(WOODLAWN – May 21, 2026) — Some people stumble into their life’s calling. Frances Parks was born knowing hers. As a little girl, she would line up her dolls and teach them — a childhood ritual that turned out to be a rehearsal for a career spanning more than four decades and touching thousands of young lives across Baltimore City Public Schools.
Parks, a proud graduate of Hampton Institute — now Hampton University — spent 42 years in education, first as a classroom teacher and then rising through the ranks to serve as an assistant principal for six years before becoming a principal. Her educational career began at Patrick Henry Elementary School and culminated at Westside Elementary School, where she built something that went far beyond test scores.
“Westside was called an oasis for the children we served,” Parks reflected, describing the environment she cultivated in the heart of the inner city. Under her leadership, the school maintained strong academic standing — never placed on the state’s watch list — and Parks was selected to represent Baltimore City Public Schools at workshops in Georgia and to attend leadership institutes for high-performing principals, sponsored by the State of Maryland.
But even retirement could not slow her down. After leaving the classroom, Parks was recruited by the Title I Office to serve as a team leader, heading a group of retired educators who monitored after-school programs across the district for approximately eight years — ensuring those programs met federal Title I standards and continued to serve children with excellence.
When asked about those who speak ill of Baltimore City schoolchildren, Parks was direct and unwavering: “All children can learn. Baltimore City school children are no different from any other group of children. If given the right facilities and the right opportunities, they can achieve anything.” It is a philosophy she lived out every single day — not just as a belief, but as a practice.
Beyond the classroom, Parks has been a force in her church community, her sorority, and civic organizations. She is a pearl member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. — a designation earned by members who have been active for 65 or more years — having pledged while an undergraduate at Hampton. Her life of service extends well beyond the school building.
Now, Frances Parks will be honored for exactly that — a lifetime of pouring into others. She will receive the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Award at Black Wall Street WOODLAWN, hosted on Thursday, June 4, 2025, from 6 to 8 PM at Andre Boyd’s, 6665 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD. The evening celebrates Black entrepreneurship, excellence, and community legacy.
RSVP at BlackWallStreetWoodlawn.eventbrite.com.
Doni Glover is the founder and publisher of BMORENews.com, now in its 24th year of covering Black Baltimore, and the founder of the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards, now in its 15th year. He is also the host of the Emmy-nominated Doni Glover podcast and The Doni Glover Show on WMAR-TV 2.
