Celebrating Black History Month

We are celebrating by recognizing four Black educators that made a difference to their communities and to American education. 

​Our short bios do not do justice to the work these men and women have done.  We encourage you to learn more about these amazing people.

The “Father of Black History”

Carter G Woodson, born a slave, was the 2nd Black American to graduate from Harvard. He was an educator, writer and mentor. He worked tirelessly to inform the American public about the contributions of Black Americans in the formation of the country, its history, and culture. In 1926, Woodson, initiated the first celebration of Negro History Week which led to Black History Month, to extend and deepen the study and scholarship on African American history, all year long.

College Founder and Public Policy Advisor ​Mary McLeod Bethune became one of the most important civil rights leaders of the twentieth century. She was a lifelong educator, working as a teacher before founding Bethune-Cookman college which set educational standards for today’s black colleges. She went on to become the highest-ranking African American woman in government when President Franklin Roosevelt named her director of Negro Affairs of the National Youth Administration.

Ground Breaking California Teacher

Bessie Burke’s parents came to California by covered wagon. She graduated near the top of her class from Los Angeles State Normal School (now part of UCLA). She became the first Black teacher in LA in 1911. Burke became the first Black principal in L.A. in 1918. In 1938, she became the first Black principal to head a racially integrated school. She retired from the Los Angeles Board of Education in 1955.

An Architect of American Education ​Dr. Edmund Gordon is professor emeritus in psychology at Yale and at Teacher’s College, Columbia University. He has been recognized many times for his work that influenced contemporary thinking in psychology, education, and social policy. His research showing segregation was detrimental to the education of Black children was important in the Supreme Court’s decision of Brown vs Board of Education. In addition, he was an architect of the Head Start program.