Wiki History: Inspirations from Great Black Educators 1

Wiki History!

Hello and welcome back to rememberinghistory.com where we are remembering history and we’re making it.

I’m Robin, the host of this podcast show and I’m so glad that you have joined me for the opening of this important podcast series. Our history makers in this series will make you stand up and cheer. Or perhaps they’ll make up sit down and grab a book. Why? Because in this series, we focus on a group of history makers that are often forgotten: The educators. Teachers, tutors, lecturers, writers. People from all disciplines who teach our children or learners of any age. This is such an inspirational group and I’m gonna tell you why I think so.

First, I strongly believe in education. I guess that’s not breaking news. Oh well, I just had to say it anyway. But here is some breaking news: many of the greatest Black educators hailed from very humble, even disadvantaged backgrounds. Some were former slaves. Some were children of former slaves. They were sharecroppers who worked the fields from a young age. Or they were kids who struggled academically, faced racism or sexism, were labelled learning disabled or unteachable, had disciplinary problems or were denied even the most basic education. But what did they do? Did they give up? Did they accept those labels or accept that education was unavailable to them? Never! The educators that I’ll present in this podcast series overcame their difficulties, focused on their goals and worked tirelessly to learn.

But they didn’t stop there. They continued and applied their focus, determination and faith to make sure that every child gets an education and develops the skills to work towards their dreams.

Wow, they improved their lives and the lives of countless others. These people made a difference. And if they made a difference, it shows that we all can make a difference and improve the lives of others and improve this world. That’s why I find history so inspirational. The real stories of real people making a real difference! And these great Black educators were champions.

I will start discussing them in just a moment but I want to mention a few details. First, the rememberinghistory.com website is a great place to get more information, more inspirational stories and more inspiration every day. So, please visit the website and get inspired. Second, while you’re there, feel free to leave your comments about, well, anything that’s on your mind. We are a group of fun and friendly historians and we welcome everyone into the fold. Also, take a look at the books & stuff store where you will find books, of course, but also articles, DVDs, audiobooks and other sources of inspiration and history. Remember all the resources that you will find are personally vetted by me so you can trust the quality and authenticity of whatever you purchase. And if you find a book or whatever that you don’t like, send me a comment at the website. I read all comments so I will definitely take your views seriously. At the Rememberinghistory, we believe in accountability. You won’t find that in many places on the Internet but you can definitely find it here. You can also find an inspirational t-shirts, bracelets, greeting and post cards and lot of other items to remember history and to be inspired. And, finally, look for (and “like”) us on Facebook under the Rememberinghistory page and the Rememberinghistory Podcast page. Great information and great discussions in both places. Lots of fun and lots of inspiration.

Without further ado, let’s get straight to discussing great Black educators and how they inspired their students and how they can inspire us.

Let’s begin with someone who might be a household name. Well, I hope that she’s a household name! Mary McLeod Bethune! She is absolutely one of the foremost educators in American history and she definitely is an inspiration to us all. But I’m jumping ahead of myself. Let’s hear her story. Get ready to stand up and cheer.

Born in 1875 to former slaves in Mayesville, South Carolina, Mary Jane McLeod was the 15th of 17 children in the sharecropping McLeod family. Her mother was a domestic worker and her father worked in the cotton and rice fields. Eventually, the family saved enough money to purchase a small piece of land and they became full-time farmers. Mary Jane MacLeod worked in the fields from the age of 5 but early on developed interest in education and reading. She attended a 1-room school for Black kids. Mary Jane was the only child who could attend school so she learned everything that she could during the school day then taught it to her siblings at night. She later received a scholarship to the Scotia School for Girls.

After completing her studies, she married and took the name (that we all know and love) of Mary MacLeod Bethune. She and her husband, Albertus, moved to Florida and opened a small missionary school for prisoners. In 1904, Mary MacLeod Bethune founded the Dayton Normal & Industrial Training School for Negro Girls. The school opened with 6 girl students and her son, Albert.

