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OCTOBER 2005

President Augusta Souza Kappner, Bank Street College

Bank Street to Endow New Scholarship for African-American Students

By Sybil Maimin

It was a love fest! Alums, faculty, and friends of Bank Street College of Education gathered at the June Kelly Gallery in Soho recently to honor Priscilla Elizabeth Pemberton (1918-2004) and inaugurate a new organization in her name that will help Bank Street students and alumni of color. The initial goal of The Priscilla E. Pemberton Society is raising funds for an endowed scholarship for African-American students in the graduate school, the first scholarship named for an Africa-American. The setting for the kick-off was appropriate. “She would have loved it,” exclaimed Bank Street president, Augusta Souza Kappner. “Pris loved art and was married to a musician.” A guitar and bass filled the room with jazz. Larger than life black and white drawings of African-Americans by artist Debra Priestly looked down at the crowd. “The portraits look very serious—like they are saying, ‘we have to get this done,’ ” mused Kappner. Priestly explained she explores ancestry and many of the subjects, depicted from photographs, have “amazing stories,” and “witnessed important events in our history.”

Pemberton, a 1966 graduate of Bank Street had a long list of accomplishments. She directed the Bank Street Early Childhood Center at its former home on 42nd Street and was on its faculty. At various times, she served as Registrar, director of non-matriculating students, and special assistant to the college president. She was on two presidential search committees. An enthusiastic graduate, she headed the alumni association, worked on various committees, and understood the importance of fund-raising. According to Kappner, “No job titles, no awards can describe the roles she had at Bank Street…wherever there was a need she served, and she served, and she served.”

At the reception, accolades about Pemberton and stories of her devotion to her students and frequent acts of kindness were shared by those who knew her. Cynthia Wilson (’73) learned about commitment from Pemberton and the importance of educating and training community people for teacher certification. Suzanne Carothers (’73), who came to the college from North Carolina, called Pemberton “my New York mom” and marveled that she was the first African-American professional in the college and in the School for Children. Lucia Jack, a college friend, remembered that Pemberton often spoke about the small number of people of color at the school.

President Kappner explained, “We at Bank Street are committed to training more minority teachers and to seeing more minority teachers in our schools...Setting up a scholarship to increase the number of African-American students is the most fitting tribute to Pris…This is done with love.”#

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