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ExplainFreedom to learn
For African Americans, education has always been an important part of their quest for freedom. Learning allowed them to create spaces where they experienced joy and a sense of community. Why do you think access to education is important?
What was the Transatlantic Slave Trade?
Between 1525 and 1866, over 12 million Africans were enslaved and brought in ships to the Americas. They traveled thousands of miles in unhealthy conditions and did not have human rights. What challenges did the Africans face during their journey to the Americas?
How did enslaved Africans communicate?
“Sing Low, Sweet Chariot”
Songs like "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" contained hidden meanings. They offered hope while also sharing escape plans or routes to freedom.
School on a boat?
In the 19th century, Reverend John Berry Meachum bought a steamboat and started a school that floated on the Mississippi River. The school gave Black children, who were not allowed to go to regular schools, a place to learn.
What happened after slavery ended?
Reconstruction began in the 1800s right after slavery ended. During this time, newly freed African Americans began to develop strong communities and create new ways to achieve equality.
Black towns
Black towns like Nicodemus in Kansas provided safe places where African Americans could live and work together. People who lived in these communities created their own successful schools and businesses.
Black schools
African American schools gave generations of Black children a sense of hope. They also taught skills that were needed to achieve a better life such as reading, writing, public speaking, history, and math.
Black politicians
From 1867 to 1877, Black people could become elected officials. About 1,500 Black men held political offices across the South, including those in state legislatures, the U.S. Congress, and local governments.
What are Black Literary Societies?
During the 1800s, African Americans in northern cities like New York formed groups to discuss books. These literary societies were also places where members could learn to read and write.
“Black Joy is finding the positive nourishment within self and others that is a safe and healing place.”
Elaine Nichols
During the 1920s, Black people formed new communities in the North. In New York City, the Harlem Renaissance was a time when Black people expressed themselves through art, culture, and fashion.
During the 1920s, education improved with Black and African studies added to curriculums. Carter G. Woodson’s book, The Negro in Our History, became a key textbook on Black history in schools.
The Great Depression was a time of financial crisis in the US. African Americans lost their jobs and the ability to support their families. This inspired them to organize to fight for equality and justice.
What are Freedom Schools?
Freedom Schools were created in the 1960s to teach Black kids about their history and culture. Still around today, they show how generations of Black people organized for education.
Transcript
[Music] One of the most wonderful things about the 1964 Mississippi summer were the Freedom Schools. The state of Mississippi deliberately and systematically kept Black people uneducated and ignorant, and then made education a requirement to participate in the political process. We were able to establish the Freedom Schools in the summer of 1964 because we had almost a thousand students coming to Mississippi, providing the human resources needed to conduct classes. Our goal was to find, develop, and mold local leadership among the young people. We also aimed to promote a better self-image among the local Black community. We sent out mass flyers to the churches, informing people about the Freedom School, its courses, and activities. We got the preachers and the kids involved. Black people couldn’t go to the library, as it was for whites only, so they were excited to have their own library. They came eager to learn and browse the books. In my school, I had never heard of Dr. Seuss. It was at the Freedom School where we not only read “The Cat in the Hat” but also acted it out. These activities enriched our lives and made a huge difference. We taught African American history, civics, African culture, and African dance. They were learning Black history and reading books written by Black authors they had never heard of. How were slaves first introduced in America? As we saw on this world map, America started picking up slaves along the coast and bringing them back. That summer, we aimed to get people to talk about their own lives, both the good and the bad, and discuss ways to bring about change. This was very much the drive of the program. They felt needed by something much bigger than themselves and capable of handling the problems they faced. They did this by asking questions and being encouraged to feel free to ask questions. They were ready to go; we were just the catalysts, agents of information, and agents of a different world. Just talking about a world they didn’t know or had little experience with was exciting for them and for us. We set up classrooms for the little children, and every day we had adults, people aged 50, 60, and 70, coming to learn just like the little children.
How can we make a difference?