The school had a very rigorous schedule, beginning the day at 5:30 am for Bible study. They studied home economics and developed industrial skills like dress-making, cooking and, as she called it, “techniques of self-sufficiency”. Later the school taught science, business, math, English and foreign languages. The rigorous day ended at 9:00pm every night for the school’s 250 students. Yes, that’s right. The school grew from just 6 students to 250 students in just a few short years!

MMB was a master fundraiser, getting donations from prominent businessmen like James Gamble (of Proctor & Gamble) and Booker T. Washington. But MMB strongly believed in self-sufficiency so the students also made and sold sweet potato pies, ice cream and fried fish to raise money for operations and supplies. MMB always focused on developing the school and educating kids to be self-sufficient. In 1929, 25 years after the Dayton Normal & Industrial Training School for Girls opened its doors, the school merged with Cookman College to become a co-ed facility called the Bethune-Cookman College. The college remained open and operational through the Depression and exceeded the educational standards set by the state of Florida. In 1941, the Bethune-Cookman College became a fully accredited college in the state of Florida. And it is still open and operational with students from around the country and abroad. In fact, Bethune-Cookman UNIVERSITY celebrated its centennial anniversary in 2004. From its humble beginnings as the Dayton Normal & Industrial Training School for Girls through its merging with Cookman College and finally its accreditation, Bethune-Cookman University has been educating girls and boys, women and men for 100 years! Its motto is “Enter to Learn. Depart to Serve.” Go take a look at BCU on the RH Facebook page page, see its student body, look at its curriculum. You will definitely be impressed.

MMB is quoted as saying “I had faith in a loving God, faith in myself and an endless desire to serve.” And these qualities extended beyond the field of education. Dr. Bethune was active in the early civil rights movement serving as president of the Florida chapter of the National Association of Colored Women. During this time, she fought for voting rights for African Americans.

So, education and civil rights. What more could MMB be involved in? One a personal level, she was committed to economic independence so she invested in many businesses like a newspaper and several life insurance companies. She felt that all women should be independent economically. And she did teach these skills for many years beginning with her school for girls that she founded in Florida in 1904. She was a true visionary, well ahead of her time.

This dynamic woman had the ambitious goals of educating African Americans, securing economic self-sufficiency for African American women and men and ensuring civil rights and equal rights for African Americans. We have to stop here discussing MMB but, if you want more information, and I really hope that you do, you can find it in the Books & Stuff store at the rememberinghistory.com website. I want to highlight one resource that you might find particularly interesting. It is a DVD called Mary McLeod Bethune: The Spirit of a Champion. This DVD was made in 2008 and will give you lots more information about this great woman—yes, there is a lot more to say about her—and will inspire you to go beyond your limits. In fact, her story will help you to remember that there are no limits. MMB once said, “Without faith, nothing is possible. With faith, nothing is impossible.” Nothing is impossible. Yes, she coined this wise statement.

And it so true!

MMB: a great educator, activist, advisor and woman.

But we need to move on discuss another ambitious, Black educator. Her work was more recent than MMB but had no less of an impact. Here is a quote from her:

“Teachers need nothing more than books, a blackboard and a pair of legs that will last the day.” Do you know what great educator made this true and profound statement? Marva Collins. And she not only talked the talk but she also walked the walk. And she helped so many children to learn and excel in school and in life. Her story is a lesson in vision, determination and compassion. Without further ado, let’s tell her incredible story.

Marva Collins was born in Monroeville, Alabama in 1936. Her father was a merchant, a cattleman and an undertaker. Her mother was a homemaker. She was raised in a small town just outside of Mobile, Alabama. Young Marva attended a strict elementary school based in a 1-room schoolhouse. Now I mention these “minor” details because her experience in the tiny and strict elementary school would have a profound impact on her later in her life and career.

