Sixty years ago, young protesters spilled out into the streets of Birmingham, Alabama, to oppose segregation. More than 1,000 Black students, ranging in age from seven to 18, gathered at the 16th Street Baptist Church. After getting instructions, they marched in groups of 10 to 15 at a time carrying picket signs. On the first day of the protest, police arrested or detained hundreds of children. The next day, City Commissioner of Public Safety Eugene “Bull” Connor ordered police and fire departments to brutalize the children. They wielded batons, sprayed fire hoses and used trained police dogs to attack the children—all to no avail. The protesters still marched on singing “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around.”
The attacks on the young troops of the Children’s Crusade, as it became known, shocked the public. Images of children and teens under attack appeared in newspapers and on TV, sparking outrage across the nation and around the world. The images are still unsettling when you come across them at the National Museum of African American History in Washington, DC. I’ve seen them during the time I’ve served as CEO of the Council, and they strike a deep, personal chord in me as a Black man, father and native of Birmingham, where the march took place.
In addition, my family has a strong legacy in the fight for civil rights. My father braved vicious police dogs and spent time in a Birmingham jail when he marched against segregation in the sixties. He shared these experiences with me while I was growing up, and I have shared them with my daughter. In recent years, she carried on the family tradition by marching in the George Floyd protests, as I’m proud to say. And seeing her sense of conviction makes me realize how crucial it is for Black children to know their history and take pride in what their forbears have achieved.
Visits to museums, like the one in DC, are a great way to mark Black History Month with children. A good museum is more than a building that guards artifacts under glass. It also serves as a gateway to the trials of the past and a guide to the milestones yet to be made. “My kids need to know that Black is brilliance,” said Aaron Allen, a dad who brought his children to hear the African folk tale of Anansi the Spider at the Providence Children’s Museum. The museum has partnered with the Rhode Island Black Storytellers to keep Black oral traditions alive, and that matters, as Allen pointed out. “It’s important that my son feels validated in his identity, so I would love for the museum to hold year-round events where my child can get exposed to all kinds of stories about the Black experience”—a subject to which I’ve devoted some time.
I spent several years teaching a course on the Black experience at Miles College in Fairfield Alabama. So, I’m keenly aware of the contributions that Black people have made to our nation and shared them with my students. The many accomplished Black figures include mathematician Benjamin Banneker, who helped plan the layout of Washington, DC; James Baldwin, a member of the Harlem Renaissance and an acclaimed writer in many genres; pioneering film makers Oscar Micheaux and Spike Lee, along with President Barack Obama, who signed the Affordable Care Act into law, providing health insurance to millions. And African Americans have also made an important mark on the fields of education and economics, activism and aviation, plus many other professions.
All children can learn about Black heroes and pioneers in Chicago at the Bronzeville Children’s Museum, the nation’s first and only African American children’s museum. It offers artwork, information and interactive exhibits on accomplished Black figures: former NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, former poet laureate of Illinois Gwendolyn Brooks, light bulb innovator Lewis Latimer, former Chicago Mayor Harold Washington, inventor of the traffic light Garrett A. Morgan and anti-lynching crusader Ida B. Wells.
Exposing children to the “rich contributions, culture and heritage of African Americans and people of Africa” has been the museum’s mission since 1993, said Peggy Montes, a former teacher who founded the Bronzeville museum. “The impetus behind this was to make certain that children of all ages, but especially African American children, would have knowledge of their history, from whence they have come, and what they can do in terms of achieving their potential.” Telling the truth about the Black experience over time, as Montes explained, “has been the museum’s struggle for the past 25 years.”
The broader struggle that Black people have faced comes alive in my home town’s historic district. It includes the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and Kelly Ingram Park, which served as a meeting place for activists and a flashpoint for police violence. The park now offers exhibits that honor protesters arrested by the law, clergymen who joined their cause and the jailed children who marched for social justice. Visitors to the district can also learn about the tragedy that struck several youngsters at the 16th Street Baptist Church, now a national heritage site available for tours.
Photos of the church’s twin towers, pointed domes and brick facade appeared in newspapers nationwide after September 15, 1963, when a bomb exploded during a youth leadership meeting in the basement. The explosion killed Denise McNair, who was just 11, and Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley and Carole Robertson, all only 14 years old. And news of the tragedy led President John F. Kennedy to call for the passage of the Civil Rights Act, which was signed into law by President Lyndon Baines Johnson in 1964.
The images of children who joined the cause still have the power to move minds and hearts. And the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, inspires visitors to be change makers by honoring people who stood up boldly for freedom and justice. The exhibits feature photos of folks both famous and unknown, like that of a young girl holding a sign that reads “Can a man love God and hate his brother?”
Children will have similar questions when parents take them to Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama. The museum depicts the history of Black people in the U.S., starting with slavery, through Jim Crow laws and segregation, to current issues of mass incarceration and police violence. And while going through the exhibits, children might not grasp everything they see. Still, “children have a lot of instincts about what is fair and unfair,” said Sia Sanneh, a criminal justice lawyer and former teacher who helped develop the museum’s content. “Our job is to equip young people with facts” to spark discussions about race, power and inequity in the country today.
So, visits to museums like this can plant a seed and lead young learners to later pose questions that count. What does it mean to be Black in our nation? What can we do to heal the wounds of the past? And history gives some answers by showing our children that they can make a difference, like Birmingham’s young crusaders. Their pictures in museums convey a message about the power of righteous protest. And understanding the past will help children undertake future steps needed to build a better world. When you march against what’s wrong, as history shows, you shouldn’t let anybody turn you around.
