Tag Archives: Teacher Activists

Denver teacher Marie Greenwood, a Civil Rights pioneer

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Denver teacher Marie Greenwood made significant contributions to the Civil Rights Movement in her community.  (Photo credit:: The Denver Post)

Many fine educators have made significant contributions to the Civil Rights Movement in their community. One of these was Marie Greenwood, the first African American to earn tenure in Denver Public Schools. She is known for breaking down barriers to racial equality within her city.

Marie was born November 24, 1912, in Los Angeles, California. When she was 13 years old, she moved with her parents to Denver, Colorado. As a youngster, Marie faced the challenges of segregation. She was not allowed to join her middle school’s swim team, and her guidance counselor advised her that her ambition to go to college would be a waste of her parents’ money, because the only work she could expect was as a cook or a housekeeper. Despite these challenges, Marie graduated third in her class at West High School. She also garnered a scholarship to Colorado Teachers College, which is now part of the University of Northern Colorado.

Once she earned her degree in 1935, Marie returned to Denver where she accepted a position as a teacher at Whittier School. She was one of the first African-American school teachers in Denver. She is highly regarded as a pioneer for integration in the city, and for breaking down racial barriers in the school district. in fact, she was the first African American teacher to earn tenure in Denver Public Schools. Marie taught at Whittier for ten years, and then left the profession to raise her family. In 1955, Marie returned to the profession, accepting a position as the principal of all-White Newton Elementary. Although this Chalkboard Champion retired in 1974, she continued to work with children as a volunteer, right up until right before her passing.

Marie was also a published author. When she was 95 years old, she penned a volume of vignettes about teaching children facing challenges, and three years later she published her autobiography.

Marie Greenwood passed away November 15, 2019. She was 106 years old. To read more about this remarkable educator, see this story about her published by Denver Public Schools.

 

Educator and community activist Cheryl Chow of Washington State

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Physical Education teacher and community activist Cheryl Chow of Seattle, Washington. Photo credit: The Seattle Times

Many dedicated and talented educators make substantial contributions to their local communities. One of these educators is Cheryl Mayre Chow, a PE teacher from Washington State.

Cheryl was born in Seattle, Washington, on May 24, 1946, the daughter of Chinese restaurant owners Ping and Ruby Chow. As a young teenager, Cheryl graduated from Franklin High School, and then enrolled at Western Washington University, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Teaching. Later she earned a Master’s degree in Administrative Management from Seattle University.

Upon her graduation from college, the neophyte educator became a physical education teacher. As a teacher, she was known for her toughness, high standards, and tenacious advocacy for children. Eventually she became a principal of first Sharples Junior High (renamed Aki Kurose Junior High) and then Garfield High.

Cheryl’s devotion to young people is very evident. Among her many achievements, she served as the Assistant Director for the Girl Scouts of Western Washington, a girls’ basketball coach for the city parks and recreation department, and she also directed the Seattle Chinese Community Girls Drill Team. “Everything that Cheryl did, she worked to instill leadership among the girls and kind of mentor them for their adult lives,” remembers friend Lorena Eng. In addition to this work, Cheryl helped to form an outreach program for teens involved in Asian street gangs.

Cheryl also served as the President of the Seattle School Board and worked at the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. In addition, she served two terms on her local city council.

This Chalkboard Champion passed away from a central nervous system lymphoma on March 29, 2013, at the age of 66. She is interred at Evergreen Washelli Memorial Park in Seattle. To read more about Cheryl Chow, see this obituary at The Seattle Times.

Alabama teacher Idella Jones Childs worked to better her community

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Alabama teacher and historian Idella Jones Childs worked tirelessly to improve her community. (Photo credit: Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame)

I believe that teachers are among the most dedicated individuals when it comes to their classroom communities, so it comes as no surprise to me that they are often among the most dedicated individuals when it comes to working towards improving society as a whole. This is certainly true of Idella Jones Childs, an elementary school teacher and historian from Alabama who was involved in the Civil Rights Movement.

Idella was born on June 21, 1903, in Marion, Perry County, Alabama.  As a young woman, she attended Lincoln Normal School, a teacher-training college, where she earned her teaching credential. She later earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Alabama State University. For over 35 years, Idella taught history, social studies, biology, and algebra in segregated elementary schools in  her home town of Marion.

All her life, this amazing teacher was a tireless advocate for the equality and dignity of all people. During the Civil Rights Movement, she even volunteered her home in Marion to be a meeting place for activists.

Idella established the Perry County Arts and Humanities Council in 1982, and she became the first Chairwoman of the organization. The Council provided the disadvantaged children of the rural county with unique cultural experiences. For this work, President Jimmy Carter named her an honorary member of the National Commission on the International Year of the Child.

