Community members gathered at T.S. Cooper Elementary School last month to honor Annie Wealthy Holland, an educator whose work shaped Black schools in North Carolina during the Jim Crow era. 

The community festival was organized by the Center for Racial Equity in Education as part of its Jeanes Arts + Education Initiative. The initiative honors the legacy of Jeanes Teachers — Black female educators who served as community organizers from 1907 to 1968, raising funds, rallying parents and supporting schools during segregation. 

Born in 1871, Holland became one of North Carolina’s most influential educators. She founded the North Carolina Congress of Colored Parents and Teachers, creating the first parent-teacher association for African Americans in the state. Holland spent decades traveling across North Carolina, training teachers and strengthening Black schools. 

During the Sept. 6 marker unveiling ceremony, the keynote was delivered by Valinda Littlefield, a retired history professor who has done extensive research on Holland’s impact on the state. Littlefield said Holland’s most lasting contribution was “providing educational access to the masses.”

She built the foundation. Expanding schools, raising funds, and even hiring nurses so that Black communities could be healthier, stronger and better prepared for what’s next.

Her work was not just about schools. It impacted economics, health care and community life. The base she created was crucial because before people can be voters or activists, their basic needs have to be met.

Local and state officials attended the program in Sunbury, including Rep. Rodney D. Pierce, D-Halifax, who applied for the marker. Pierce said that when he first came across Holland’s story, he immediately recognized its importance. “By that time, I knew how these marker applications worked, and I knew her story needed to be remembered in public,” he said.

For Pierce, this work started years ago as a middle school social studies teacher in Halifax County. After learning about Louis Austin, a Black newspaper editor from nearby Enfield, he applied for his first marker. On dedication day, he recalled numerous people showing up to celebrate. 

Littlefield said recognizing Holland helps correct the male-heavy version of history. “Acknowledging women like her gives us a fuller, more accurate picture of who built and sustained our communities,” she said.

Holland become the statewide Jeanes supervisor, guiding teachers while raising money for higher education. In addition to the historical marker, Holland’s name still appears in other places across the state. At North Carolina A&T State University, for example, students live in Holland Hall and gather at Holland Bowl for campus events, games and picnics. 

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