When a Principal Met a Chick

I'm going to tell you how it all started. This image change, body change and focus change. Because if I sit in one more meeting and a male chauvinist, trash talking, cheap suit wearing member of the male species talks over me or ignores me, it's going to be some problems; and solutions! That day it finally hit me (not finally but you know), I am a female. Black. Female. Black. Educated. Female. Black Educated Female.The most hated in this game called Ed U ca T ion. Why did I break those letters up; it's simple, there are so many gaps in the field of education and there is no "real" effort in closing those gaps with respect to equity. I'm going to stop right here for the ones in the back.

Let's be clear before I move on because I may lose my thought and start talking about food; I am speaking about Educational Leadership; or, if I must, being a Principal. Being a Principal as a female. Being a Female Principal. Female. Principal. Credentialed. Educated. Oh, and BLACK, as if you didn't know. Though equity outcomes in addition to closing the education gap is important to me, THIS is about "that" leadership piece. Female Leadership. Female. Leader. Educated. Oh, and black.

As I reflected after my "power moment", I realized that the lack of black female leadership is "that" piece to this puzzle that I struggle with. I am often the ONLY female and/or black person and/or black female and/or invisible to my white male counterparts in meetings. The only female black person black female and/or female. Never asked a question or for my opinion. Never calling me my appropriate name DR. Now that wouldn't be a big deal if it was not purposefully done, Dr. My. Name. Those two letters you too possess, counterpart; is that the issue. Period and Question Mark. I too am educated. HBCU educated. First. Which makes me already ahead of the game. Ha. No for real though.

Speaking of first, let me introduce to you Fanny Jackson. Born a slave in 1837, Fanny Jackson was appointed as the principal of the Philadelphia's Institute of Colored Youth after the departure of Ebenezer Bassett, becoming THE First African American WOMAN to become a school Principal in 1869. It's more, and a moral, keep reading. Miss Jackson was a self taught FEMALE Principal. Check this part out...Fanny Jackson RESTRUCTURED the school's program. T H E N....she was promoted by the School Board as SUPERINTENDENT making her THE first African American Superintendent of a school district in THE UNITED STATES.

Moral: We (women)(females)(people)(humans)(individuals)(chicks) CAN do it and WILL do it. Done. Fanny strutted into that school, assessed it, saw a need AND restuctured the school's program. SUPERWOMAN = SUPERINTENDENT. Super meaning excellent - with red lipstick it means FLAWLESS. Only certain people will get that. Ha! Woman. HUMAN. Female. INTENDENT meaning adminstrator. Miss Jackson was THE FIRST, TWICE> which is evidence that WOMAN can be Educational Leaders and have a voice in decision making. Intimidation free. Free to speak. Free to be heard. Free to. Just Free. Free meaning female control is not a thing and it's defintely not in the power of another. Brother. Male. Man. Him. Those sitting across the table. Wink. Speak. Repeat. Surprise. Enthrall. Fascinate. Captivate. Listen. Observe. Provoke thought. That's what Fanny did!

~I believe that education and employment are tools to eliminate discrimination towards African Americans and empowerment of African American Women~

Fanny Jackson

I am educated, employed, EMPOWERED, and a chick. Ha.

Signed,

THAT Principalchick