as the Supervisor of Elections for Broward County, Florida. The former teacher was re-elected to the position in 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016. In this role, she established a voter registration booth for permanent legal residents newly sworn in as American citizens to register to vote. She obtained new voter equipment, worked to create an initiative to teach voters how to use the equipment, and invested heavily in staff and poll-worker training. She advertised upcoming elections by appearing on television, radio shows, and billboards and by having a voter outreach coordinator. Brenda retired from her position as Supervisor of Elections in 2018.

Brenda passed away on Nov. 2, 2023 in Pembroke Park, Florida, following a short illness. She was 80 years old. She is interred in Oak Hill Cemetery in Talladega.

 

Jordan Harris: Teacher and member of PA House of Reps

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Former languages teacher Jordan Harris now serves in the Philadelphia State House of Representatives. Photo credit: Pennsylvania State House of Representatives

Often accomplished classroom teachers make successful politicians. One of these is Jordan A. Harris, a Philadelphia school teacher who currently serves in Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives.

Jordan graduation from Philadelphia’s John Bartram Motivation High School in 2002. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Governmental and Political Affairs from Millersville University in Millersville, Pennsylvania, in 2006. He earned his Master’s Degree in Education from Cabrini College in Radnor Township, Pennsylvania, in 2008. He has also done work towards his PhD in Educational Leadership at Neumann University in Aston, Pennsylvania.

Jordan taught school for several years in the Philadelphia Public Schools.  He was employed as a languages teacher at Union Area High School located in New Castle, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. While there, he was instrumental in designing Slam Dunk, a summer program that assisted over 600 high school students to meet credit requirements for graduation.

In 2013, Jordan was elected on the Democratic ticket to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He represents the 186th District. For the 2017-2018 legislative session, he was elected to the Chair of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus. He is also part of the Career & Technical Education Caucus, the Community College Caucus, and the Early Childhood Education Caucus. elected, Majority Whip (January 3, 2023-February 28, 2023); elected, Majority In 2023, Jordan was elected the Majority Whip, and he has also served as the Appropriations Chair since 2023. In addition, he is a member of the Council of Trustees for Millersville University.

In his effort to serve young people, Jordan has worked as the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Youth Commission, where he used his influence to improve conditions for  the city’s youth and young adults. In this office, Jordan was able to extend the hours of the city’s recreation centers and create alternative activities. In addition, Jordan has served as the President of the Board of Directors at Lincoln Day Educational Center, the oldest continuously operating African American Day School in the country. And he has  served as a Member of the Board of the Hardy Williams Education Fund and the Christian Street YMCA.

For his efforts, the former classroom teacher has won many accolades. In 2017, he was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in Philadelphia by Philadelphia Magazine. He was also honored with Odunde 365’s 2017 Community Service Award for Positively Impacting Lives.