Black History Month: Remembering Three Black Trailblazers in American Montessori Education
The Montessori Method has grown exponentially across the United States over the past century. And due to the work of three Black Montessori educators, the popular education method has been growing in Black neighborhoods since the 1960s.Let’s meet those three trailblazing women and learn how they helped expand access to Montessori education.
Mae Arlene Gadpaille: A Vision for Community Change
Mae Arlene Gadpaille was a former nun with degrees in biology, home economics, and theology, was also a trailblazer in American Montessori education. In 1964, she used a $20,000 Ford Foundation grant to open the Montessori Family Center in Boston’s predominantly Black Roxbury neighborhood. According to author Mira Debs, Boston Globe Sunday Magazine described the school as “a scrubbed oasis” in a neighborhood of vacant lots and empty buildings. In addition to providing affordable childcare for working-class Black families and a much-needed alternative to the traditional school system, Gadpaille’s vision went beyond the classroom. She was a vocal advocate for quality childcare in underserved communities and even collaborated with renowned architect R. Buckminster Fuller on a groundbreaking community project that, while never fully realized, showcased her ambition and commitment to social change.
Roslyn Williams: Champion of Integration and Inclusion
Roslyn Williams, a librarian and education advocate in Harlem, was another trailblazer in the Montessori movement. She firmly believed that every child, regardless of background, deserved access to a quality education. In 1964, she helped establish the Urban Child Program, which brought together children from diverse backgrounds in integrated Montessori classrooms. When the program lost funding, Williams didn’t give up. She founded the Central Harlem Association of Montessori Parents (CHAMP, Inc.), which not only continued to offer integrated Montessori experiences but also launched the first African American-established Montessori teacher education program in the United States. Williams was also a pioneer in inclusive education, welcoming children with disabilities into her classrooms and challenging gender norms by requiring male instructors in each classroom.
Lenore Gertrude Briggs: Bringing Montessori to Brooklyn
Lenore Gertrude Briggs, a Grenadian immigrant, was another unsung hero of the Montessori movement. She began by offering childcare in her home, eventually opening Mom’s Center for Early Childhood Development in 1982. But Briggs didn’t stop there. She pursued Montessori training and transformed her center into Lefferts Gardens Montessori School, one of the first Black-owned Montessori schools in Brooklyn. She was committed to making Montessori education accessible to working families, offering affordable rates, extended hours, and accepting government vouchers. Briggs’ passion for Montessori was contagious, inspiring other educators and parents in her community. Briggs passed in 2015, btu her school continues to operate to this day and is operated by members of her family who still carry on her tradition of impactful education and service to the community.
A Legacy of Leadership
These three women, Mae Arlene Gadpaille, Roslyn Williams, and Lenore Gertrude Briggs, represent just a fraction of the Black educators who have shaped the Montessori movement. Their stories, often overlooked in traditional narratives, remind us that the pursuit of quality education and social justice has always been at the heart of Montessori. As we continue to expand access to Montessori education and strive for greater diversity and inclusion, let us remember and celebrate the contributions of these remarkable Black Montessorians.
To learn more:
Hidden Black Voices in the History of Montessori Education by Angela K. Murray, Luz Casquejo Johnston, Ayize Sabater and Kiara Clark.