Recovering a Gem: Melva L. Price, a New York City Teacher

Authors

• Emmanuelle St. Jean, University of Saint Mary (KS)Follow

Abstract

The paucity of research on the experiences of Black women teachers in integrated New York City schools underscores the need for further investigation. Studying Black women teachers in integrated school settings opens the door for reshaping the traditional framings of Black women teachers as revolutionary individuals who largely taught and transformed the learning experiences of Black children. This article focuses on Melva Price, a Latin language teacher at a New York City high school. Price became a teacher during a period of intense marginalization and oppression. Her journey to becoming a teacher, her pedagogical practices, and her experiences as a teacher in predominantly White schools, primarily between 1920 and 1940, are discussed. Through her story, this article argues that Price used education as a means to navigate and resist systemic barriers while fostering communities within and outside the classroom.

Author Biography

Emmanuelle St. Jean is the Director of NYC Programs at the Bard Prison Initiative at Bard College. In this role, she oversees alumni engagement, reentry services, and two fellowship programs. Prior to this role, she served as a Broad Resident and the Senior Director for Shared Services and Enrichment at KIPP DC, a regional charter school in Washington, DC. Emmanuelle is a graduate of Barnard College, Emory University, the Broad Center, and the University of Saint Mary.

Recommended Citation

St. Jean, E. (2026). Recovering a gem: Melva L. Price, a New York City teacher. Occasional Paper Series, (56). DOI: https://doi.org/10.58295/2375-3668.1621