Black High school Econ teacher leaves $2 mill to Prairie View A&M

In the so-called mainstream media no one but no one documents Black American (or other Black) philanthropy. Perhaps most insulting, many aren't even aware our philanthropy exists not to mention the fact that in the US at least, our assistance does not benefit only Black people. Salatheia Bryant's article about frugal public school teacher Whitlowe Green is from the Houston Chronicle website. "Whitlowe R. Green wore second-hand clothing, purchased out-of-date meats, shopped at auctions and stopped talking to a relative for two years because of a $6.76 debt." He served the community as an economics teacher in the Houston Independent School District (HISD). When he retired in 1983 he earned $28,000 a year. (The same year I left Laredo, Texas.) When Green started teaching in 1937 his yearly pay was $700. Most of his teaching career was spent teaching economics at Houston's Yates High School. As one friend remembered him: "When you go to the counter to pay the bill he'd kind of slow down and let you get ahead. He played poor. He was just a regular guy." Mr. Green was 88 when he died of cancer in 2002. He graduated from Prairie View A&M in 1936. Read the rest of Salatheia Bryant's fascinating and humbling story here.

Comments

[Satish]

Mr. Green was my social studies teacher. He occasionally talked about leaving money to the university. He was a really good hearted guy, tuned into current events, and he instilled in us an appreciation of history and country.

[afromusing]

this is a great and inspiring story. My friend and i were talking about philanthropy in Kenya and how the very wealthy rarely gave to universities or schools. It would be a nice thing if more Kenyans who've 'made it' gave back to the schools that helped them in their formative years.