ABOUT MARGARET FORTUNE

Dr. Margaret Fortune has spent her life waging a deliberate and unapologetic fight for educational justice. This “education warrior” declared war on the African American achievement gap nearly two decades ago — and has kept that promise ever since. As President and CEO of Fortune School, she leads a network of thirteen preschools and TK–12 public charter schools in Sacramento and San Bernardino that prepare children for college beginning at age two. Each campus, many named after local Black icons, stands as proof that when expectations are high and opportunity is present, Black children thrive.

A third-generation educator, Fortune was raised in a household where education was both dinner-table conversation and family calling. Carrying forward the legacy of her father, Dr. Rex Fortune, she expanded his teacher-training program into a full public school system and now envisions its next evolution — Fortune University — to train future educators and leaders for generations to come.

A bold reformer and policy innovator, she has served two California governors, chaired the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, and helped secure $300 million in state funding for the state’s lowest-performing students. Inducted into the National Charter School Hall of Fame, Fortune continues to defy the status quo and challenge systems that fail children.

For Margaret Fortune, this work is both mission and inheritance — a lifelong commitment to ensuring that every Black child in California has access to a world-class education and a future filled with possibility.

ON LEADERSHIP AND INFLUENCE

What does “Black Power and Influence” mean to you?
The true measure of leadership is not the power one holds, but how that power is used to serve our children. Leadership is service, and that service must begin with them.

Leadership Lesson:
I’ve learned the value of long-term planning, consistency, and persistence. True leadership is about developing others to reach their full potential while leading with integrity.

Who inspires you most and why?
My father, Dr. Rex Fortune. He founded Fortune School of Education, and I’ve carried his mission forward — transforming it into a preschool-through-12th-grade system that will endure for generations.

What are the biggest opportunities you see for Sacramento’s Black community in the years ahead?
Our greatest opportunities lie in business and education. If we collaborate and invest in one another, we can build institutions that strengthen our collective future.

ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Song/Artist On Repeat: Whatever’s playing on the Calm App.

Recharge Ritual: International travel.

Weekend in Sacramento: Kayaking at Black Miners Bar.

Hidden Passion: Learning German with a weekly tutor.

We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our “Onyx 25” sponsors for their generous support: