Teacher Appreciation: Black Educators Who Saved Us - Page 4
4. Fannie Jackson Coppin (1837–1913)
Born into slavery, Fannie Jackson Coppin rose to become a trailblazer in higher education. In 1865, she became the second Black woman in the U.S. to earn a college degree, graduating from Oberlin College, an institution known for its early support of both Black and female students, Bryan University noted.
Coppin went on to teach at the Institute for Colored Youth in Philadelphia, where she quickly ascended to principal in 1869, making her the first Black woman to lead an American secondary school. She believed in academic rigor, vocational training, and moral development, noting how education should empower Black students to become self-reliant leaders.
Coppin retired in 1906 after four decades of service, having laid the groundwork for future generations of educators.
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