Oral History of Nina Honemond Clarke

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Authors

Clarke, Nina H.

Issue Date

2003-07-14

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Language

en_US

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Abstract

Mrs. Clarke, a county native and retired school teacher and principal, shares her family history and provides an insider's look into education in Montgomery County during segregation and following integration. Other highlights include her brother's service as a Tuskegee airman and becoming a writer of local history books. An addendum to Paul Van Nevel's interview with Mrs. Clarke was done in October, 2003 by Lisa Crawley, to follow up with questions specific to her family history and her knowledge of migration in her family.

Description

Nina Honemond Clarke has lived in Montgomery County her entire life, first attending the segregated elementary school in Poolesville and graduating valedictorian of her class from Rockville Colored High School in 1934. She earned her teaching certificate from Bowie State Teacher’s College, her bachelor’s from Hampton Institute, and a master’s degree in education from Boston University. Part of her 36-year tenure in the Montgomery County Public Schools included serving on the professional committee appointed by the School Board to plan the integration process in 1954-1955. Previously, she had taught at the segregated Quince Orchard School and at the Sandy Spring consolidated elementary school, among many others. After integration, she continued in the school system and retired in 1973 as principal of Aspen Hill Elementary School. Following her retirement she transitioned to a career as a public educator and an expert local historian, co-authoring A History of the Black Public Schools in Montgomery County, Maryland (1978), and authoring A History of the 19th Century Black Churches in Maryland and the District of Columbia (1983). She has been a lifetime member of the NAACP and also served as a volunteer docent for the Montgomery County Historical Society, in addition to holding membership in dozens of other organizations throughout the county. She was interviewed twice in 2003, by Paul Van Nevel and also by Lisa Crawley. Ms. Clarke still lives in Montgomery County and celebrated her 100th birthday in 2018.

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Citation

Publisher

Montgomery County Historical Society