For the Australian rules football umpire, see Emma Stark (umpire).

Emily Arabella "Emma" Stark[1] (born February 17, 1856) was a Canadian teacher.[2] She was the first Black Canadian teacher in Vancouver Island[3] and the first teacher in the new North Cedar School, in 1874.[2]

Early life

Emily Arabella (Emma) Stark was born on February 17, 1856, in California, United States, to parents Louis (1816–1895) and Sylvia Stark (1840–1944),[1][4] who had been slaves in the United States.

In 1860, Stark arrived with her family on Salt Spring Island, B.C.[2] While on Salt Spring Island, her siblings John Edmond (1860–1930), Abraham Lincoln (1863–1908), Hannah "Anne" Serena (1866–1888) and Marie Albertine (1867–1966) were born.[1] The Estes-Stark family moved to Cedar, Nanaimo, in 1875, where Stark's youngest sister Louisa Edna was born (1878–1971).[1]

Education

Stark attended Salt Spring Island Central School, and she completed secondary school at Nanaimo high school.[1] Her instructor was primarily John Craven Jones, a graduate of Oberlin College.[5] Afterwards, Stark graduated high school; she trained to be a teacher.[1][6]

Career

Stark became a teacher at the age of 18 years.[1] In August 1874, she was hired to teach in a one-room school in the Cedar District;[1] her starting salary was $40 per month.[2]

She lived in a cabin that was provided for the teacher.[1] Students who lived a long way from the school boarded with Stark, including her younger sister Marie.[2]

Personal life

Stark married James Clarke on December 28, 1878.[1][2][7]

Death

In 1890, Stark died at the age of 34 from tuberculosis.[8][1][2][7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k blackhistory. "Emma Stark – BC Black History Awareness Society". BC Black History Awareness Society. Retrieved 2022-02-10.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "First Black Teacher on Vancouver Island: Emma Stark". British Columbia’s Black Pioneers. Retrieved 2022-02-10.
  3. ^ Claxton, Nick XEMŦOLTW̱; Fong, Denise; Morrison, Fran; O’Bonsawin, Christine; Omatsu, Maryka; Price, John; Sandhra, Sharanjit Kaur (2021). Challenging Racist British Columbia: 150 Years and Counting (PDF). University of Victoria and The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (BC Office). p. 31. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  4. ^ Sandwell, Ruth Wells (2005). Contesting Rural Space. McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP. p. 186. ISBN 9780773528598. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  5. ^ Kilian, Crawford (February 6, 2009). "BC's Black Pioneer Women". The Tyee. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  6. ^ "Estes - Stark Collection". www.saltspringarchives.com. Retrieved 2022-02-10.
  7. ^ a b Kilian, Crawford (2020). Go Do Some Great Thing: The Black Pioneers of British Columbia (3rd ed.). Madeira Park, British Columbia, Canada: Harbour Publishing Company Limited. ISBN 9781550179484. OCLC 1191840956.
  8. ^ Kilian, Crawford (March 15, 2016). "What BC Women Should Be on Canadian Banknotes?". The Tyee. Retrieved 29 May 2022.

Further reading

Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_Stark
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