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[Pages S1070-S1071]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
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REMEMBERING MARIE GREENWOOD
Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I rise to honor the life and legacy
of Marie Greenwood, who passed away late last year at the age of 106
years old. Marie, a teacher by trade, spent her life dedicated to the
idea that each child--regardless of their race, gender, or class--
deserves a quality education. Her intellect, compassion, and vigor
propelled countless children through the Denver Public School system
and towards lives of purpose. Marie's work as Denver's first tenured
Black teacher and an integration pioneer increased educational equity
in our schools and helped shape Denver into the great city that it is
today.
An only child, Marie was born in Los Angeles in 1912 before she and
her family relocated to Denver in 1925. As a Black family in segregated
Denver, they faced no shortage of obstacles. Despite being a star
student who time and again overcame the bigotry leveled against her,
Marie was told by her high school guidance counselor not to apply to
college because it would be a waste of her parents' money. Thank
goodness Marie did not heed this wrongheaded advice. She went on to
graduate third in her class and earned a scholarship to Colorado
Teachers College. Marie had set out on a path that would eventually
lead to touching the lives of generations of Colorado's students.
Marie was a trailblazer in civil rights and the ideal teacher. In
1938, she earned tenure in the Denver Public Schools, the first Black
teacher to do so. Throughout the 1940s, Marie was involved in local
activism that challenged discriminatory policies. In 1955, Marie made
history again when she became the first African American in Denver to
teach at a segregated school. In the 1960s, she served on a Denver
Public Schools committee tasked to study racial inequities in district
funding and staffing. All the while, she was a kind and determined
teacher who ensured that her students always tried their hardest.
In retirement, she authored two books, one outlining her philosophy
on teaching children facing difficulties and the other her
autobiography. In 2001, her legacy was further solidified as the school
district named a new elementary school in her honor. She will continue
to be remembered by students who participate in the Greenwood Scholars
program, which teaches the history of Denver through her life story.
As the former superintendent of Denver Public Schools, I can
confidently
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say that our students would be well-served if Marie was the lodestar
for our teachers. Her grace and passion for the profession made a
tremendous difference in the lives of our young people, and we are all
in her debt. Thank you, Marie. May she rest in peace.
____________________