On This Day in 1863: Sarah J. Garnet Became NYC’s First Black Principal

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Sarah J. Garnet. From the New York Public Library. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/7f591b21-5c9e-fa9a-e040-e00a18063d1c
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(AURN News) — On April 30, 1863, Sarah J. Garnet was named the first Black principal in the New York City public school system.

She led Grammar School No. 4 and later Public School No. 80, serving until her retirement in 1900, more than five decades after beginning her teaching career.

Born into a prominent Brooklyn family, she married Episcopal minister James Thompson in the 1850s and remained active in the church after his death.

In 1879, she married abolitionist Henry Highland Garnet and was widowed again in 1882.

Beyond education, Garnet co-founded the Equal Suffrage League with her sister. She later served in leadership roles with the National Association of Colored Women and remained active in advocacy until her death in 1911.

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Clay Cane is an award-winning journalist, writer, radio host, and political commentator. A graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in African-American Studies, his work on race, culture, and politics have appeared in national publications, including the Washington Post, CNN, and The Grio. Clay is a regular political commentator on MSNBC. Twitter: @claycane

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