Rosenwald School helps shape lasting legacy for Blackwell family

Before the pandemic started to close across the country, Dianna Blackwell spent some time getting acquainted with the new city where she planned to call her new home. 

It was January 2020, and the natives of Springfield had just been hired to work for the Peace Corps headquarters. Blackwell recently moved from the capital of Illinois to the capital of the United States, and then visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC 

She was moved when she stood in front of a display stand. The display stand included several old wooden desks, a large wooden sign with the words "Hope School" on it, and one in the classroom. Large black and white photo of black and white African American schoolchildren. Back wall. This is an exhibition of the Rosenwald School, which educated many black children throughout the South during the Jim Crow era in the early 20th century.

Deanna Blackwell's mother, Carolyn Blackwell (Carolyn Blackwell) attended one of 5,300 schools, which was founded by Springfield-born philanthropist Julius Rowe. Julius Rosenwald helped establish it through a philosophy rooted in partnership during the apartheid period. 

Deanna Blackwell couldn't control herself with a lot of emotion. She began to turn around and told people nearby who were watching the exhibition that her mother had gone to Rosenwald School. 

There were about five people there-all perfect strangers. No one said anything after she announced. When she is proud, most people just look at her. 

"I want a lady to smile at me," Blackwell recalled. "I feel very proud. I'm glad my mother survived. 

"I am very proud of her participation."  

In the next few years, more people will have the opportunity to learn about Rosenwald schools and their impact on so many black families. Currently, a bill to protect Rosenwald’s heritage with multi-site national parks in Illinois and the entire southern region is currently waiting to be signed into law in Washington, DC. 

Carolyn Blackwell (Carolyn Blackwell) was six years old, first grade, when she started attending Rosenwald School in Providence, Kentucky. Her father, C. Lee Carey, was from the same school and received a high school diploma in 1933. Her grandfather Fred Lee was the school janitor when he was studying in the early 1950s.

Each classroom she is in has two grades, and there is a sense of intimacy and community in the school, which goes far beyond her family relationship. Every morning, they would sing "Lift Every Voice and Sing", which is known as "Negro National Anthem", and they would attend the chapel every day.   

Although Providence is a predominantly white community, Carolyn Blackwell’s teachers, classmates, principals and women from the nearby area made fried Bologna sandwiches for lunch.  

Outside the school, things are isolated. There are "white" and "colored" fountains. In the cinema, she and her family had to sit upstairs, while the white people sat downstairs. 

At the time, she did not understand the significance of the Rosesenwald school she loved. 

Carolyn Blackwell, 75, recalled her first school and said: "I just thought it was a school." "It was a very good school-hardwood floors, beautiful The desk, the beautiful big windows, the sun shines in." 

Segregation and lack of funding for African American schools in the south of Jim Crowe make it difficult for black students to receive quality education. 

Rosenwald schools in 15 different southern states are committed to addressing the fairness gap. 

Rosenwald's philanthropy was influenced by the Chicago rabbi, Emil G. Hirsch, and the Jewish "Tzedakah" tradition (show of kind deeds). As in Jewish tradition, Rosenwald, who was the owner of Sears, Roebuck and Co., believes that it is his duty to provide gifts to those who are unfortunate. But he also values ​​partnerships and believes that unfortunate people have an obligation to do what they can. 

That is the philosophy established by his school. Each of the more than 5,300 schools he built relies on partnerships, where three different groups of people jointly raise funds to help create a better path forward for the long-deprived black community.  

"This partnership is that the community must donate one-third, the government must donate one-third, and Rosenwald donates one-third," said Nancy Sa, executive director of the Springfield Jewish Federation. Qi said. "Unless they take on all three tasks, they will not be able to establish the Rosenwald School." 

One-third of the money in the black community usually comes from mothers and grandmothers, who sew patchwork quilts and sweat together, such as community assistance in school construction. 

