Mary Kennedy Carter

Mary Kennedy Carter (January 13, 1934 – December 14, 2010) was a social studies teacher and civil rights activist in Ohio, United States. She took part in creating the award-winning curriculum "New York and Slavery: Complicity and Resistance". She was the wife of Donald W. Carter and mother of Keith B. Carter.

Early life Mary Kennedy Carter was born Mary Kennedy in Franklin, Ohio, as the daughter of a barber and a teacher, the youngest of nine children. As a child she grew up in a part of Ohio, where racism was pervasive. As a child she had both black and white friends, but in the process of growing up racial segregation became more clear.

Activism When back in the United States, Mary moved to New York City to work for McGraw-Hill publishers as editor and writer. There she met her husband Donald Carter. She left McGraw-Hill for the opportunity to create a module of Black History at the Roosevelt school district, Long Island. In that period she managed to get many important speakers to the school district, including Jackie Robinson and Betty Shabazz. Furthermore, Mary contributed to some editions of 'Race, Class, and Gender in the United States: An Integrated Study'.