E’ry day this month, Philly’s 7th Ward, in partnership with the Center for Black Educator Development, will highlight a “Black Educator Hall of Famer.“ But, don’t forget, e’ry month is Black History Month. February is just the Blackest. Every day is an ongoing opportunity to learn and teach the colossal impact Black educators have had on society.
Ms. Keziah Ridgeway.
Keziah Ridgeway is an award-winning history teacher with 12 years experience in the city of Philadelphia. She earned a bachelor’s degree in History with a focus on the Global South; Southwest Asia, Africa & Central/South America from Temple University, and a master’s in Secondary Education from Saint Joseph’s University.
Ridgeway, a Philadelphia native, is an accomplished and celebrated educator. Since 2016, she’s taught African-American history, AP African-American history, world history, and social and cultural anthropology at public high schools in Philadelphia. Additionally, she’s served as a curriculum developer and facilitator.
She co-created an anti-racist training curriculum, helped develop ‘Colored Conventions’ lessons for a partnership with the University of Delaware, and partnered with the School District of Philadelphia to help revamp the history curriculum. In 2020, just four years into her teaching career, Ridgeway was named a Philadelphia School District Lindback Distinguished Teacher. Her classroom environment facilitates action among students. Her African-American History class inspired a student to create the first-of-its-kind event, Afro Day, at Northeast High School.
Ridgeway is a published writer with articles appearing in Sister’s Magazine, Common Ground News, and Education Week. She has also made media appearances on CNN, CBS, and local Philadelphia news outlets and has appeared in USA Today and the New York Times. Additionally, she is also the author of the children’s book, “Black Women Do: Leaders of the African Diaspora.”
As a program developer, her mutual aid program, called Groceries for Philly, was featured in the book, “How We Stay Free: Notes on a Black Uprising” in which students she helped mentor in the group Philly Black Students Alliance wrote about her contribution to their political development during the 2020 Uprisings. As a community learner, Ridgeway curates discussion groups, presentations, and panels on islamophobia, Black muslim history, African-American History, educators of color, and racism, aimed at creating a safe and equitable environment in education and society.
Ridgeway is a master teacher not only in the classroom, but also in the community. Her passion and commitment to people have facilitated growth in her school building and in her students’ hearts. Like any teaching professional, Ridgeway has experienced her fair share of challenges. She is an embattled educator, but she has been tested and passed with flying colors.
The recipient of the Fanny Lou Hamer Award for Civic Courage & Community Empowerment from the Blackprint 20, Ridgeway exemplifies the spirit of Hamer, who said, “nobody is free until everybody’s free.” Ridgeway is committed to making everybody free.
Happy Black History Month, make sure to learn more about Keziah Ridgeway, a member of the Black Educator Hall of Fame.
