Black History Month: Recognizing the Contributions of Black Early Educators in San Francisco 

Brenda Smith and Renee Underwood, Children’s Council Legacy Providers 

As we celebrate Black History Month, it’s critical to recognize the contributions that countless Black women have made in Early Childhood Education (ECE). Today, we highlight two of our Legacy Providers who have each dedicated decades of their lives to ECE. Brenda Smith and Renee Underwood’s deep commitment to young children, their families and early educators have made an enduring impact to the community of San Francisco. These women represent just a glimpse of the extraordinary contributions Black women have had and continue to have in shaping future generations. 

Brenda Smith

Brenda Smith has been a dedicated and compassionate child care provider serving the Bayview community of San Francisco for about 25 years. As the owner of Diamonds in the Rough Family Child Care, Brenda has provided nurturing and supportive care to countless children and families, making a lasting impact on the community. “You have to love what you do,” Brenda said at the Honoring Legacy Providers Event in 2024, “If you don’t love it, don’t do it. Give the kids your very best.”  Brenda’s unwavering commitment to children, families and fellow child care providers deserve recognition. 

Throughout her career, Brenda has been a strong advocate for ECE and quality care. As a participant in Programs in the Early Learning For All Network, she ensured that her child care program met high-quality standards, giving families access to enriching, developmentally appropriate care. She has also been a positive supporter of Children’s Council and the work the organization does, frequently engaging with its resources and initiatives to enhance her business and provide the best care possible. 

Brenda has always gone above and beyond supporting families, particularly those with children with disabilities. She also actively advocates for professional development opportunities, ensuring that providers could receive workforce registry credit for training. 

Her resilience and dedication were particularly evident when she had to temporarily close her child care due to a family member contracting COVID-19. “As well as giving your kids your very best, you want to do the same for your family…We can’t be our best if our families are not our best.” Despite this challenge, she sought out grant opportunities to sustain her business, including Micro Loans and the Business Improvement Grant. Even as she faced obstacles, she remained committed to mentorship, curriculum development, and supporting newer providers, offering to donate materials and guide startup grantees. 

Brenda’s legacy of service, mentorship and advocacy continues to have a lasting impact on the Bayview child care community. Her dedication to ensuring high-quality child care, supporting fellow providers, and uplifting families in need makes her a pillar of early childhood education. Reflecting on her remarkable journey, Brenda shared: “I want to thank my community for trusting me with their children for over 40 years. Myself, as well as many other child care educators, have put forth our best for the children of our future. Life is not getting any easier and the children and their families have become extended families of ours, working together and embracing different programs to further help educate our children outside of child care has become necessary because we all know education is the key.” 

Renee Underwood

With over 40 years of devoted service to children, families and educators in the Bayview Community of San Francisco, Renee Underwood has made a lasting impact. Her passion for nurturing young minds is illustrated in her own words: “I just love the energy and the uniqueness of every child, and I just thrive on their love and their caring and their ability to be honest and true. That gives me great hope”. 

Renee’s journey in ECE is rooted in her background of caring for others. Beginning her professional career as a nurse at San Francisco General Hospital, she pivoted to founding Ideal Day Care in 1983, where she has since served hundreds of children. Many families have entrusted multiple generations to her program, illuminating the love and trust she has built within her community. 

Beyond her work as an educator, Renee is a mentor in the Black community. She regularly holds training sessions in her home for new educators, providing them with tools and strategies for fostering learning environments centered around equity and anti-racism. Her work addresses pressing challenges that Black children face that often go unaddressed in education systems. “If those oppressions and racisms and sexisms are not dealt with, then you get more aggression, and then you get more trauma,” Renee explained. “The inequities in education have to be addressed for both the child and the family.” 

Her vision is clear and transformative: “When a Black child walks into the room, they just don’t see the color of their skin. They see character, they see a person who wants to be educated, they see a person who needs nurturing as all children do…If you see a bias or a situation of inequality, have the courage to step forward.” 

Renee’s decades of impactful service were honored by Children’s Council as the recipient of the 2021 Family Child Care Provider Champion award.

In discussing her impact in the ECE field recently with Children’s Council, Renee shared some thoughtful insights. “It’s important to listen to what your purpose is. My entire family has always been about caring and sharing and making ways for people behind you and in front. It has just been who I am, it’s in my nature. What I love about working with children and families is the ability to earnestly listen: listen and respect what you hear, observe actions and interactions with family children and community. It gives me joy to see it develop, to see them achieve and see them as adults: It keeps me going.” 

Her compassionate advocacy, care and mentorship during her career has left a deep impact on the San Francisco ECE community and the families she serves. “Even though I am retired, it’s always a pleasure to get those calls and those knocks and reconnect with families as their children have grown; Many are teachers that say I influenced them. I do believe that everyone has their own purpose, and we need to learn to listen to them to try to help them obtain their goals.” Renee believes that in a world where our future is uncertain, if you have given your best, you don’t have any regrets.