1943
Shirley Hasley (nee Andrews) faced challenges from all sides in her first year as a teacher. The year was 1965. She was the first Black teacher hired. The 22-year-old young woman was assigned to a desegregation busing program, accompanying white students from Mill Valley, California, to the mostly black community of Marin City.
Some people resented her presence, calling her an “Uncle Tom,” while the white parents did not want their children in her class room. Because of the color of her skin, they did not think she was smart enough to teach their children. It was only after being featured in a national ad campaign for Coca-Cola that parents began seeking Shirley out as a teacher.
She would go on to be one of the most influential and beloved teachers in Mill Valley history, with a 38-year career as an elementary school teacher. “I never had a child leave my classroom who wasn’t a confident reader.”
–written by Carl Lohr