Michigan Arts & Culture

Lansing’s first African-American teacher recognized in Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame

Michigan Public | By Stateside Staff

Published March 21, 2017 at 1:39 PM EDT

After becoming Lansing's first African-American teacher, Olivia Letts later became the school district's first African-American principal.

Our conversation with Dr. Olivia Letts, the Lansing School District's first African-American teacher.

The Michigan Women's Hall of Fame welcomed its latest group of honorees late last year.

Among the five contemporary honorees was Olivia Letts. She was the first African-American teacher hired by the Lansing School District. She started that job in 1951 and from there, Letts spent her life as an advocate for education, community service and civil rights.

Letts joined Stateside to talk about her life, career and induction into the Hall of Fame.

Listen to the full interview above to hear about her early days at Lincoln School, the school that "took a chance" on her in the early 1950s when no schools were hiring African-American teachers.

This segment originally aired on Oct. 18, 2016.

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