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Wilhelmina Henry: Dedicated Barrier-Breaking Educator

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By Julie Blood and Evan Hust

Wilhelmina Henry was a trailblazing educator and the first Black teacher in Stockton Unified School District. Born on January 20, 1920, in Columbia, South Carolina, she attended Booker T. Washington Elementary School and High School, graduating from high school at just 16 years old. After high school, she attended the historically Black Tuskegee Institute, now Tuskegee University, on a scholarship. The school was established in 1881 by Dr. Booker T. Washington to provide training to Black teachers. During her time at Tuskegee, Mrs. Henry earned her bachelor of science degree in education with concentrations in English and French.

With a love of teaching gained from her mother, who was also an educator, Mrs. Henry taught various grades in Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina for six years before moving to Stockton in 1946. She was hired as a teacher by Stockton Unified School District that year but was not allowed to fill the position because it was believed by some in the district’s leadership that being Black would hamper her ability to teach. After a completing a year-long study on the employment of ethnic minorities by school districts throughout California, SUSD Superintendent Andrew Hill recommended to the school board that teachers in the district be employed based on their education and ability, not their race. Mrs. Henry passed the SUSD teachers’ exam with the highest score in her cohort and was finally allowed to begin work as Stockton Unified’s first Black teacher on June 24, 1947. Mrs. Henry’s employment paved the way for other Stockton trailblazers who broke down race and gender barriers. In 1948, Flora Mata was hired by SUSD, becoming the first Filipino American teacher in California and in 1950, Esther Fong became the first Chinese American teacher in Stockton Unified. Superintendent Andrew Hill’s study titled “Is Stockton Culturally and Democratically Ready to Accord Minority Groups Fair Treatment?” inspired SUSD’s non-discrimination employment policy that became the model for other school districts across California.

Mrs. Henry began her teaching career with SUSD at Monroe School, where she taught first grade. In 1953, she moved to Roosevelt School and over the years taught first, fourth and fifth grades. She retired in 1994, after 46 years of teaching in Stockton Unified. Undaunted and undeterred by the struggles she often faced, Mrs. Henry was an inspiration to all she encountered. It is believed that during her time teaching, she touched the lives of more than 1,000 students, many of whom were children of her former pupils.

In addition to teaching, Mrs. Henry was also widely involved in the community. She was an active member of Ebenezer AME Church, where she sang in the choir and supported many of the church’s programs. In 1981, she joined Stockton’s Mu Zeta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the oldest Greek-letter organization established by college-educated Black women. The group’s purpose is to support girls and women through scholarship, unity, friendship and civic engagement to be in service to all humankind.

Throughout her career, Mrs. Henry was recognized and awarded by institutions, both public and private, for her devotion to education and the betterment of society. In 1987, the California Legislature created the Woman of the Year program as a way to celebrate Women’s History Month in March. Each year, members of the Senate and Assembly recognize a woman in their district who has made an extraordinary difference in their community. In 2015, Assemblywoman Susan Talamantes Eggman of District Thirteen selected Wilhelmina Henry as Woman of the Year. Mrs. Henry received a standing ovation from the Assembly upon her introduction.

Mrs. Henry passed away in 2022 at the age of 102, but her legacy lives on through a scholarship and school that were named in her honor. The Wilhelmina Henry Scholarship, established in 1964, is given to a graduating senior of African American descent from Franklin High School. The scholarship is based on financial need and is given to a student who shows leadership, character and citizenship. In 2006, Wilhelmina Henry Elementary School opened on South Wagner Avenue in Stockton. The school serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade. It is indisputable that Stockton is a better place thanks to the life and work of Mrs. Wilhelmina Henry.