George W. Albright: Teacher, Mississippi State Senator, and target of the Klu Klux Klan.

There are many talented African American teachers in our country’s history. One of these is George Albright, a teacher from Mississippi who also served as a state Senator. His work was so controversial that he became a target of the Ku Klux Klan.

George was born into slavery in 1846. His birthplace was near Holly Springs, Mississippi. As a young child, George was taught to read by his mother, who worked in her slave owners’ kitchen. As she worked, she listened to the white children doing their lessons, and picked up what she could to teach herself and her little son.

When the Civil War broke out, George’s father joined the Union Army. Sadly, he was killed at the Battle of Vicksburg in Mississippi. During the conflict, George joined the Union League, which worked for the Republican party. Once President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, George worked diligently to inform former slaves that they had been freed.

When the Civil War was won and George gained his freedom, he worked as a field hand. He also attended school run by Nelson Gill, who was later murdered by the Ku Klux Klan. During these years, George married a white teacher, and also became a teacher himself.

In 1873, while the Reconstruction was in full swing, George was elected to the Mississippi State Senate on the Republican ticket. He won this seat by defeating E.H. Crump, a leader of the Ku Klux Klan. George served in the Senate from 1874 until 1879.

Besides his work in the legislature, George was a prominent figure in education. He helped to bring teachers from the north to the south. He also served as trustee of the State Normal School. In addition, he helped to organize a volunteer militia. For that effort he himself became a target of the Ku Klux Klan.

To learn more about this Chalkboard Champion, click on this link to read his biography.

Educator  Septima Poinsette Clark championed the Civil Rights Movement

Septima Poinsette Clark was an integral part of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. Martin Luther King, Jr., often called her “The Mother of the Movement.” In fact, this remarkable educator earned the Martin Luther King, Jr., Award in 1970, the Living Legacy Award in 1979, and the Drum Major for Justice Award in 1987.

Septima was born in Charleston, South Carolina, on May 3, 1898. Her father was born a slave, and her mother, although born in Charleston, was raised in Haiti and never experienced slavery. After Septima graduated from high school in 1916, she didn’t have the money to finance her college education. Nevertheless, she landed a position as an elementary teacher in a school for African American Gullah children on John’s Island in South Carolina’s Sea Islands. By 1919, Septima returned to Charleston to teach sixth grade at Avery Normal Institute, a private academy for Black children. Before long, Septima became involved with Charleston’s NAACP, which inaugurated her involvement in Civil Rights activities. In the 1940s, Septima was finally able to return to school, taking summer school courses to earn her college degree. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Benedict College and her Master’s from Hampton University.

In the 1950s Septima found herself working at the Highlander Folk School in Monteagle, Tennessee. She was instrumental in fighting against Jim Crow laws by organizing citizenship schools to teach underprivileged African Americans basic literacy skills, voter registration techniques, and the history of the Movement. At Highlander, Septima served as the director of workshops, trained teachers, and recruited students.One of the participants in her workshops was Rosa Parks. Shortly after participating in the Highlander workshops, Rosa helped launch the now-famous Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Septima Clark passed away on John’s Island on December 15, 1987, of natural causes. This talented and dedicated teacher was 89 years old.