Tag Archives: Teacher Activists

African American teacher, poet, and biographer Henrietta Cordelia Ray

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African American teacher, poet, and biographer Henrietta Cordelia Ray became known for her sonnets and her ode to Abraham Lincoln.

Many excellent educators have also earned fame for their endeavors outside of the classroom. One of these was Henrietta Cordelia Ray, an African American teacher who is best known for composing a poem about Abraham Lincoln that is associated with the Freedmen’s Memorial located in Washington, DC.

Henrietta was born on Aug. 30, 1852, in New York City. Her father was Charles Bennett Ray, a blacksmith, abolitionist, and clergyman.

As a young woman, Henrietta earned her degree in pedagogy from the University of the City of New York in 1891. She also studied French, German, Greek, and Latin at the Sauvener School of Languages. Then she launched her career as a public school teacher in New York City schools. During this period, Henrietta also became active in community-building and political activism.

Henrietta gave up her position as an educator to pursue a career as a writer. One her pieces, an eight-line ode to Abraham Lincoln, was read at the unveiling of the Freedmen’s Memorial in Washington, DC, in April, 1876. At this unveiling ceremony, the prominent African American abolitionist Frederick Douglass served as the keynote speaker. In 1887, Henrietta co-authored a biography of her father with her sister, Florence. The book was entitled “Sketch of the Life of Rev. Charles B. Ray.” Henrietta also published a collection of sonnets in 1893 and a second book of poetry in 1910.  Selections from the 1910 volume were widely included in anthologies published in the early 20th century. Frequently, the subjects of her verse were nature, piety, and idealism.

In her retirement years, Henrietta returned to her original vocation of teaching. She tutored students and instructed English classes for teachers. In addition, she organized and participated in regional and national conferences for African American teachers.

Sadly, Henrietta passed away on Jan. 5, 1916. She was 63 years old.

Former teacher Rupa Ramadurai now works to improve education opportunities for all

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Former teacher Rupa Ramadurai now works as an attorney who works towards the improvement of educational opportunities for all students. Photo credit: Rupa Ramadurai

Many talented educators have used their experience in the classroom to go on to work towards the improvement of educational opportunities for all students. One of these is Rupa Ramadurai, a former high school teacher from Miami, Florida.

Rupa earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education and Political Science from the University of Michigan in 2009. She earned her Master’s degree in Education and Social Change from the University of Miami in 2011. She earned her Juris Doctorate in Child and Family Law from the Loyola University of Chicago School of Law in 2014.

Once she earned her Master’s degree, Rupa taught high school intensive reading in an inner city public school in Miami Dade County, Florida. She entered the teaching profession through Teach for America (TFA). “I didn’t know how exactly to combine my academic passion for reading and writing with my love for working with kids,” recalled Rupa. “I spoke to a TFA on-campus recruiter my senior year who shared how she had the ability to change a child’s trajectory through education, and it sold me on that being my calling,” she continued.

In addition to her work as a reading teacher, Rupa supported first-year teachers by serving as a Management Learning Team Leader and as a Backwards Planning Clinic Leader.

Once she earned her Juris Doctorate, Rupa spent five years practicing education law, and then she accepted a position at Chicago-based Community Leadership Corps, a non-profit organization that supports educators in pursuing varied pathways such as elected leadership, careers in policy and advocacy, and organizing. In this way, the former teacher endeavors to achieve educational equity for all.

Rupa says her work as a teacher has been invaluable to her success as a lawyer. “The classroom taught me how to think on my feet, and how to make sound judgment in the heat of a moment—from disciplining a student to changing the lesson plan to accommodate someone,” she declares. “This ability to be quick, flexible, and adaptable was an invaluable skill that serves me to be effective as an attorney.”

Utah’s Eurithe LaBarthe served in her state’s House of Reps

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High school teacher and principal Eurithe LaBarthe served in the Utah State House of Representatives. Photo credit: Better Days 2020

Many hardworking educators are also accomplished politicians. One of these was Eurithe LaBarthe, a high school teacher and principal who also served as a state legislator in her state. She was a proponent of gender equality, a prominent clubwoman, a literary leader, and one of Utah’s first women legislators.

Eurithe was born in 1845 in Peoria, Illinois. As a young woman, she worked as a high school teacher and principal in Colorado Springs, Colorado. After her marriage to Jules LaBarthe on July 10, 1873, the couple moved to Salt Lake City, Utah. That was in 1892. Although she was not a Mormon in a predominantly Mormon community, the newcomer quickly established herself as an influential clubwoman.

In 1896, Eurithe she elected President of the Ladies’ Literary Club and managed the official club building for that organization. The Literary Club provided higher education at a time when it was not readily available to women. Initially, the organization focused primarily on history, but eventually they branched out into other topics such as poetry, art, and politics. The society was heavily involved in charity work and later helped pass a bill for the first free library in Utah. The club also purchased 2,000 books in order to help start the library.

