OURPROUDHERITAGE
The first issue of Young Children.
Dr. Evangeline H. Ward became NAEYC’ s president in 1970.
[ 1969 ] 1990a, 6; emphasis in the original). The program began in summer 1965, and its approach to advertising paid off: There was much higher demand than expected( Washington & Oyemade 1987, 7).
One noteworthy participant was Polly Greenberg, who served as editor of Young Children from 1986 to 2001. Greenberg began her Head Start involvement at a New York City meeting on March 11, 1965( Greenberg [ 1969 ] 1990a, 1990b). Over the next two years, she helped found and served as education director of Head Start in Mississippi. Her work with the Child Development Group of Mississippi concentrated on delivering Head Start within African American communities with low incomes( The New York Times 2013). Other NAEYC leaders and members were also active in later efforts to research the professional capacity of applicant institutions and recommend Head Start training sites based on their curriculum and faculty. These efforts fell under NAEYC’ s mission to improve early childhood professional preparation and equitable practice.
1966 – 1975
Dr. Milton“ Milt” Akers was appointed NAEYC’ s first executive director in 1966. This pivotal leadership role set the stage for the organization’ s growth and direction. That same year, NAEYC launched its Annual Conference, providing a platform for educators and advocates to gather, share ideas, and discuss the future of early childhood education.
However, the 1969 Annual Conference in Salt Lake City highlighted significant social challenges within the organization and the broader community( NAEYC 1970; Day, n. d.) Black participants faced discrimination, being denied access to accommodations and the opening session. This moment of injustice spurred Dr. Evangeline H. Ward, who would become NAEYC’ s first Black president in 1970, to organize a meeting aimed at addressing these disparities( Washington et al. 2016). The discussions led to a resolution that the association would avoid holding conferences in cities that allowed racial discrimination. This pivotal moment led to the formation of the Black
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