Darla Buchanan Scholarship- Anonymous Donor

The donors are retired educators who know the power of the teacher to create safe, rigorous environments in which students can learn and thrive. They recalled, “Some years ago, our daughter shared with us Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History podcast, ‘Miss Buchanan’s Period of Adjustment’. While we celebrated desegregation of schools under Brown vs. the Board of Education, little did we realize the backlash the decision would unleash, including a generation of African-American teachers who were not integrated with their students and who were fired. Their students were integrated into classrooms with teachers ill-prepared to welcome or understand them.”

The namesake of this scholarship, Darla Buchanan, served as an inspiration to the donors, and they hope that her story serves as an inspiration to future teachers, as well. “Today we know that having just one African-American teacher in elementary school reduces the dropout rate of African-American students by 39%”, the donors noted. “Children need teachers who understand them and their lived experience, who take a deep interest in them."

NC State’s College of Education has a strong commitment to prepare all of its graduates to serve the children in all of the communities of this state. The donors are proud to support that effort.