Trailblazing educator Mildred Crumples was also a politician and community activist. Photo credit: Rutgers African-American Alumni Alliance
Many excellent school teachers not only dedicate their efforts towards their students, but also work tirelessly to improve the lives of others in their community. This is the case with Mildred Crump, a trailblazing teacher who also devoted her considerable energy to her community as a community activist.
Mildred was born in Detroit, Michigan, on Nov. 3, 1938, the daughter of a union organizer. As a young woman, she earned her Bachelor’s degree from Wayne State University. There she was named the recipient of the David D. McKenzie Honor Society Award as the “Most Outstanding Female Student for Leadership and Scholarship.” Later Mildred earned her Master’s degree in Public Administration from Rutgers University located in Newark, New Jersey.
Mildred inaugurated her career as an educator in Detroit. She became the first African American to teach Braille there. In 1965, Mildred relocated to Newark, New Jersey, where she became the first African American teacher of Braille in the state. For many years, Mildred worked as a teacher and consultant with the Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Her career as an educator spanned 42 years.
Mildred also contributed to her community through public office. She was elected Newark’s first African-American Councilwoman in 1994, the first African American to serve on the Council in the city’s 336-year history. She served in this role until 2021.
A longtime community activist, Mildred was a tireless advocate for women, children, senior citizens, the disabled, working families and others in need. She served as the president and a member of the Board of Trustees for Integrity House, Inc.; Vice Chairperson of the Steering Committee of the Bridge to Recovery; and a charter member of the African American Museum at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC. As an advocate for women’s empowerment, she presented workshops on women’s issues throughout the United States, and in many international countries, including China, Ghana, and Nigeria. She was also a founding member of the New Jersey Coalition of 100 Black Women, and a Golden Heritage Life Member of the Newark Branch of the NAACP.
For her work as an educator, politician, and community activist, Mildred garnered many awards. She earned the Susan Burgess Memorial Award for Exemplary Leadership from the National Democratic Municipal Officials. She also received the Public Service Lifetime Achievement Award from the New Jersey Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration. In 2020, she was inducted into the New Jersey State League of Municipalities Hall of Fame.
Mildred Crump passed away on Dec. 1, 2024, at the age of 86. She is interred at Glendale Cemetery in Bloomfield, New Jersey. To learn more about this Chalkboard Champion, click on this link to Rutgers.
