HARLINGEN — U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela is holding an event Monday to honor local African Americans, and Harlingen’s own George McShan is one of them.
“Certainly I am honored, first of all and most importantly, as someone who grew up not having equal access to education,” said McShan, 71, a former teacher who served 30 years on the Harlingen School Board.
McShan will be one of 11 African Americans honored Monday at Vela’s Black History Month Celebration at the Oscar Dancy Building in Brownsville. He graduated from a segregated high school in Central Texas and went on to teach science at both the high school and college level in the Valley.
“I was able to focus on what’s positive as far as dreams and making those dreams a reality,” he said. “I knew I could do what I wanted through hard work and the support of others.”
He’s indeed done that.
McShan broke new ground as the first African American to serve on the Texas Association of School Boards and was president of that organization in 1998 – 99. In 2004 he became the second Texan to be elected president of the National School Boards Association.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Congressman Vela’s Black History Month Celebration
WHERE:
Oscar Dancy Building
1100 E. Monroe St.
Brownsville
2nd floor
WHEN: Feb. 4, 5:30 p.m.
HONOREES
George McShan
James Belt
Jesse Benton
Dr. Twana Cooks-Allen
Donald Hamm
Brian McDonald
Dr. Deloria Nanze-Davis
Dr. Eugene Nunnery
Mittie A. Pullam
Dr. Charles Rurangirwa
Gary West
Sessia Wyche, III
