Golden Decade Foundation Conference Journal 2023

Submitted Article Theta Chapter 2023

By Yvette Grant,
Public Relations Chairperson

Just recently, I heard a NYCMTA bus driver energetically beeping the horn in a loud rhythmic fashion that New York pedestrians know to immediately get out of the way. When I looked swiftly at the slowing vehicle and then at the bus driver, surprisingly, it was one of my former elementary school students. Although he is a professional adult, and responsible for a crowded bus of passengers, I saw traces of a past beaming child with the widest grin, bellowing, “I Love You Ms. Grant!”. Time stood still for a nanosecond and we both just chuckled with immense joy waving. This is a comparable, guaranteed, familiar exchange I experience several times a year with some of my previous students who are now, for example: a US Navy officer, an educator, a doctor, an attorney, a business executive, an entrepreneur, an architect, an actor, an author, a civil servant, a parent, etc. I still live in the community [that I grew up in] and returned there to teach after receiving my teaching degree from Boston University School of Education in 1977. Fundamentally, for decades, I escorted my students to monthly field trips out of East New York, Brooklyn, to expand their horizons and make connections to their academic studies; I additionally made sure the students went on walking trips to discover the significant resources and beauty right in our own neighborhood.

Although East New York has moved on [somewhat] from the devastation of the multitudes of abandoned private houses, rat infested lots, fleeing businesses, pocketbook snatching [and the harrowing persistence of the heroin era that cut the lives too short of some friends and neighbors that I witnessed first-hand as a child], etc., there were some remnants of declining public housing, a strong gang presence and the replacement drug, crack, that surrounded the schools I eventually taught in. Nonetheless, most of the families continued to be hard working and the students were sharp, inquisitive, ready to learn and respectful. But, don’t worry! Certain teaching colleagues and I knew how to love, redirect and teach those students who had challenges [mostly from the competing environment] that urgently pursued their attention. My teaching cohorts and I showed up each and every day to battle not the students, but the behaviors from the scores of encounters that accompanied particular issues in our nation. Dependable teaching colleagues and I were seriously on the front line using consistent and effective strategic teaching tactics, tools, respect, vision, evoking prospects and pure love that were made to win the war on poverty.

As the years moved along, I earned a Master’s Degree from Columbia University Teachers College, another from the Long Island University Education School and a host of education certificates and professional learning credits. I had to heighten my teaching skills and utilize current, professional-learning best practices with our students and families. I did this every semester, since the school buildings and the system’s chosen curriculums in many cases, did not always provide our students with the optimal opportunities to critically think, be innovators and achieve the scholastic capabilities to escape the barriers of destitution assigned to them by zip codes. Students met with me before school, during lunch, preparation periods, and after-school to practice extra assignments and culturally relevant projects not found in the commercially-designed school programs.

Through the solid schooling techniques, I also kept the faith and tenacity laid down by my grandparents and parents’ exemplary examples and actions. Talk about “from whence they came”, they had passion, did “the work” and conquered societal oppositions! My father [from South Carolina] started as a “shoe shine boy” in front of the Apollo Theater, then to washing hair at a Harlem barber shop, to obtaining the proprietorship of that very same business, and personally planting trees along the entire Harlem sidewalk, decades before sustainability became a buzz word. My mother: a Harlemite who went from a factory worker to earning a college degree, becoming director of one of NYC’s largest hospitals’ departments, one of the first and longest standing NYC community board members, and president of a local school board. How could I not be positively focused, and persevere to care about the school families [although too many other decision makers vehemently neglected them for generations]? I did, however, seek after school mentors for my determined and developing career; I wanted to know more and become crystal clear about proven intentional educational practices.

I researched and read about some fierce educators who lit the fire for trailblazing non-extinguishable paths: Mary Jane McLeod Bethune, Septima Poinsette Clarke, Marva Delores Collins, Dr. Adelaide Sanford and Dr. Renee Young [aka The Phenomenal Five Igniters, or PFI]. I needed and are still fed by their guidance, resources and energies to arm me with proven methods for our colleagues, families and students. You see, in all of my professional 45 years in education, I rarely had a live mentor or advisor in my physical midst. I did, however, right before my vision and dreams, acquire the knowledge of exceptional educators who succeeded and never gave up on our students. The PFI are educators with nonfading eternal lessons we can all reach for, for inspiration, purpose and application. Here are some nuggets of the unparalleled five educators who led actions and left incredible legacies we cannot just admire, but still implement their stratagems today.

