Mothers Away from Home

Kaitlyn Jackson

In "Voices of Our Foremothers: Celebrating the Legacy of African-American Women Educators A Personal Dedication" by Sunny-Marie Birney, she talks about African American teachers who had a significant influence on her life.  In Part One: Laying the Foreground, Birney said that being brought up by European Americans impacted the way she viewed African Americans, especially since she is African American herself.  But, throughout her education, the African American teachers became her"mothers away from home"(Birney, 51).  It is because of the influence her teachers had that Birney decided to become a teacher and assist in preparing African American students for their futures.  While Birney's African American teachers taught her valuable lessons, they also did one thing that was very important to her development --they cared.  Not only did they care about her academics, but the teachers also cared for Birney as if she was one of their children. While reading this part, I reminisced on my childhood and influential teachers I have had.  One particular African American teacher stands out, my second grade teacher, Mrs. Smith-Willis.  Over the years, Mrs. Smith-Willis has continued to be a valuable member of my life and she has remained a family friend to this day.  According to Jacqueline Jordan Irvine in her article, "The Education of Children Whose Nightmare Came Both Day and Night" (1999), she believes that students "performed their best when they thought that teachers cared for them.  Students said that teachers cared when the laughed with them, trusted and respected them, and recognized them as individuals"(p.249).

In Part Two: The Art of Service, Birney discusses how African American teachers are servicing their community by caring about the well-being and education of each of their students.  Teachers are not doing their community a service because they have to, they do it because they want to see young African Americans succeed.  Carter G. Woodson describes a servant of the community as someone of the people who is a leader in the community and can help others.  Teachers are among those leaders who want to change their communities for the better.  There is a special connection between students and their teachers that cannot be reenacted.  This collaboration between teacher and student is referred to by Friere as "liberation education"(Birney, 52).  I believe that liberation education is the best way for students to learn and that teachers of all races should practice it.  Through a liberal education, students can learn to speak their minds and practice their freedom.