JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — "Believe it or not, my father said, 'Don't become a teacher.' But I said that I like it and I'm good at it," Dr. Diana Greene says with a bright smile.
She used to play "pretend school" with her siblings and she says, "I always wanted to be a teacher." Years later she would graduate the University of North Florida and go on to be Duval County Public Schools' top boss - superintendent.
Then in 2021, she was named the best superintendent in the state by the Florida Association of District School Superintendents.
So why the red lipstick? And why does it matter to her?
She says, "To this day I'll never forget Ms. Hunter. I can't tell you what she taught. It was just ... that she dressed to perfection. Every single day she had red - perfect red - lipstick. And it's the reason I wear red lipstick most of the time."
Ms. Hunter was Greene's first-grade teacher. It shows how someone presents herself can have a powerful influence on others, even at a young age.
That's why Greene is so aware of the impression she has on young people.
"I know I'm a role model for adults and children. I feel like if I'm dressed for perfection, then they can see the possibilities, especially for children, who look like me," Greene says.
She is often asked to be in photos with children standing right next to her.
Greene announced her retirement in 2023 and still people ask why. Her time as superintendent was packed with successes, such as leading the district through the pandemic and raising graduation rates. Her time in office was also rocked with controversies from the teacher arrest at Douglas Anderson to the changing of names of high schools named after leaders of the Confederacy.
Now Greene is CEO of CLI, Children's Literacy Initiative, a national nonprofit.
The focus is on Black and Latinx children. Greene carries her theme of powerful impressions and representation into her new role.
Books, she says, are "all about children seeing mirrors and a window to the world." Her mission includes getting books to marginalized children with role models who look like them.
She says, "I did not read a book about African American characters until I was an adult."
If you want free books for your children, just ask about the JaxKids Book Club at any Jacksonville library.