Dr. Mary McCloud Bethune [also a recognized Bethune-Cookman University founder and earliest in her family not to be enslaved]. The Bethune Cookman University Website “Our Founder (2023)” page states how Dr. Bethune notably began the Daytona Literary and Industrial Training Institute for Negro Girls on October 3, 1904 with $1.50. The initial students were Albert Jr., her son of only five years, and five young girls. The school increased to 250 students before the second year of opening. There are countless accomplishments of Dr. Bethune; for example, consistently highlighting the health inequities and absence of medical treatment accessible to African Americans in Daytona Beach. Dr. Bethune also established the Mary McLeod Hospital and Training School for Nurses. The National Parks Service-U. S. Department of Exterior Website (2023) details the United States presidential advisory roles that Dr. Bethune contributed to with President Calvin Coolidge, President Herbert Hoover, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and President Harry S. Truman. Certain roles involved a White House Conference on Child Welfare and Housing, the White House Conference on Child Health and Protection, performing as a Special Advisor to the National Youth Administration, and Director of Negro Affairs and Federal Council on Negro Affairs. The US News and World Report Website “Best College Edition” (2022-2023) notes that the Bethune-Cookman University has a 2,513 undergraduate enrollment for Fall 2021.

Septima Poinsette Clark, another trendsetting educator, received her certification as a teacher; nonetheless the City of Charleston declined to employ African Americans to teach in its public schools. This discriminatory hiring practice did not deter Ms. Clark; she became an instructor on South Carolina’s Johns Island in 1916. The Biography Newsletter Website (2020) reports that Septima Poinsette Clark went back to Charleston in 1919, to teach at the Avery Institute. The Charleston Recounteurs Website (2021) tells when Septima Clark went back to Johns Island, she educated children in the the day, and taught adults literacy and basic skills [for no charge] at night. Ms. Clark put together and rooted citizenship schools that assisted many African Americans to register to vote. There are many additional noteworthy accomplishments of Ms. Clark; one area of achievement is how she networked and established relationships for the community. Although there were some distinctions between Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Septima Clark, King recognized Clark as a person who could urge folks to do something better. Recaconteurs cites how Clark inspired King to the point of having Clark attend Sweden where King received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964; Dr. King included Clark in his acceptance speech. Over time, Clark did lose her 40-year South Carolina teaching pension for not leaving her post with the NAACP. Regardless, Ms. Clark did continue to teach in Tennessee where she taught reading, and many adults were able to vote with their newfound skills. Recaconteurs published how Clark helped register over 700,000 voters who were able to pass the required literacy tests [remarkably, Clark won her lawsuit to have her pension reinstated in Charleston, SC].

Further north [and an era after Ms. Clark] is the innovating educator, Marva Delores Collins. Ms. Collins conceived and constructed the Westside Preparatory School [WPS]. The privately run elementary school was located in the underserved community of Garfield Park in Chicago, Illinois. In 1975, Ms. Collins [a former substitute teacher] became famous for successfully educating black students by comprising the Socratic method to engage students and instill a love of learning and literature. Roberts of the NY Times (2015) documented that Collins started the WPS with four students, one being her daughter, with the monthly tuition of $80. The enrollment increased to more than 200, with pre-kindergarteners through eighth graders. The WPS continued to maintain operation for more than 30 years. The History Maker Website (2023) indicates that Collins “trained more than 100,000 teachers since the opening of the Westside Preparatory School and traveled to Africa with the Young Presidents’ Organization in order to spread her methodology to educators worldwide.” United States President Reagan asked Ms. Collins to become the US Secretary of Education; she declined the offer and remained at WPS. Augustyn, editor of the Britannica Website (2023) lists Collins with coverage on 60 Minutes, and Times, Jet, Newsweek and Black Enterprise magazines. CBS aired the movie The Marva Collins Story on December 1, 1981 [as reported by made-for-tv-movie.fandom.com].

When projecting a spotlight on an educator who “uplifts the race”, illumination beams brightly on Dr. Adelaide Sanford. Ms. Sanford is a Brooklyn, NY born quintessential educator who graduated: with a secondary education from Girls High School, with postsecondary educational attainment in 1947 from Brooklyn College [with a Bachelor of Education], from Wellesley College with a Master of Education, and in 1967 from Fordham University with a Professional Degree as a Ford Foundation Fellow chronicled in Sanford’s book (2022). The foundational groundwork paralleled Dr. Sanford’s teaching and leading roots, and extensive experiences throughout the years at New York City PS 44 and JHS 35, and 19 years as a principal at the Crispus Attucks School/PS 21 schools; she was also a teacher educator at Baruch College, and lists an enormous host of honorary statuses. A relentless and relevant scholar, activist, educator, former NYCDOE Brooklyn principal, teaching fellow at the Principals’ Center at Harvard University, and Board of Regents University of the State of New York Vice Chancellor Emerita [to mention a few], Dr. Adelaide Sanford [at 97 years young], with tremendous wit and wisdom, is still imparting impactful best practices for the underserved, as attested to with numerous prestigious awards and current actions, including active participation in the Adelaide L. Sandford Institute [ASI], which is extensively described in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adelaide_L._Sanford and https://www.sanfordinstitute.org/home .

