Wilhelmina Henry
January 20, 1920 – 2022
"Dedicated Barrier-Breaking Educator"
The first Black teacher in Stockton Unified School District, Mrs. Wilhelmina Henry dedicated 46 years to educating and inspiring over 1,000 students. Her courage and perseverance paved the way for generations of educators and students who followed.
A Trailblazing Journey
Born on January 20, 1920, in Columbia, South Carolina, Wilhelmina Henry showed exceptional promise from an early age. She attended Booker T. Washington Elementary School and High School, graduating at just 16 years old. Her academic excellence earned her a scholarship to the historically Black Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University), where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Education with concentrations in English and French.
With a love of teaching inherited from her mother, who was also an educator, Mrs. Henry taught various grades in Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina for six years before moving to Stockton in 1946. Though hired by Stockton Unified School District that year, she was initially denied the position due to racial discrimination.
After Superintendent Andrew Hill conducted a year-long study on the employment of ethnic minorities, he recommended that teachers be employed based on education and ability—not race. Mrs. Henry passed the SUSD teachers' exam with the highest score in her cohort and officially became Stockton Unified's first Black teacher on June 24, 1947.
Education
Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) – B.S. in Education, English & French concentrations
Teaching Career
46 years with Stockton Unified School District (1947-1994), teaching at Monroe School and Roosevelt School
Impact
Touched the lives of more than 1,000 students, many of whom were children of her former pupils
Paving the Way for Others
Mrs. Henry's courage opened doors for other trailblazing educators in Stockton Unified.
Wilhelmina Henry
First Black teacher in Stockton Unified School District
Flora Mata
First Filipino American teacher in California
Esther Fong
First Chinese American teacher in Stockton Unified
Beyond the Classroom
In addition to her teaching career, Mrs. Henry was deeply involved in her community. She was an active member of Ebenezer AME Church, where she sang in the choir and supported many of the church's programs.
In 1981, she joined Stockton's Mu Zeta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the oldest Greek-letter organization established by college-educated Black women. The organization's purpose is to support girls and women through scholarship, unity, friendship, and civic engagement.
A Life Celebrated
2015 Woman of the Year
Selected by Assemblywoman Susan Talamantes Eggman; received a standing ovation from the California Assembly
Wilhelmina Henry Scholarship
Established in 1964, awarded annually to a graduating African American senior from Franklin High School
Wilhelmina Henry Elementary School
Opened in 2006 on South Wagner Avenue in Stockton, serving students K-8
"It is indisputable that Stockton is a better place thanks to the life and work of Mrs. Wilhelmina Henry."— Her Life Magazine