Celebrating African-American Culture
CELEBRATING AFRICAN-AMERICAN CULTURE
African-American Impact in PfISD
Pflugerville ISD schools highlight African Americans' history and contributions throughout February in honor of Black History Month and throughout our school year.
According to the Library of Congress, historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History established and celebrated the first Negro History Week in 1926 during a week in February. This week included Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass's birthdays, two critical figures in African American history.
It wasn't until 1976 that President Gerald Ford expanded the celebration to an entire month and encouraged Americans to "seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history."
African-Americans in PfISD
African-Americans have been an integral part of the community in Pflugerville ISD. The District currently has two campuses named for African-American women, one who served in the Texas House of Representatives and one who served as a local teacher within our District – Wilhelmina Delco Elementary (previously Primary) and Fannie Mae Caldwell Elementary, both of which opened in 2002.
Additionally, we have had multiple African-Americans in our classrooms and serving in leadership positions, helping to shape our District's culture and growth.
Key African-American figures in PfISD History and Present
- Linda Robinson – First African-American graduate of Pflugerville ISD (PHS) in 1966.
- Lisa Davis – First African-American Valedictorian (PHS) in 1989.
- Lisa’s mother, Janice Davis, was a recognized African-American teacher at Pflugerville Elementary School and served on several campuses during her 33 years at Pflugerville ISD. She was key in enhancing the District’s Accelerated Readers Program.
- Kenneth D. Thompson – First African-American Pflugerville ISD Board of Trustees Member in 1998. He went on to serve as President of the Board in 2006.
- Other African-Americans to serve as members of the Board of Trustees include Tony Hanson, Paul King, and Renae Mitchell who is the district's first African-American female trustee.
- Patricia Pickles – First African-American Superintendent in 2005.