Fannie M. Richards (October 1, 1840 – February 13, 1922) was an American educator. She created the first kindergarten program in Michigan, and for that was inducted into the

Michigan Women's Hall of Fame The Michigan Women's Hall of Fame (MWHOF) honors distinguished women, both historical and contemporary, who have been associated with the U.S. state of Michigan. The hall of fame was founded in 1983 by Gladys Beckwith and is sponsored by the Michi ...

. She also protested against the segregation of

Detroit Public Schools Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) is a school district that covers all of the city of Detroit, Michigan, United States and high school students in the insular city of Highland Park. The district, which replaced the original Detr ...

Biography

Richards was born on October 1, 1840 in Fredericksburg, Virginia, to Aldoph and Maria Richards. She soon moved to

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

, and was educated both there and in Germany, working in Germany with German educator

Friedrich Fröbel Friedrich Wilhelm August Fröbel or Froebel (; 21 April 1782 – 21 June 1852) was a German pedagogue, a student of Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, who laid the foundation for modern education based on the recognition that children have unique need ...

. She later moved to

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

, and was allowed to teach there despite not having the correct license. In 1863, she opened a private school for African-American children and, five years later was appointed the Instructor at Colored School Number 2. Working with John J. Bagley, Richards protested against the segregated school system in Detroit; which the

Michigan Supreme Court The Michigan Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is Michigan's court of last resort and consists of seven justices. The Court is located in the Michigan Hall of Justice at 925 Ottawa Street in Lansing, the sta ...

eventually mandated the abolition of in 1871. That same year she started working at Everett Elementary School, and there established the first kindergarten class in Michigan. Richards also founded the Phyllis Wheatly Home for Aged Colored Ladies in Detroit, and cofounded the Michigan Association of Colored Women. She retired from teaching in 1915. Richards died February 13, 1922. Richards home was added to the State of Michigan Registry of Historic Sites on November 14, 1974. A portrait of Miss Fannie M. Richards, painted by Detroit artist Telitha Cumi Bowens, was included in the 1988/89 exhibit "Ain't I A Woman" at the Museum of African American History, Detroit. The exhibit featured a dozen prominent Black women from the state of Michigan, including Ethelene Jones Crockett, M.D., the Honorable Cora M. Brown, and Dr. Violet T. Lewis.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Richards, Fannie 1840 births 1922 deaths African-American educators African-American women educators Schoolteachers from Michigan American women educators American expatriates in Canada American expatriates in Germany 20th-century African-American people 20th-century African-American women