Actress Sheryl Lee Ralph Matches Donations for Teacher Appreciation Week

Emmy-winning actress Sheryl Lee Ralph shared the story of what experiencing kindness from a white teacher meant to her during the early days of desegregation. Ralph’s primary school education came at a time when racial tensions were high across the country with the push for desegregation in public schools.

Ralph, who attended Driggs Elementary School in Waterbury, Connecticut, described the moment shared with her kindergarten teacher that has stuck with her all these years. She remembered her teacher, Ms. Spencer, grasping her hand and even remembers her scent. “This young woman held my hand. This is a young white woman in Waterbury, Connecticut. I’m a child of the ’60s right, and the idea that your teacher was holding you close, no matter what your color was, just spoke volumes to me.”

“I can still feel it to this day, I’m left handed … and I can still feel it and see where I stood with that teacher” In honor of Teacher Appreciation week, Ralph partnered with the Sonic Foundation to match up to $1.5 million in public donations sent on May 9 through DonorsChoose.org. The website consists of wish lists from public school teachers across the country. Teachers will have full discretion on how they allocate the money raised for them.