Race Relations in Love Teacher, Mrs Doreen Gordan Carvalho
By Tasha Wilson
This is a short and sweet tribute going out directly to the beautiful Mrs Doreen Gordon Carvalho. Mrs Carvalho was never my teacher. I knew her strictly from the playground at recess. Her beautiful soul was a protector to me. You see, my brother Jabbar and I were only 2 of about 10 African American students at Sylvan Elementary School during the 1970s. Easily, we could have felt alone, lost, and unprotected, but Mrs Carvalho made sure that instead, we felt included, equal, and loved! Some 30 plus years after I left Sylvan School, my two children would end up attending there. She was never either of my children’s teachers either. Still, on their first day home from their new school, they mentioned a teacher they met on the playground that loved on them all day. Her name? Mrs. Doreen Gordon Carvalho!
Mrs Carvalho is retired now, and I don’t go to visit her the way I should. I just want her to know that Black History Month always causes me to remember her heart. Openly, she demonstrated love towards my brother and I, during a time when that was uncommon! For that, our family will always love you!
