Punta Gorda educators reflect on legacy and importance of Black history

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. —

Eunice and Roy Wiley, pioneering educators in Punta Gorda, reflect on their experiences and the importance of teaching Black history in schools.

Inside St. Mary's Baptist Church, the couple reminisces about their marriage that has lasted more than 50 years.

"Involve yourself in things you love to do," Eunice Wiley said. "Find someone who will give you that respect."

Her passion for reading and teaching led her to become the first Black teacher to integrate East Elementary School.

"It was the first year for a new principal who was very reluctant to have a Black-- especially Black female," she said.

Roy Wiley faced challenges as one of the first Black art teachers in the area.

"When you stand up for what you believe in because it's contradictory to what they thought I should be doing, I wasn't a person agreeing all the time," he said.

Despite the challenges, they continued to show up for their students day after day.

"Boys gravitate toward me, and they want to do everything that I did — every day, six days a week," Roy Wiley said.

Both spent 30 years in education, working their way up from teachers to administration. Now, they worry their story and others like it are being left out.

"Black history — for it to be the primary job of a teacher — when it's given the shortest month of the year, 28 days — it should never be taught that way," Eunice said.

"A lot of history is just left out," Roy said. "Nobody wants to look bad, so they cover up or leave it out instead of telling the truth."

They believe education is where truth begins.

"Hate and division — it's not born in you," Eunice said. "It's something you learn. Parents have to find a better way of communicating with children."

The Wileys emphasize the importance of representation, having teachers who look like their students, which changes what students believe is possible. Black teachers, they say, don't just teach lesson plans; they teach confidence, culture, and history that lives beyond the textbook.

"Now what are we going to do about it?" Eunice asked. "I told Roy I'm tired, the bridges are tired. And my concern is — have we prepared enough bridges to carry on?"

After a lifetime of building bridges, they hope the next generation of Black educators is ready to cross them.

"In order to know Black history, you got to read about it," Eunice said. "It's not two pages in anybody's book. We're bigger than that."

In the end, they believe education is more than information; it's legacy.

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