Although Carolyn Blackwell moved with her family to Champaign, Illinois in 1954 and was in fifth grade, she was the first four in formal education at a small brick school in downtown Providence. Years, still left memories and impressions 

When she arrived in Champagne, her school had just merged. The education she received at Marquette Elementary School is still of high quality, and she continues to excel in her studies, which led to her honor roll. But the environment is quite different. 

"All my white teachers," Carolyn Blackwell said. "I don't have a black teacher or a black principal anymore." 

In third grade, Carolyn Blackwell remembered her teacher, Mrs. Reese, and one day she called her to her desk. 

"Caroline, now you are growing." Blackwell recalled the unforgettable exchange with the teacher. "You need to start using deodorant."

This conversation was so important to Blackwell, who later became a teacher himself, mainly in the 186 area of ​​Springfield. 

"Miss Woolford and Mrs. Reese, their way of life, manners, and relationship with me are deeply ingrained in me," Blackwell said among the teachers at Rosenwald School. Now retired, Carolyn Blackwell will return to her third grade teacher whenever one of her former students expresses gratitude for her achievements.  

"I think,'Oh, that's how I felt about Mrs. Reese before." Blackwell said with a smile. 

Although the quality of education at Rosenwald School combined with the community environment makes Blackwell’s early education unique, the relationship between her and her black teachers has been trustworthy for generations of African American students. 

The daughters of Carolyn Blackwell remember all their black teachers from kindergarten to the 186th district high school in Springfield. 

For Caroline and Robert Blackwell’s youngest daughter, Diana Blackwell, there is her middle school biology teacher, Mrs. Johnson. Then, there was Mrs. Betty White, her literature teacher. The two black teachers were taking care of her and seemed always willing to defend her, and they quickly held her accountable. 

47-year-old Deanna Blackwell said: “White people don’t seem to exist. The whole world always seems to exist. It’s really interesting, especially in Springfield. There are two worlds. Me. Remember Mrs. White, if my task is not done well, she will stay with me after class, and she will think, "This is a problem. You must work hard for this. "Otherwise she will teach me. 

"It's a bit like Rosenwald's move-a school inside the school." 

For Tracy Merez (the eldest daughter of Carolyn and Robert Blackwell), there is her kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Sessions. Her next black teacher is her sixth grade math teacher, Mr. Walton. 

"At school, I had to call him Mr. Walton," Merez recalled. "But he is actually my father's best friend, so we call him'Top Cat' at home because that is his nickname. 

"In high school, my physical education teacher and track and field coach was Black. That's it."  

Even if there is no such representative in the school, Carolyn Blackwell (Carolyn Blackwell) still has to make sure that her daughters can see her representative in the world. 

Nicole Florence said: “When we were young, there were not many black dolls.” Her mother is committed to ensuring that she and her sisters always feel a sense of belonging. "Even in some of the toys we have played, there are not many representatives. My mother is always good at: "I will find it for you. I want you to meet you, whether it's Barbie, games or movies. I think it really helps us. "

Carolyn Blackwell is committed to ensuring that children feel supported and seen in their commitment beyond her own home. Throughout her career, she has injected the same energy into every role as a long-term educator. 

Dr. Mary Loken, the former principal of Springfield School, said: "She is passionate, loving, passionate and eager-all the beautiful things you want are someone who wants to be a colleague and teach your children." As for she did not spend as much time in direct classroom teaching as you might think. However, her actions have affected more people. She is a role model. She is an African American who held leadership positions in the 70s and 80s Women. That is a very good thing."

Over the years, Blackwell has served as an administrator, teacher and advisor in the Springfield School District. She oversees many special projects and programs, such as government internship programs. The program brings high school graduates from across the state to Springfield for a semester, providing them with the opportunity to earn class credits while learning government knowledge and exploring their career interests. As the student liaison for the program, Carolyn Blackwell (Carolyn Blackwell) is responsible for working with each student and finding a family to live with during their time in the state capital.  

She also spent some time as the director of the Title I Program in District 186, where she is dedicated to supporting students from low-income families to help them succeed in the classroom and improve their reading and math scores. 

