The specific purposes of this study were to identify and highlight the many and varied contributions Black people made in providing schooling for their children in the South from 1865 to 1954, and thereby, make a significant contribution to the literature on this subject. This study added weight to the historical importance Blacks have placed on the education of their children. Ignorance of this history affects how Black children are viewed, treated, taught, encouraged, or discouraged in the process of acquiring an education in this society. Fifty-one autobiographies were used as the primary data source. They spanned three major periods--Reconstruction, Post-Reconstruction and the period after World War I to the Brown decision. They were selected on the following criteria: the life of individuals who lived in the Southern region of the United States; and, individuals whose own personal experiences related to formal schooling as students, parents, teachers or community activists. This research, historical and largely descriptive, was designed to investigate the role Black parents and the Black community played in providing schooling for Black children in the South, from 1865 to 1954. These authors, in their own words, reported that their parents and communities placed high value on education and made many sacrifices in order to have their children acquire an education. It is clear from this study that the white authorities in control of the education of all children in America were primarily interested in the education of white children and this fact adversely affected the education of Black children. The research demonstrated that across the periods studied Black children did not have the same educational advantages that white school children had. Further, this study suggests the need to re-examine the issues related to why Black children are not given an equal educational opportunity. To monitor this process, Black parents, as the first teachers, must become more involved in the education of Black children. However, in order to do that the schools must bring Black parents into the system.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UMASS/oai:scholarworks.umass.edu:dissertations-7284 |
| Date | 01 January 1986 |
| Creators | JOHNSON, JOSIE R |
| Publisher | ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst |
| Source Sets | University of Massachusetts, Amherst |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Source | Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest |
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