The same year, Eurithe was elected on the Democratic ticket to Utah State House of Representatives. That year was the first election in which women could run for office in the newly-formed state. She was one of two women elected to the inaugural state legislature on Nov. 3, 1896. Her term began in Jan., 1897, and continued to Jan., 1899. While serving there, Eurithe was named the Chair of the Education Committee. Additionally, she drafted a letter to Congress requesting that the Federal Industrial Home, which was originally built as a refuge from polygamy but had stood empty for several years, be granted to the state for educational or charitable purposes. The former teacher advanced the cause of gender equality by actively engaging in the political processes of her state and by paving the way for future women lawmakers.

In addition to her work as a politician, Eurithe worked to establish the Utah State Historical society. Later she moved to Denver, where she became involved in women’s club work, serving as Treasurer and as Chair of the Finance Committee for the Woman’s Club, an organization of over 1000 members.

Sadly, while visiting her son in Salt Lake City, Eurithe contracted pneumonia and succumbed to the disease on Nov. 22, 1910. She was buried in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Teacher and activist Julia Flisch fought for equity for women

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History teacher and social activist Julia Flisch fought for equal education for girls in the late 19th century. Photo Credit: Georgia College

In my opinion, teachers are among the most dedicated proponents of social change in American society. Julia Flisch a Georgia teacher who fought for equal education for girls in the late 19th century, is a fine example of this.

Julia was born on Jan. 31, 1861, in Augusta, Georgia, the daughter of immigrants from Switzerland and Germany. She was raised in Athens, Georgia, where her father operated a candy store and ice cream parlor, and her mother was a homemaker. As a young girl, Julia had always dreamed of attending the all-male University of Georgia, but when she applied in 1869 she was denied admission because of her gender. Instead, she enrolled at Cooper Union New York City, where she studied secretarial skills. But it was the rejection from the University of Georgia that inspired her life-long campaign for women’s rights and higher education, as an educator and scholar, and also as a journalist and author.

While still a student, Julia spend her summers working as a school teacher. Eventually she was able to take courses at both Harvard University and the University of Chicago. In 1905, she opened a school at the University of Wisconsin, where by 1908 she had earned both a Bachelor’s and a Masters degree in History. After earning her degrees, Julia accepted a position at Tubman High School in August, where she taught for 17 years. Until the 1950s, Tubman was the area’s only public high school for girls. Later Julia served as the first female instructor at the Junior College of Augusta.

Throughout her years in the classroom, Julia was a hardworking teacher dedicated to the success of her students. During this period, she advocated for collective bargaining rights for teachers, which had been unheard of before her time. She also actively lobbied for women’s suffrage and state grants to pay for women’s higher education. Her rallying cry was “Give the girls a chance!”

To advance her campaign for women’s education, Julia published an anonymous letter to the editor in 1882 in the Augusta Chronicle which called for opportunities for women to pursue financial and social independence. She also spread her message through fiction, and her first novel, Ashes of Hopes, which depicted the story of three young women searching for independence, was published in 1886. The effort earned wide acclaim.

Julia Flisch passed away on March 17, 1941. After her passing, this Chalkboard Champion was described as having accomplished “more than than any other person to advance the cause of women’s education in the state of Georgia.” In 1994, she was inducted into the Georgia Women of Achievement.

To read more about Julia Flisch, see this article about her published in the New Georgia Encyclopedia.

History teacher Edith Jordan Gardner championed many causes

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High school history teacher and social activist Edith Jordan Gardner worked to secure the right to vote for women. Photo Credit: Public Domain

In American history, there are many examples of excellent educators who are dedicated not only to their students, but also to the important social causes of their day. Edith Jordan Gardner, a California history teacher, is one of these. She was a social activist who championed many important causes  including education reform, women’s suffrage, environmental issues, and international causes.

Edith Jordan was born on Feb. 17, 1877, in Indianapolis Indiana. Her father, David Starr Jordan, was a prominent professor of natural history at North Western Christian University. Sadly, her mother, Susan Bowen, passed away when Edith was only eight years old. Edith was a young teenager in 1891 when she moved to California because her father accepted a post as the first President of newly-opened Stanford University. Six years later, Edith graduated from the fledgling university. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in History there in 1897. She earned her Master’s degree from Cornell University located in Ithaca, New York, in 1901.

Once she earned her degrees,, Edith inaugurated her career as an educator in California schools. She taught at various school throughout the state, including Marlborough Preparatory School in Los Angeles, Salinas High School in Salinas, and Los Angeles Polytechnic High School in Los Angeles, and John H. Francis Polytechnic High School in Sun Valley. By all accounts, Edith was a captivating classroom lecturer. When she developed her course curriculum, she incorporated aspects of art, architecture, archeology, and additional lessons she learned from her extensive overseas travels into her lessons.

Edith was interested in a number of important causes during her day. She worked towards securing needed relief for the Belgian people, raising awareness about pressing political issues in India, and environmental issues. During this period, Edith married Nathaniel Gardner a respected professor of botany at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1915.

In addition to her work as a teacher and social activist, Edith served as the Chairman of the Department of Legislation Oakland Forum, and the League of Women Voters. She was elected President of the Southern California Social Science Association, and served as a member of the Standard Women’s Club, the Berkeley City Club, the Town and Gown Club, and the Cornell Women’s Club of Northern California, among others.

Chalkboard Champion Edith Gardner passed away on June 16, 1965, in Redwood City, California. She was 88 years old.