Loken said: "We have encountered many challenges, there are many problems, and of course the title I am there to help school children achieve equality and provide them with equal opportunities." Loken is number one in Blackwell After moving to Springfield, he recommended to the school board in Champagne after teaching. "As a supervisor or the head of a major department, you depend on the head of each department. Carolyn, in every leadership role she plays, I have no worries. Carolyn can interact with everyone (Principal, parents and children) work together."  

As part of the education cabinet of the region, Blackwell consists of six to eight people. As a consultant to school administrators, it has always been the most important voice and advocate for those who need it most. 

"I will always remember that Caroline always had something I thought was very wise at the Monday morning meeting to remind all of us that we are dealing with some boys and girls living in poverty and we need to do something to help them. ," said Loken, who has known Blackwell for nearly 50 years. 

In Caroline and Robert Blackwell’s home, the couple’s three daughters are always told that they can do whatever they want.  

School is their job. Education is their path to anywhere in their lives. 

They plan to go to university. Just understand. Two generations paved the way for them. 

After receiving a high school diploma from Rosenwald School in Providence, C. Lee Carey was one of 12 blacks who attended the University of Illinois before World War II. In 1938, he received a bachelor's degree in physical education from the school. Later, he received his second bachelor's degree in entertainment from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 

At the same time, activist citizen Velma Carey has made unremitting efforts to improve the Springfield community-fighting discriminatory housing policies, fighting for the right to vote, and voluntarily fighting for titles for children and education.

"Education," Carolyn Blackwell emphasized. "We don't care where we get it. My father and mother are deeply rooted. 

"Thank God."

The Springfield Jewish Union estimates that the Rosenwald School throughout the South has received more than 600,000 students, including the ancestors of Oprah Winfrey, Spike Lee and Julian Bond. 

What Lee Carey and Carolyn Blackwell did after Rosenwald's experience is very important. 

The daughters raised by Carolyn and Robert Blackwell continue to inherit the family’s inheritance in their own powerful way: Tracey Meares (law professor for nearly 30 years) She is the first black woman hired by Yale Law School and American University. Chicago Law School. Dr. Nicole Florence is the medical director of the Weight Loss and Health Center of the Memorial Medical Center and a long-term pediatrician of the Memorial Medical System. Deanna Blackwell received a Ph.D. on the basis of sociocultural education. She is an expert in cross-cultural competence, diversity and inclusion in the Peace Corps.

Her essay titled "Students of Color in White-Dominated Classrooms: An Examination of Race Roles, Safety, and Empowerment", explored many of her family's life experiences. It looks at how students of color in white universities (mainly white) define themselves educational success and create a kind of curriculum, just like the curriculum her mother created for her and her sisters at home, around their race, ethnicity Ethnic and ethnic identities.   

Florence said: "We are always nurtured by encyclopedias, and we will always go to the library to study history." "I will definitely appreciate the way I grew up and the education I received not only in school but also outside school. ."

Alice Walker's "Purple" is a must-read material for her mother during the summer. 

After growing up, all the extra work and attention to education may put pressure on Caroline Blackwell's daughter or make them feel overwhelmed at times. Now they have a great appreciation for the values ​​and principles instilled by their parents and the high standards set by their grandparents. 

"My mother's experience at Rosenwald School changed her relationship with education and school, and this relationship subsequently transferred to us," said Dianna Blackwell. "Therefore, the information we have about the school is that this place can be empowered, affirmed, and liberated, and education may be a great tool for our personal development, development as professionals, and finding our place in the world. Importantly, this is also a form of serving the world and our community. 

"That completely shaped my relationship with education and my decision to become a professional." 

With the development of multi-site national parks, the heritage potential of Julius Rosenwald has received more and more attention and wide recognition. This is the focus of Carolyn Blackwell’s The future-provided comfort for her three daughters, five grandchildren and continued inheritance. Her deep family heritage began in a small brick school in Providence, Kentucky. 

She said: "I very much hope that the example set by Julius Rosenwald will return to our society in 2021." "We need it."