During Black History Month, AFSA is posting profiles of some of our outstanding Black school leaders.
There was nothing typical about the upbringing of Vincent Anthony, principal of Porter Elementary School in San Diego and an active member of the Administrators Association San Diego (AASD), AFSA Local 134. His parents adopted him after he spent his first six months in foster care in Palmyra, New Jersey. A few months later, his younger brother, Eric, joined him. His sister, Marisa Adams, was raised by another family, and his brother Kevin Berryman stayed with their biological mother.
“My adoptive mother is my earth angel,” Vince says.
Extremely loving and devoted, Renee Anthony made sure that Vince and Eric knew their other siblings and their biological mother, Patti Berryman.
“We were an extended family raised to be all together,” Vince says. “And we are to this day.”
His maternal grandmother, Renee Naylor, was his champion. Vince also had influential mentors, James Burks and George Dickerson, who were instrumental in his upbringing. They helped him make the most of his education at Burlington City High School. Mentoring remains an important part of Vince’s life.
And so he excelled. Basketball meant everything to him.
“We were one of the best basketball teams in the state,” he says.
He was a team captain and class president and counted himself lucky to be accepted to several colleges on scholarship. He ultimately chose Marist University, a liberal arts school in Poughkeepsie, New York, with a Division I basketball program.
At Marist, Vince became a proud member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, following in the footsteps of his mentor James Burks. Through Burks’ example, Vince learned the fraternity’s four cardinal principles: manhood, scholarship, perseverance and uplift. During high school, assistant coaches Maymond Bey and Byron Taylor—also members of Omega Psi Phi—reinforced those values. Collectively, these Omega men played a pivotal role in shaping Vince’s life and character.
Throughout high school, Vince aspired to become a professional basketball player, but he soon realized he was “good, but not that good.” With a passion for people and helping others develop, he initially thought he would pursue a career as a headhunter. In college, he interned at Target and later took a job at Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Poughkeepsie.
“I didn’t love it,” he says, laughing.
Thanks to Corrine Schell, a close friend who worked in the admissions office at Marist, Vince became a recruiter for the university. Assigned to the West Coast, he recruited African American students for several National Science Foundation scholarships. On the side, he substitute-taught and soon discovered that his passion for people was, even more so, a passion for children.
Drawn to the West Coast, he applied to the University of San Diego, where he earned a Master of Education in special education.
Vince’s first teaching job was at Mueller Charter School in Chula Vista, where he taught a variety of subjects in kindergarten through sixth grade. He served in multiple roles, including student teacher, classroom teacher, dean of students and co-principal.
“I used culturally responsive instructional practices and curriculum to provide quality education to children from all backgrounds,” he says.
In 2022, Vince left Mueller Charter School to become principal of Porter Elementary School in the San Diego Unified School District.
“I miss the day-to-day interactions and teaching students,” he says of being outside the classroom, “but I love being a principal. It’s like being the mayor of a small town.”
He stays closely connected to the entire school community and is committed to building a positive school culture. His students are multilingual, speaking primarily Spanish, as well as Haitian Creole, Tagalog and Mandarin.
“We’re extremely close to the U.S.-Mexico border,” he says. “I admire the different cultures and resilience of our families. Many speak multiple languages and have overcome significant challenges to be here. It is a blessing to serve such wonderful people.”
Vince laughs about his limited Spanish, but his daughter Alessandra, 5, is enrolled in a dual-language immersion school, and Thalia, 3, will follow. Their mother is from Mexico City, and becoming biliterate in Spanish was nonnegotiable.
Leading a school, raising his daughters and pursuing an Ed.D. in educational leadership at San Diego State University keeps Vince busy.
He remains active in his fraternity and his union. As a committed member of the AASD Executive Board, he says, “Unions are essential. Without strong advocates, administrators couldn’t do this work. Traveling to Las Vegas this year for the AFSA Tricentennial Conference opened my eyes to the union’s impact on a national scale.”
Vince also is a co-founder and active member of the Black Learner Advisory Council in Chula Vista. While acknowledging that Black educators face unique challenges, he credits his success to a strong support network.
“The network is all-important and all-encompassing,” he says. “School leaders without strong support often struggle in the role.”
He emphasizes that school leadership is challenging overall, regardless of race or ethnicity, and notes that principals are key agents of change.
“We must continually fight for financial and overall support, seek mentorship opportunities and build agency,” he says. “Administrators must connect with each other because it is a lonely job, and it’s easy to feel isolated.”
To prevent burnout, Vince prioritizes time with family and friends. He enjoys sporting events and taking his daughters to the San Diego Zoo, the Birch Aquarium and SeaWorld.
He also treasures group chats with his extended family.
“Friends, family and faith keep me going,” he says, “and always will.”