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Vice President of Strategic Alliances
Elisa Shepherd is the Vice President of Strategic Alliances at the Council, where she leads initiatives to advance the Council’s mission and strategic plan through designing, managing, and executing a comprehensive stakeholder relationship strategy.
With over 25 years of experience in early childhood education (ECE), Elisa has dedicated her career to developing impactful programs, professional development opportunities, and public policies that support working families, young children, and ECE staff. Before joining the Council, Elisa held numerous roles within the childcare industry. Most recently, she served as Associate Vice President at The Learning Experience and as Senior Manager at KinderCare Education, where she influenced government affairs and public policies across 40 states.
Elisa’s commitment to leadership is reflected in her external roles on the Early Care and Education Consortium Board of Directors, the Florida Chamber Foundation Board of Trustees, and as the DEI Caucus Leader for KinderCare Education. She has been recognized as an Emerging Leader in Early Childhood by Childcare Exchange’s Leadership Initiative.
Elisa earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a focus on child development from Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA.
Chief Operations Officer (COO)
Andrew Davis serves as Chief Operating Officer at the Council. In this role, Andrew oversees the Programs Division, which includes the following operational functions: credentialing, growth and business development, marketing and communications, public policy and advocacy, research, innovation, and customer relations.
Andrew has over 20 years of experience in the early care and education field. Most recently, Andrew served as Senior Vice President of Partnership and Engagement with Acelero Learning and Shine Early Learning, where he led the expansion of state and community-based partnerships to produce more equitable systems of service delivery, improved programmatic quality, and greater outcomes for communities, children and families. Prior to that, he served as Director of Early Learning at Follett School Solutions.
Andrew earned his MBA from the University of Baltimore and Towson University and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland – University College.
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Jan Bigelow serves as Chief Financial Officer at the Council and has been with the organization since February of 2022.
Jan has more than 30 years in accounting and finance experience, including public accounting, for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. She has held management-level positions with BDO Seidman, Kiplinger Washington Editors, Pew Center for Global Climate Change, Communities In Schools, B’nai B’rith Youth Organization and American Humane. Since 2003, Jan has worked exclusively in the non-profit sector where she has been a passionate advocate in improving business operations in order to further the mission of her employers.
Jan holds a CPA from the State of Virginia and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lycoming College. She resides in Alexandria VA with her husband and dog.
Vice President of People and Culture
Janie Payne is the Vice President of People and Culture for the Council for Professional Recognition. Janie is responsible for envisioning, developing, and executing initiatives that strategically manage talent and culture to align people strategies with the overarching business vision of the Council. Janie is responsible for driving organizational excellence through strategic talent practices, orchestrating workforce planning, talent acquisition, performance management as well as a myriad of other Human Resources Programs. She is accountable for driving effectiveness by shaping organizational structure for optimal efficiency. Janie oversees strategies that foster a healthy culture to include embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion into all aspects of the organization.
In Janie’s prior role, she was the Vice President of Administration at Equal Justice Works, where she was responsible for leading human resources, financial operations, facilities management, and information technology. She was also accountable for developing and implementing Equal Justice Works Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategy focused on attracting diverse, mission-oriented talent and creating an inclusive and equitable workplace environment. With more than fifteen years of private, federal, and not-for-profit experience, Janie is known for her intuitive skill in administration management, human resources management, designing and leading complex system change, diversity and inclusion, and social justice reform efforts.
Before joining Equal Justice Works, Janie was the Vice President of Human Resources and Chief Diversity Officer for Global Communities, where she was responsible for the design, implementation, and management of integrated HR and diversity strategies. Her work impacted employees in over twenty-two countries. She was responsible for the effective management of different cultural, legal, regulatory, and economic systems for both domestic and international employees. Prior to Global Communities, Janie enjoyed a ten-year career with the federal government. As a member of the Senior Executive Service, she held key strategic human resources positions with multiple cabinet-level agencies and served as an advisor and senior coach to leaders across the federal sector. In these roles, she received recognition from management, industry publications, peers, and staff for driving the creation and execution of programs that created an engaged and productive workforce.
Janie began her career with Verizon Communications (formerly Bell Atlantic), where she held numerous roles of increasing responsibility, where she directed a diversity program that resulted in significant improvement in diversity profile measures. Janie was also a faculty member for the company’s Black Managers Workshop, a training program designed to provide managers of color with the skills needed to overcome barriers to their success that were encountered because of race. She initiated a company-wide effort to establish team-based systems and structures to impact corporate bottom line results which was recognized by the Department of Labor. Janie was one of the first African American women to be featured on the cover of Human Resources Executive magazine.
Janie received her M.A. in Organization Development from American University. She holds numerous professional development certificates in Human Capital Management and Change Management, including a Diversity and Inclusion in Human Resources certificate from Cornell University. She completed the year-long Maryland Equity and Inclusion Leadership Program sponsored by The Schaefer Center for Public Policy and The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights. She is a trained mediator and Certified Professional Coach. She is a graduate of Leadership America, former board chair of the NTL Institute and currently co-steward of the organization’s social justice community of practice, and a member of The Society for Human Resource Management. Additionally, Janie is the Board Chairperson for the Special Education Citizens Advisory Council for Prince Georges County where she is active in developing partnerships that facilitate discussion between parents, families, educators, community leaders, and the PG County school administration to enhance services for students with disabilities which is her passion. She and her husband Randolph reside in Fort Washington Maryland.
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