Born in Monroeville, Marva Collins became one of the most influential teachers and education activists of the 20th century. She grew up in a home where she was expected to do good in the classroom, she didn’t have a choice. Collins was quite familiar with the educational deficiencies associated with black schools. She was also well aware of the mediocre access African-American students had to the resources that were readily available to white students. Libraries were for whites only, and many black schools lacked sufficient books or even indoor plumbing. Working to gain equal access to quality education for African-American students, she started her own school in Chicago and founded a style of education that came to be known as the Collins
