The first Black teacher in Stockton, California, celebrated her 102nd birthday before passing away on April 2, 2022.
Raised in Columbia, South Carolina, Wilhelmina Henry was the daughter of a railroad fireman and a schoolteacher. Henry’s daughter, Rachelle Mimms, a third-generation retired teacher, said that her mother was inspired to teach after playing school as a child.
“And she would be the teacher,” Mimms told ABC 10. “She would ask a question, and if you got the question right, you got to go up a step. And, if you got the question wrong, you had to go down.”
Turning a childhood game into a reality, Henry received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. She taught for six years in segregated southern schools before she applied to become an educator in the Stockton Unified School District in 1947- almost 100 years after the district was established.
Although Henry passed the exam, racism played an active role in keeping her from beginning immediately.
Henry broke the color barrier after the school district realized it needed Black educators since Black students attended school there. The groundbreaking instructor taught thousands of students over 50 years.
Because of her historic achievements in education in the state of California, Wilhelmina Henry Elementary School in Stockton was constructed and dedicated to her when she turned 100 years old.
“She’s a true trailblazer, and she made a huge difference and huge impact on our Stockton community, especially the kids here,” Henry Elementary School Principal Eddie “Mr. Van” Bun expressed.
Thirteen-year-old elementary student Gabriel Gonzales spoke fondly of the teacher who inspired him.
“I feel like the influence she has had on a lot of kids is a very big amount because 102 is a very long time,” Gabriel said. He added that he hopes to inspire them the same way she did.
The pioneer educator was also honored by her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha chapter.
“MU ZETA OMEGA CHAPTER OF ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY, INCORPORATED MOURNS THE PASSING OF MRS. WILHELMINA HENRY. MRS. HENRY WAS 102 YEARS YOUNG,” Basileus Lajuana J.Bivens wrote. “SHE WAS THE 1ST AFRICAN AMERICAN TEACHER HIRED TO WORK FOR STOCKTON UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT (SUSD). PLEASE KEEP HER FAMILY, SORORITY SISTERS, THE WILHELMINA SCHOOL FACULTY, AND STUDENTS, AS WELL AS HER MANY OTHER RELATIVES AND FRIENDS, IN PRAYER.”
After retiring and before her death, Henry spent time with her family doing things like going for walks with her son.
Henry has also had a scholarship named after her since 1969. May she rest in peace.
