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.
Lois Jean White
Lois Jean White was born in Nashville, TN, on March 21, 1938. She was raised by her grandmother and, as a child, developed an interest in music. She was considered a child prodigy by some, but unfortunately, she was rejected from the Nashville Youth Orchestra because she was Black. Nevertheless, she gained the opportunity to play with the New York City Orchestra instead.
White attended and graduated from Fisk University with a BA in music in 1960, and she received further training at Indiana University. She then taught music at Mills College in Birmingham, Alabama, from 1960 to 1962. She then turned her career to the orchestra. She joined the Community Orchestra in Atlanta in 1963. In 1967, she and her family moved to Knoxville, where she joined the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra as principal flutist.
While with the orchestra, White became involved in PTA work on behalf of her son. She recognized the importance of both volunteer work and the central role of parents and their kids’ educational development. She became the representative on the PTA Council, which served as a link between the local and state chapters.
Her work as the cultural arts chairperson for the Tennessee PTA attracted considerable attention at the state PTA convention. In 1989, White became the first African American elected president of the Tennessee State PTA. In 1995, she was elected president of the national PTA. As president, she led nearly 6.5 million parents, teachers, school administrators, and other children’s advocates in teaching parenting skills, supporting public education, and advocating for national-level legislation that would positively affect children’s lives.
White was concerned about the problems of urban children. She was concerned because these families were overlooked. Thus, under her leadership, the PTA developed programs that encouraged inner-city children to stay in school. As a result of her work, she expanded the PTA to numerous cities across the country, including New York City, Boston, and Philadelphia, where the organization hadn’t previously been present.
White’s example is an educator-advocate working on behalf of people whose voices aren’t heard. Her work is single-handedly responsible for uplifting Black communities, and without her voice and influence, it may not have happened, or at least it would have taken longer. We must do the work that Lois Jean White did, speaking up on behalf of children and marginalized people.
Happy Black History Month, make sure to read up on Lois Jean White, a member of the Black Educator Hall of Fame.