This was not the only work Idella did to improve her community. She also served on the Library Board and was a member of both the Retired Teachers Organization and the Association of University Women. In 1985, at the age of 79, Idella was appointed to served on the City Council in Marion. She was the first African American woman to serve on the Council. In 1988, she was re-elected to the position. That same year she was appointed to the Board of the Alabama Historical Commission.

For her work towards improving her community, Idella garnered many accolades. She earned an Unsung Heroes Award from NASA in 1993, during the agency’s commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. She was inducted into the Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame in 2002. In addition, every year, the Alabama Historical Commission’s Black Heritage Council bestows the Idella Childs Distinguished Service Award, which “recognizes people who have contributed to the preservation of African American historic places.”

This amazing Chalkboard Champion passed away on August 8, 1998. She was 95 years old. Her memorial service was held at her alma mater, Lincoln Normal School. She was interred at Marion Cemetery on Lafayette Street.

To read more about Idella Jones Childs, see this entry from the Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame.

Educator and philanthropist Margaret Brewer Fowler

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Educator and philanthropist Margaret Brewer Fowler of Chino, California.

There are many amazing educators who have made a major impact on their communities. One of these was teacher and philanthropist Margaret Brewer Fowler, who was a significant figure in the history of Chino, California.

Margaret was born in 1863 in San Francisco, California. Her mother’s family were among the earliest settlers of the Oregon Territory, and her father, a graduate of Yale University, was a prominent attorney in San Francisco. In 1882, Margaret and her parents immigrated to Hawaii, which was an independent kingdom in those days. In Hawaii, Margaret became a teacher in various Hawaiian schools, including the Kawaihao Seminary, the Punahou Preparatory School, and Honolulu High School. In fact, Margaret served as the principal at the Punahou School. In all, Margaret spent 14 years as an educator in Hawaiian schools.

When she left Hawaii, the experienced educator traveled east and enrolled in New York University, where she earned her Master’s degree in 1899, a rare accomplishment for a woman in those days. In 1902, Margaret married Eldridge Fowler of Detroit, Michigan. The couple moved with Eldridge’s daughter from a former marriage to a luxurious home in Pasadena, California. Two years later, Margaret’s husband passed away, leaving his young wife and daughter a considerable fortune.

After her husband’s passing, Margaret became a substantial donor to the Young Women’s Christian Association and its World Committee. Always interested in furthering education for women, she became a founding trustee of Scripps College, the women’s school at what is now known as the Claremont Colleges in Claremont, California. She also became a trustee of the California Institute of Technology. In Chino, Margaret was instrumental in establishing Boys Republic, a residential treatment center for troubled boys. She purchased the land, paid to have the buildings constructed. and financed the operating costs of the center. Boys Republic still exists today, helping adolescent boys to stay out of jail and to redirect their lives in more positive directions.

In 2001, Margaret Brewer Fowler was named to the Chino City Hall of Fame. To read more about this amazing educator, click on this link to the Boys Republic.

Educator, activist, and member of New Mexico House of Reps Miguel P. Garcia

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Educator, activist, and member of the new Mexico House of Representatives Miguel P. Garcia.

Many fine classroom teachers have also been successful in the political arena. This is certainly true of Miguel P. Garcia, a Spanish teacher from Albuquerque, New Mexico who has served in his state’s House of Representatives since 1997.

Miguel earned his Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education from Eastern New Mexico University, Portales, in 1973. He earned his Master’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, in 1993.

While still an undergrad, Miguel became an active participant in the civil rights struggle of Chicano people in the late 1960’s, 1970’s, and early 1980’s. In 1972, he was arrested at a sit-in at the Office of the President while protesting discrimination in the employment of Latinos at his university. He also worked for the creation of a Chicano Studies Program at the school. He chaired the Chicano Student Organization (AHORA) for two years. In those two years, his group created tutorial programs in the barrio schools of North Portales, and they opened a community center operated by the North Portales community.

Miguel has taught Spanish in Albuquerque Public Schools since 1989. Prior to becoming an educator, he worked as a real estate broker from 1985 to 1992. He was also employed as the Director of Casa Armijo Community Center from 1979 to 1985.

In 1996, Miguel was elected to the New Mexico House of Representatives on the Democratic ticket. He continues to serve his constituents in District 14 there to this day. In the legislature, he is a member of the Labor Committee, the Veterans and Military Affairs Development Committee, and serves as the Chair of the Land Grants and Cultural Affairs Committees. To learn more about this Chalkboard Champion’s political activities, follow this link to a Q&A published in the Albuquerque Journal.