Isaiah Edward Robinson Jr. facts for kids

Isaiah Edward Robinson Jr. (born February 17, 1924 – died April 14, 2011) was a very important person in New York City. He was the first African-American president of the New York City Board of Education, which helps run all the public schools in the city. He was also one of the brave Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African-American military pilots who fought during World War II.

Early Life and Education

Isaiah Edward Robinson Jr. was born in Birmingham, Alabama, on February 17, 1924. He grew up in a place called Rosedale. His parents were Isaiah Robinson, Sr. and Willia Robinson. He had one sister. Later, he married Sylvia Lawson and they had a son named Larry. He also adopted three other sons.

Isaiah graduated from Rosedale High School in 1942. After that, he studied art at the Art Career School in New York City, finishing in 1949.

He stopped working in public life around 1986. He lived in Middletown, New York, for a while with his adopted sons. He later moved back to Birmingham, Alabama, where he passed away on April 14, 2011, after having a stroke.

In January 2008, Mr. Robinson helped open a new part of a hotel dedicated to the Tuskegee Airmen. This special area had many pictures of the Airmen and looked out over airport runways.

Career Highlights

From 1958 to 1969, Isaiah Robinson Jr. worked as an art director for a company called Delmar Printing.

Leading the Board of Education

Mr. Robinson was a member of the New York City Board of Education from 1969 to 1978. This board makes important decisions about schools in New York City. He made history by becoming the first African-American president of the Board of Education. He held this important role during the 1971–1972 and 1975–1976 school years. He also led a special committee that helped schools become more independent and managed by local communities.

While he was president, he also served on other important groups. He was a trustee for the Public Education Association and a director for the New York State School Boards Association. He also advised different groups, including the New York Human Resource Administration and the Urban Coalition.

Working for Human Rights

After his time on the Board of Education, Mr. Robinson became the chairman of the New York City Commission on Human Rights. This commission works to make sure everyone is treated fairly and equally.

One time, the commission studied how real estate agents were renting homes. They found that many landlords were unfairly refusing to rent to families who had children. The commission suggested that the city should be able to take legal action against these landlords.

Mr. Robinson also supported expanding the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) program in schools. This program helps students learn about leadership and military skills.

In May 1984, Mr. Robinson left his position at the Human Rights Commission to try new challenges.

Later Work

From 1984 to 1986, he worked at the Community Trust's Office of University and Corporate Affairs.

In 1988, Mr. Robinson became the chairman of the Freedom National Bank of New York. This bank was special because it was founded in 1964 by famous people like Jackie Robinson and other investors, and it was based in Harlem, New York. Mr. Robinson and his team tried their best to help the bank, but it was facing many financial problems.

Community Activism

Isaiah Robinson Jr. was a strong leader in the African-American community. He worked hard to improve education and help the economy grow. He held important positions like Associate Director of the Harlem Freedom School and President of the Harlem Commonwealth Council of Economic Development.

In the early 1960s, he was very active in trying to make New York City schools more integrated. This meant making sure students of all races could attend the same schools. He was known for speaking out when he felt that plans for integration were too slow or not fair enough. He believed that all children deserved a good education and fought against anything that harmed their learning.

Military Service

Isaiah Robinson Jr. was a brave pilot. He graduated from the Tuskegee Institute Flight School on November 20, 1945. He was part of class 45-H-TE. After graduating, he became a Second Lieutenant and a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Force.

See also

• Dogfights (TV series)
• Executive Order 9981
• Freeman Field Mutiny
• List of Tuskegee Airmen
• Military history of African Americans
• The Tuskegee Airmen (movie)