Black History Today: Natalie Hester, champion for all children
/Black History Today, created by Marcus Harden in honor of Black History Month, pays tribute to the living legacy of Black history in our community and beyond and recognizes the people shaping the future.
Presented in collaboration with the South Seattle Emerald.
“If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring in a folding chair.”
By Marcus Harden
Many people say they don’t “like” politics, or that they don’t “do” politics. It’s an idea I often chuckle at, as in my humble opinion, politics is all around us. In the current landscape they’re rarely seen as “good,” yet politics by sheer definition refers to the way that people living in groups make decisions.
Politics, in other words, is about how people make agreements so that they can live together in communities such as tribes, cities or countries. We all “do” politics whether we “like” it or not. And so I admire the people who delve into politics, forging a leadership role even when the structures we currently know weren’t designed to politically serve them.
Natalie Hester is one of those leaders. To be both Black and a woman in the political space is a feat unto itself, and Natalie leads with courage, conviction and confidence. She pushes forward for children and families to have equitable educational outcomes, despite a system that doesn’t always welcome her or the issues she champions.
Natalie lives in Seattle, with her husband and their two daughters (we’ll come back to this!). Natalie currently serves as the senior vice president of policy for the Washington State Charter School Association, and as of July 1, she will move into a co-president role, leading the organization alongside two colleagues.
From her humble beginnings in Tempe, Ariz., even Natalie probably didn’t imagine herself here, yet her heart for trailblazing and advocacy have come naturally.
Her journey has been unconventional, but like all journeys worth taking, every step has led her to the place of purpose. Whether working as a young girl in her father’s business, or championing causes such as housing equity and education reform as an adult, Natalie has always cultivated long-lasting change beyond just her time in those places.
One could argue her greatest journey in purpose came as a mother. Several years ago, when confronted with the notion by a teacher that there was “nothing more” that could be done for her daughter to further her education – specifically in math (and we know the numbers and the discrimination against women in math and science) – Natalie sprang into action, first advocating through traditional channels such as PTSA and parent task forces.
However, realizing that her daughter wasn’t the only one being sent a discouraging message by some of the people and institutions supposedly dedicated to serve, she began deep-diving into the possibilities for children through a public-school trajectory, but without the past paradigms and parameters that have failed so many before.
Through this, Natalie found herself thrust into what would become history in Washington State. As a parent advocate she would be one of the leading voices for change to the public school system, advocating for free and public charter school options to not just serve her daughter but serve thousands of children and families like her across the state. In advocating for equity in education for one of her daughters, Natalie now found herself seeking equity for all children across the state.
Natalie would volunteer thousands of hours toward this cause, eventually quitting her job to co-found one of the first public charter schools in Washington, providing valuable knowledge technically and an even more powerful voice as a parent, speaking directly to parents and most importantly listening to and with communities about what they needed.
Completing that journey with honor and dignity, Natalie would join the board of the Washington State Charter School Association to help guide policy and lend her leadership expertise. However, Natalie’s heart is and always has been with the people, so when presented with the opportunity to lead the statewide (and national effort) for policy and change, it was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up.
Natalie is a visionary with passion, able to do the silent work of being the bridge between people and their constituents. She does this in her typically authentic way, establishing herself as an honest voice for those elected to serve and a caring ear for those who just want what’s best for their children.
Her humble leadership serves in ways seen and unseen, and her politics are not described by party affiliation but by doing what’s right for people. Her political platform is one of care, empathy and legacy-building, and it is these consistent landmarks along Natalie’s winding road that make her Black History Today!
Original artwork created by Devin Chicras for the South Seattle Emerald.
