By Tashi McQueen
Black women are breaking barriers in education, from the stage to the classroom.
Rosalind Cauthen, executive director of the Baltimore School for the Arts (BSA), and Dr. Nicol R. Howard, an associate professor of mathematics education in the Schmid College of Science and Technology at Chapman University, are among those leading the way.
Both women embody resilience, leadership and empowerment through shaping the next generation of artists in Baltimore and advancing equity for fellow Black women educators. Their work underscores the vital role Black women play in inspiring students and shaping institutions that support and are inclusive of Black people. Cauthen is based in Maryland, while Howard works in California.
Howard shared what sparked her interest in education and her desire to make an impact.
“When I was younger, I didn’t see myself going into the field of education, but I was always aware of inequities, not knowing how to call it out but just seeing that there was an imbalance in how certain students were treated,” said Howard.
Howard spent many years in the entertainment industry, including at Paramount Pictures, while also teaching dance at Faithful Central Bible Church in Inglewood, Calif., before transitioning into education.
“I was working with young girls ages six to 13, and every weekend I was with them,” she said. “I was teaching them not just about dance but about life and how your dance and your movement was an extension of how you move through life.”
That experience prompted her to reflect on her 40-hour workweek job.
“I had greater fulfillment being with these youth on the weekends and sharing space with them than my main job,” said Howard. “I decided to go back and get my teaching credentials.”
Howard later served as a K-12 teacher in Compton, Los Angeles and Santa Ana, Calif., before advancing into leadership and faculty roles at the University of Redlands and Chapman University. She has taught grades 9 through 12 and special education in the Compton Unified School District and grades K through 4 in the Corona-Norco Unified and Santa Ana Unified school districts.
Howard received her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, a master’s in educational technology from Azusa Pacific University and a Ph.D. in education from Chapman University. Her research has been published in educational journals including EDUCAUSE Review and Urban Education Journal.
“My work has really been about highlighting the nuanced way that we form, measure family, when we talk about our involvement of Black families with their children,” she said.
Cauthen became executive director of BSA in July 2021 after joining the school in 2016 as head of the Theatre Department. During her tenure, she has led equity, diversity and inclusion work at BSA and prioritized healing and restoration in the classroom while developing an Equity Action Plan for the school.
Prior to BSA, Cauthen worked at Center Stage as director of community programs. She earned a Master of Fine Arts in theatre from Towson University, where she also served as an adjunct faculty member and led Theatre Arts Mainstage productions.
Cauthen said her biggest inspirations are her students, colleagues at BSA, daughters, family and friends. She also credits Black theatre artists such as Ntozake Shange, Amiri Baraka and August Wilson, along with mentors Joy Vandervort Cobb, Maria Broom and Julianne Franz.
“I’m making change by showing up everyday for my students as my authentic self, willing to stand up for equity and fairness,” she said. “I work hard to see the students that might be easily overlooked by others. I share leadership with students and staff. It’s important that they know this is their school and their input matters.”
“I’m also working to bring in more artists that look like them and represent their communities,” she added. “They need to see themselves reflected in the positions and careers they aspire to attain. Once they see others like them can make it, it instills a sense that they can do the same.”
Cauthen said it is important for Black women to continue leading.
“We’ve worked hard,” she said. “We’ve earned the degrees. We’ve built movements such as ‘Me Too’ and ‘Black Lives Matter.’ We’ve been here. We will continue to be here. We will continue to lead regardless of the targets and lay-offs because we owe it to our grandmothers and ourselves.