FULBRIGHT Association
NEW JERSEY CHAPTER
Dr. Herbert N. Richardson, First Black Teacher of Perth Amboy, NJ
Dr. Herbert N. Richardson
Dr. Joyce Richardson-Melech
The New Jersey Fulbright Chapter invites you to join us for an afternoon of oral history-the story of local Perth Amboy icon, Dr. Herbert N. Richardson, the city’s first Black teacher. Dr. Richardson was hired in 1949 as a teacher of music in Samuel E. Shull School. His daughter, Dr. Joyce Richardson, shares her memories of this ground-breaking educator.
Richardson, the son of immigrants from the Caribbean islands of Anguilla and St. Kitts, was the city’s first Black college graduate, earning a Bachelor of Science in Public School Music degree from Virginia State College in 1942. He was also a WWII veteran who served his country by working in communications while in Germany.
Richardson became Perth Amboy’s Supervisor of Music Education in 1968 and Principal of School #10 in 1981, retiring from public education in 1987.
The webinar will be highlighted with photos of Dr. Richardson and musical selections.
New Jersey Chapter Speaker Series Thursday, February 15, 2024 at 7:00 pm EST, via Zoom.
To register: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2fcGxAkYT3KNjjdUnmO0LQ
Dr. Joyce Richardson, Vice-President of the NJ Chapter, was the recipient of the Fulbright-Hays Summer Seminars Abroad Award entitled Inside Mexico: A Journey Through History and Society in 2010. The seminar group traveled through eight different states in Mexico, including Quintana Roo, Yucatan, Campeche, Chiapas, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Puebla, and Mexico City. Participants explored local schools, the Universidad de la Tierra, archaeological sites, Chapultepec Castle, the Ballet Folklorico, the Basilica of Guadalupe, the Bibiloteca Palafoxiana, along with various museums and churches of historical significance. The program provided a unique opportunity to gain an insider’s perspective and understanding of the history, values, and challenges that shape Mexican culture while it gave participants a chance to practice Spanish. The participants deepened knowledge on the origins and the impact of current issues such as migration and globalization.