Born in 1846 in Philadelphia, education activist Caroline LeCount was the first Black woman to pass the city’s teacher’s examination. As principal of a public school, LeCount championed fellow Black educators. When a new principal was needed at the Wilmot Colored School, LeCount recommended one of her teachers, telling the school board that the candidate was “fully qualified” and “colored children should be taught by their own.”
More than a century and a half later, Black education reformers are still urging school boards to invest in principals and teachers of color. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 15% of K-12 public school students in the United States are Black. Only 7% of teachers are Black…
