Black History Month

February is Black History Month -- we not only recognize and pay tribute to the adversities experienced by those who laid the groundwork for representation, equality and freedom, but we also celebrate the contributions and achievements of African Americans throughout history. Read on to see how these African American educators revolutionized the world of academia.

Fanny Jackson Coppin
1837-1913

“It was in me,” [Fanny] wrote years later, “to get an education and to teach my people. This idea was deep in my soul.” Fanny attended Rhode Island State Normal School and then Oberlin College, where her achievements were amazing. She was the first black person chosen to be a pupil-teacher there. In her senior year, she organized evening classes to teach freedmen" (Coppin State University, 2022).
"Oberlin then appointed her as the first black student to teach in its preparatory department. After graduating in 1865, she became principal of the Female Department of the Institute for Colored Youth in Philadelphia, a Quaker institution. In less than five years, she became principal of the entire school. Under her leadership, the institute specialized in educating African Americans as teachers and also added industrial training to its curriculum. The first black woman to head an institution of higher learning, she remained until her retirement in 1902" (African-American educator and missionary, 1998).

Coppin's outstanding work left a legacy in Maryland inspiring the establishment of the Coppin State University. Read more here.

Kelly Miller
1863-1939

"Dr. Kelly Miller was an educator, mathematician, writer, and advocate for African American education. He believed that the truest way to freedom from bondage was education. Miller graduated from Howard University in 1886 and became the first African American student to enroll at John Hopkins University in Baltimore" (Dr. Kelly Miller: A Resource Guide, 2019).
"There he earned an M. A. in 1901 and an LL.D. in 1903. Miller taught at Howard from 1890 to 1934 and became dean of the College Arts and Sciences in 1936. Under his direction, nurturing, and led the school expanded dramatically, with developments in the sociology department, growth in student recruitment, and modernization of the curriculum" (African American Registry, 2022).

Mary McLeod Bethune-Cookman
1875-1955

"Mary McLeod Bethune is one of America’s most inspirational daughters. Educator. National civil rights pioneer and activist. Champion of African American women’s rights and advancement. Advisor to Presidents of the United States. The first in her family not to be born into slavery, she became one of the most influential women of her generation. On October 3, 1904, an exceptional young Black woman, Mary McLeod Bethune, opened the Daytona Literary and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls—what would become Bethune-Cookman University—with $1.50, faith in God and five little girls, along with Dr. Bethune’s son, Albert" (Bethune-Cookman University, 2022).
"Her work with the college, national organizations, and her involvement in political advocacy led to an invitation from President Herbert Hoover to attend a White House conference in 1930. Bethune capitalized on the invitation and left the conference a leading advocate and voice for African Americans in the United States" (The Extraordinary Life of Mary McLeod Bethune, 2020).

Rita F. Pierson
1951-2013

"Rita F. Pierson, a professional educator since 1972, taught elementary school, junior high and special education. She was a counselor, a testing coordinator and an assistant principal. In each of these roles, she brought a special energy to the role -- a desire to get to know her students, show them how much they matter and support them in their growth, even if it was modest" (TED Conferences, LLC, 2022).
Pierson's outstanding work in education is widespread and still causes great ripples of change today. Her TED Talk, "Every Kid Needs a Champion" has reached millions and continues to inspire and empower educators and students around the world. Read more from Pierson herself in this essay she published for the HuffPost.