E’ry day this month, the Center for Black Educator Development, in partnership with Phillys7thWard.org, will highlight a Black Educator Hall of Famer.
But, don’t forget, e’ry month is Black History Month…February is just the Blackest.
Today, our featured Black Educator is Mary Jane Patterson.
Mary Jane Patterson was a trailblazer in every sense of the word. She was born in 1840 in North Carolina. While it is uncertain if her father obtained his freedom or was an escapee, he relocated the family to Oberlin, OH, a town with a growing free Black population.
Patterson excelled as a student. Fulfilling her father’s dream of attending college, Patterson graduated from Oberlin College with the highest honors. She is widely considered only the second Black women to graduate from an established four-year college in the United States with a bachelor’s degree. She joined her older brother and her younger sisters joined her as graduates of the college. Each of them became teachers. Mary would become an eduactivist – ensuring that other Black folks had the educational CONTINUE READING: Mary Jane Patterson, Black Educator Hall of Fame - Philly's 7th Ward