After those enslaved were granted their freedom, they were left with the burden of re-building their lives in a government that was still trying to suppress their success and development. Many recently liberated slaves went back to what they knew---manual labor for the established wealthy. At the same time, many African Americans took the lead in pursuing a long journey of living their freedom to the fullest extent. The video below will acknowledge a brief summary of what that journey looked like from the emancipation to the early twentieth century.
Literacy as Freedom
The ability to read and write was a skill so small that was outlawed by governments to limit the intellectual advancements of those enslaved. Those who were secretly taught while enslaved went on to pass the knowledge to the next. It became evident that there was a reason that the slave masters would forbid educating, because it would cause slaves to finally find their way to freedom. Slaves witnessed firsthand the benefits of being educated and successful from the white people who had this privilege. As soon as slaves were emancipated, education would be the first goal of their new rights as humans. The Smithsonian American Art Museum is able to provide much perspectives from formerly enslaved people in an article titles Literacy as Freedom.
Throughout the journey to an education, the recently liberated were left to come together and fight for their newly given rights as citizens. However, one journey did not look the same as another. The pages explained below give us a chance to explain the importance of education and give perspectives from many different leaders in education. The topics explore perspectives from the United Sates and across the Atlantic, specifically South Africa. It is Important to highlight the different journeys from different countries to understand how different governments treated the aspirations to educate the recently liberated.
Higher Education for
African Americans
Prior to the Civil War, there was no structured higher education system for black students. Public policy and certain statutory provisions prohibited the education of blacks in various parts of the nation. The Institute for Colored Youth, the first higher education institution for blacks, was founded in Cheyney, Pennsylvania, in 1837. It was followed by two other black institutions--Lincoln University, in Pennsylvania (1854), and Wilberforce University, in Ohio (1856).Although these institutions were called universities" or "institutes" from their founding, a major part of their mission in the early years was to provide elementary and secondary schooling for students who had no previous education. It was not until the early 1900s that HBCUs began to offer courses and programs at the postsecondary level.
Education is Power
Throughout our history, education has been a tool which can either hinder or help people. Education is a privilege which allows people to advocate for themselves. Often times throughout our history, groups of enslaved or oppressed individuals were denied the opportunity to learn and gain basic knowledge for fear that they would start fighting for their human rights and freedom. Access to resources is one of the main reasons why groups of people are disproportionately disadvantaged in comparison to others.
Education in Post-Apartheid South Africa
The persistent inequality of education in South Africa continues today, as government administrations have worked tirelessly to bridge the gap between the levels of education in post-Apartheid society. In an attempt to repair the broken social system, efforts are being made on the basis of early childhood learning, all the way up to tertiary education to allow for the economic success of native Africans who have long been treated as secondary to white citizens. However, despite the high expectations this budding movement of academia has been slowly and consistently producing results that prove there is hope for educational equality in South Africa.
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Lack of Opportunity In Education
There is a prevalent problem of unequal opportunity when it comes to race and education in our country that stems back to the Transatlantic Slave Trade. It carries over into the 21st century and the "color line" still divides us all. Too many people in our country experience the consequences of ongoing discrimination on a daily basis. African American, Latino, and Native American students have experienced a separate and unequal education. Often these students come from low income households and are at a greater disadvantage with a lack of resources. As a result of this, minority students have fewer and lower quality books, curriculum, materials, less qualified teachers, and less access to high quality curriculum.
Thank you,
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This project was curated by: Anna Cate Gately, Abbie Glaser, Jose Martinez and Sammantha Keeser.