Throughout the history of our country, many gifted educators have worked tirelessly on behalf of disenfranchised populations. One such educator was Janie Porter Barrett, who worked as a teacher, welfare worker, and social reformer in Virginia during the first half of the twentieth century.

Janie Porter was born in 1865 in Athens, Georgia. Her mother, Julia, was a former slave, and her father is unknown. Julia supported herself as a live-in housekeeper and seamstress. Her employers, a progressive white family, educated little Janie along with their own children, providing her with excellent basic education.

When she came of age, Janie enrolled in courses at the Hampton Institute, a private black college in Virginia, to train as an elementary school teacher. While at Hampton, the young student became involved in volunteer work, completing many community service projects. Janie graduated from the Hampton Institute in 1885.

Following her college graduation, Janie accepted her first teaching assignment in a rural school in Dawson, Georgia, and then transferred to Lucy Craft Laney’s Haines Normal and Industrial Institute in Augusta,  Georgia. In addition, she taught night school classes in the Hampton Institute from 1896 to 1899.

In 1899, the young teacher married Harris Barrett, the bookkeeper and cashier employed by the Hampton Institute, and together they had four children. Soon after she married, Janie began holding a informal  day care and sewing classes in her home. Attendance at her classes grew rapidly. Eventually these classes transformed into a club that worked to improve both home and community life for its members. This club, known as the Locust Street Social Settlement, was the first settlement house established specifically for African Americans in the country.

In 1908, Janie expanded her efforts in service to her community. She was instrumental in the organization of the Virginia State Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs. She also served as the organization’s first president. The Federation launched itself into a wide range of social services, including providing children alternatives to placements in orphanages, poorhouses, or jails. The Federation raised money to establish a residential industrial school for the large number of young African American girls that were being sent to jail. They also founded a rehabilitation center, the Industrial Home for Wayward Girls, for African American female juvenile delinquents. Under Janie’s direction, the school offered academic and vocational instruction, and developed a program that emphasized self-reliance and self-discipline. Also notable was the school’s visible rewards, counseling services, close attention to individual needs, and follow-up ministerial guidance. In the 1920s, the school was rated as one of the five best schools of its kind in the country, becoming a model for its type. For this remarkable work, Janie received the William E. Harmon Award for Distinguished Achievement Among Negroes in 1929.

This amazing chalkboard champion retired from public service in 1940. She died in Hampton, Virginia, in 1948. In 1950, Janie’s training school was renamed the Janie Porter Barrett School for Girls, which today is known as the Barrett Learning Center.

American history is full of absolutely amazing chalkboard champions, and one excellent example is Laura Towne. This remarkable teacher was one of the first northern women to venture south in order to work with newly emancipated slaves.

Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in1825, Laura was raised in Philadelphia, where she moved in socially progressive circles. She was educated as both a homeopathic physician and a schoolteacher. She was also a dedicated abolitionist.

While the Civil War still was raging all about her, Laura travelled to St. Helena Island in Port Royal, South Carolina, where she founded the first school for freed slaves. She named her institution the Penn School. Laura was practical, independent, down-to-earth and strong-willed. She readily entered into the life of Saint Helena Island, where she began her work attending to the medical needs of the freed slaves. In June, 1862, Laura gave up her medical practice, and together with Ellen Murray, her life-long friend and fellow teacher, opened the first school for freed slaves. Nine adults students enrolled in the school, which operated out of the back room of an abandoned plantation house. Unlike most schools established for emancipated slaves, Laura’s school offered a rigorous curriculum, which was modeled on the schools of New England.

As is so often the case, many educators distinguish themselves in areas outside the field of education. Norma Elizabeth Boyd is one such teacher. Norma was an educator in public schools in the Washington, DC, area for over thirty years. She was known for creating real-world experiences for her students. One example of this is that she frequently escorted her classes to Congressional hearings to learn about the political process. To help educate her students, one year Norma financed their field trip to the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York City.

Norma was born in 1888 in Washington, DC, and was educated in public schools there. A graduate of Howard University, this amazing woman was one of sixteen founders of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the first sorority established by African American students.She earned her bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1910.

Throughout her life, Norma was active in a variety of political endeavors. In 1934, she raised money to support the Mississippi Health Project, and in 1938, Norma established the Non-Partisan Lobby for Economic and Democratic Rights, an organization which lobbied Congress about issues related to education, voting rights, and public service. In 1939, Norma was named a United Nations observer. She represented the United States on several committees, as well as at an international conference held in Brazil. As a UN observer, Boyd was dedicated to children’s rights and supported Principle 10 of the Declaration of Human Rights.
During World War II, Norma chaired two conferences at Howard University to support the war effort. In addition, Norma lobbied the United Nations, government agencies such as the Department of State, and nationally-recognized educational, scientific, and cultural organizations in an effort to focus attention on the need for integration. In 1948, the National Council of Negro Woman selected Norma as their Woman of the Year in the Field of Legislation for her role in establishing and leading the Non-Partisan Council. That same year, Norma retired from teaching.

Norma’s dedication to students continued into her later years. In 1959, she established the Women’s International Religious Fellowship. This organization, which consisted of women from diverse backgrounds and cultures, helped to draw attention to children’s safety and rights.

Norma Elizabeth Boyd, a true chalkboard champion, passed away in Washington, D.C. on January 4, 1985.