Marva Collins always believed in the value of education. However, she saw that many students, especially black students, were being labeled as learning disabled and even unteachable. Some showed disciplinary problems or difficulties. Many of these children were either kicked out of school or quit school at an early age. Marva Collins, who had worked as a full-time substitute teacher in Chicago for 14 years, decided that this was unacceptable. And she decided that she could fix this problem.

What did she do?

She used her $5,000 pension savings to open a school for kids who had been rejected by other schools. Her school was a low-cost private school dedicated to teaching low-income African American students, particularly those labeled (erroneously as she asserted) as having a learning disability or unteachable.

Her school was called Westside Preparatory School. Its doors opened in 1975, located in the basement of a local college. The school opened with 4 students, one of whom was her own daughter. Later, the school moved to the top floor of her brownstone home. Westside Prep focused on high academic standards and discipline in a nurturing environment. It used the Socratic method of teaching (modified for use in primary school), taught phonics and classical subjects. Soon the school grew to have more than 200 students ranging from nursery school to 8th grade.

Marva Collins developed a method of teaching that reached and educated all students, especially the students that had learning difficulties under other teaching methods and the students that showed behavior problems. Collins criticized the teachers and the teaching methods, not the students. Collins said she had the data to prove that these students were teachable and were able to overcome obstacles of learning using her teaching methods. These methods also focused on behavioral issues and allowed students to learn and flourish. Westside Preparatory School remained open for 30 years. It officially closed its doors in 2008.

But Marva Collins didn’t stop there. She also created Westside Preparatory Teacher Training Institute to teach these methods to other teachers. You know, they said that true genius is the ability to create other geniuses. Marva Collins definitely showed her genius to the world and to the people who didn’t believe in her methods. Many teachers are now using the Collins method in schools across the United States.

In 2004, when accepting the National Humanities Medal (one of many awards that she received for her teaching and dedication), Marva Collins noted that there were no dropouts and no substitute teachers. When teachers were absent, the students taught themselves.

“Kids don’t fail,” she once said. “Teachers fail, school systems fail. The people who fail to teach children or who label them as unteachable, they are failures — they are the problem.” She noted, “Our children are self-motivated, self-generating, self-propelled.”

Those are essential qualities for all children—in the classroom and in life. Marva Collins was a true educator!

Do you want to know more about Marva Collins? I really hope so because there is so much more to know about this amazing woman, this incredible and dedicated educator. Of course, there are several books in the Rememberinghistory.com books and stuff store, but I want to highlight a television docu-drama called The Marva Collins Story, made in 1981, and starring Cicely Tyson and Morgan Freeman. You can find this excellent film in the books and stuff store at rememberinghistory.com. This is a great movie for the whole family and will make you want to stand up and cheer!

Well, that’s all for this podcast! I know, it’s a lot. I think that there were some surprises and lots of inspiration. I wish that we had more time but I think that you get the picture and I hope that you want to learn more about these great educators. Also, I really hope that you will leave your comments at the rememberinghistory.com website or the Rememberinghistory Facebook page. We love to hear your comments and have an interesting exchange of ideas. Perhaps you are an educator. I would love to hear what motivates you and how you motivate your students. Perhaps you were one of Marva Collins’s students, attended her teaching teacher training school or you attended Bethune-Cookman University. We would love to hear your experiences there.

(Isn’t it fascinating to realize that their work is still having an impact today!) History does not happen in the past. It is being made today and every day.

So, I’m glad that you came and I hope to that you will join us for the next podcast about Black educators. The next podcast is going to focus on educators who were Black men. Yes, there were many and they also had an impact though this can sometimes be forgotten. Well, we won’t forget them here. Join us for that exciting and inspirational podcast; you’ll stand up and cheer! And just a sneak peek into the final podcast in the Black educators series; we’ll look at historically Black colleges and universities and their impact today. You’re gonna love that show; I promise! And remember: Without faith, nothing is possible. With faith, nothing is impossible!

So, I look forward to seeing you at rememberinghistory.com where we are remembering history and we’re making it.

Bye for now!