ette ville ▁to ▁prepare ▁new ▁gener ations ▁of ▁teachers , ▁which ▁was ▁considered ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁care ers ▁in ▁the ▁ ▁South . ▁ ▁Bur ke ▁encourag ed ▁and ▁taught ▁gener ations ▁of ▁students ▁through ▁ 3 0 ▁years ▁as ▁an ▁educ ator ▁in ▁the ▁Washington , ▁DC ▁public ▁school ▁system . ▁Although ▁the ▁schools ▁were ▁seg reg ated , ▁because ▁the ▁District ▁of ▁Columbia ▁was ▁then ▁run ▁directly ▁by ▁the ▁Federal ▁government , ▁African - American ▁teachers ▁were ▁paid ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁scale ▁as ▁white ▁teachers . ▁The ▁system ▁attract ed ▁highly ▁qualified ▁teachers , ▁especially ▁for ▁Dun bar ▁High ▁School , ▁the ▁academic ▁high ▁school ▁for ▁African ▁Americans . ▁ ▁After ▁Bur ke ▁returned ▁to ▁Washington ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 2 , ▁she ▁helped ▁char ter ▁the ▁X i ▁Om ega ▁al um na e ▁chapter ▁of ▁Al pha ▁K appa ▁Al pha . ▁She ▁continued ▁to ▁contribute ▁to ▁the ▁community ▁through ▁her ▁activities ▁with ▁the ▁sor or ity ▁and ▁her ▁church . ▁She ▁died ▁in ▁Washington , ▁D . C . ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 9 . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁ ▁Hon oring ▁the ▁Past : ▁Al pha ▁K appa ▁Al pha ▁Found ers ▁Cent enn ial ▁C ele br ation : ▁Found ers ▁ ▁Category : Year ▁of ▁birth ▁missing ▁Category : 1 9 4 9 ▁death s ▁Category : Pe ople ▁from ▁H ert ford , ▁North ▁Carolina ▁Category : How ard ▁University ▁al umn i ▁Category : A fr ican -