The National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Inc. Theta Chapter celebrated the life-long achievements of the honorable Dr. Adelaide Sanford at the 82^ndNSPDK, Theta Chapter Annual Scholarship Luncheon.

Dr. Adelaide Sanford continues to be engaged with the monthly ASI Book Club sessions. On Saturday, September 24, 2022, NSPDK Theta Soror Grant moderated the ASI Book Club which discussed the deeply moving memoir of family, civic, and professional accounts found in the 2022 publication entitled, From Enslavement To Belovedness For the Dignity of My People, authored by Dr. Adelaide L. Sanford. In response to the genuine conversational event surrounding Dr. Sanford’s book experience, Theta Soror Grant shares, “…the once in a lifetime experience to moderate the testimonial text penned by a living legend such as the incomparable Dr. Adelaide Sanford was truly a very humbling experience. In my entire 45 years as a professional educator, I hardly ever had an in-person mentor; Dr. Adelaide Sanford has been a dependable, authentic and resourceful educational leader-really a guru! I, and multitudes of educators and families throughout the world, can seek archival documents on Dr. Sanford, who is a trusted and no-nonsense model for excellence, equity and the success our children!”.

One extension of how Dr. Adelaide Sandford has a “still standing” strong presence is from a recent tribute for a significant media giant. WABC’s Here and Now ABC7 New York (2023) honored the unmatched Like It Is reporter and host Gil Nobel; the televised tribute aired on Sunday, February 19, 2023. The acknowledgement included selected video clips of the critically acclaimed achievements of African Americans that Nobel produced over the decades; notably, the Here and Now television host Sandra Bookman featured Dr. Sanford with the closing recorded memorial that commemorated and celebrated Gil Nobel’s life on April 12, 2012 at the renowned NYC Abyssinian Baptist Church. The concluding video speaks volumes of the many astonishing oratorical gifts that Dr. Sanford has graced us with, with truth, excellence and call to action.

The fifth profound educator who we can count on to illuminate “the indispensable” is Dr. Renee Young. Dr. R. Young continues to stand the test of time for a half-century with sound verifiable practices, and equitable access to resources. Dr. Young has been in the midst of restructuring less-than-desirable [and sometimes immoral] educational neglect, with lifetime partner and husband Dr. Lester Young [former teacher, guidance counselor, award-winning principal, superintendent, profiled in Men of Courage, established NYS My Brother’s Keeper, and current NYSED Chancellor]. Moreover, Dr. Renee Young [once a school guidance counselor] was mentored by Dr. Adelaide Sanford while gaining leadership in the NYCDOE Brooklyn Public School 21. Dr. R. Young is presently an educational consultant, and the steady hand of the ASI Parent Leadership Institute [PLI]; the PLI fosters parent advocacy. Every month the PLI provides high quality information and materials on the very areas necessary for every student’s success. A testament to the positive influence that Dr. R. Young consistently produces for our children and families is the high attendance at the NYCDOE Boys and Girls High School in Brooklyn where the PLI is held. Eager parents, educators and varied community-based organization facilitators show up monthly to early Saturday mornings sessions [and consistently virtual meetings during the COVID pandemic] to stay abreast of, and obtain what is needed, from submitted evaluations and surveys. Some of the monthly certified professional presenters are engaging former students and teachers directly taught and/or led by Dr. R. Young. Part of my very own different, varied, laser-focused toolkit for my family, community, and as a school leader came from participating in the PLI sessions. [btw, Dr. R. Young once held membership as a NSPDK Theta Chapter Soror, and several Theta Soros continue to attend the PLI sessions as well].

We speak so often of having the resilience to persevere while educating our brilliant children to dream, practice and be prepared. In many cases, we ourselves were these children [now educators] who do not have to solely rely on the traditional means of in-person mentorship [especially when the situation does not present itself, although we add significant value, are courteous, professional, often seek and are open to the support!]. Our fine families have the proven formulae to encourage us along the often hard-driven roads to never, ever give up on our children. If we dig, practice mindfulness, keep the hope alive, and share, we can also maintain the tenacity like our exceptional Phenomenal Five! We must say, they are extraordinarily enlightening!

References

Augustyn, Adam. Britannica. 2023. Marva Collins American Educator.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marva-Collins

Bethune Cookman University. 2023. Our Founder.

https://www.cookman.edu/history/our-founder.html

Biography. 2020. Famous Activist Septima Clark

https://www.biography.com/activist/septima-poinsette-clark

Charleston Recaconteurs. 2021. History Told With & Skill Septima Poinsette Clark.

http://www.charlestonraconteurs.com/septima-poinsette-clark.html

History Maker. 2023. Marva Collins.

https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/marva-collins-40

https://made-for-tv-movie.fan