#BlackLivesMatterAtSchool is a movement that seeks to add more lessons on Black culture and history to school curriculums. This benefits students of all races by providing them with a broader understanding of history and society.
Kids can create change! In 1960, Ruby Bridges and other children stood up against unfair treatment at school. Be kind to all people. If you see someone being mistreated, speak up and ask an adult for help. We all have the power to make a difference.
The quest for African American education has not just been about gaining knowledge or legal rights. It has been about recognizing and celebrating the humanity of Black people. By doing so, we pave the way for a more equal and inclusive future where all people are valued and respected.
About the authors
Natasha Tarpley is the author of several popular books for both children and adults. She is a graduate of Harvard University and Northwestern University School of Law.
Marlene Tarpley, a former teacher and social service administrator, is a graduate of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
Both Natasha and Marlene are passionate about using education to improve people's lives and are excited to have worked together on this story, along with Marianna and Sebastian Tarpley,
EngageDifficulty
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School on a boat
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Bibliography
Ancient Africa
Before the Transatlantic Slave Trade Understanding Slavery. Africa Before Transatlantic Slavery.
Europe Before Transatlantic Slavery Understanding Slavery. Europe Before the Transatlantic Slave Trade. https://understandingslavery.com/themes/europe-before-transatlantic-slavery/
Timbuktu Manuscripts
The Lost Libraries of Timbuktu Understanding Slavery. The Lost Libraries of Timbuktu. https://understandingslavery.com/casestudy/the-lost-libraries-of-timbuktu/
Lost Libraries of Timbuktu BBC: The Lost Libraries of Timbuktu (September 2, 2015) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzBCl9kcdqc
African Griots
Role of the Griot All Good Tales: Storytelling Traditions Across the World: West Africa. https://allgoodtales.com/storytelling-traditions-across-world-west-africa/
Transatlantic Slave Trade
How Africans Came to the Americas Understanding Slavery. Atlantic Crossing. https://understandingslavery.com/artefacts/#crossing
Education During Slavery
Mary S. Peake and the Emancipation Oak Women's History Blog Mary Peake: Teacher of Runaway Slaves at Fortress Monroe. https://www.womenhistoryblog.com/2014/11/mary-peake.html
Education By Any Means Chester County Independent (February 1, 2023). African Americans' Quest for Education in America by Kevin Morris OR Dr. Elizabeth Ann Saunders. https://chestercountyindependent.com/african-americans-quest-for-education-in-america/
The Power of Literacy History.com (July 11, 2023). How Literacy Became a Powerful Weapon in the Fight to End Slavery by Collette Coleman. https://www.history.com/news/nat-turner-rebellion-literacy-slavery
Literacy as Freedom Smithsonian American Art Museum. Literacy as Freedom. https://americanexperience.si.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Literacy-as-Freedom.pdf
Underground Railroad and Secret Communication
African Diaspora Culture SlaveryandRembrance.org. How Enslaved Africans communicated and blended African and American cultures. https://slaveryandremembrance.org/articles/article/?id=A0057
Underground Railroad Secret Codes History.com (February 22, 2024). Five Secret Codes Used to Communicate in the Underground Railroad by Elizabeth Yuko. https://www.history.com/news/underground-railroad-secret-codes
Messages in Freedom Songs Maryland State Department of Education. Messages in the Freedom Songs of Slavery. http://ce.msde.state.md.us/NR/rdonlyres/F68E8866-61CB-4AF5-8AE6-F9275A9CEE9C/36150/Messages_Freedom_Songs_062013.pdf
Negro Spirituals Negrospirituals.com. Official Site of Negro Spirituals, Antique Gospel Music. http://www.negrospirituals.com/history.htm
Reimagining the Underground Railroad BBC (February 1, 2019). Reimaging sites of the Underground Railroad through the artwork of Dawoud Bey. https://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-46782690
Letters Written By Enslaved African Americans Duke University Library. Rare letters written by enslaved Black people. https://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/research/guides/slaveletters
Reconstruction Era
Reconstruction Era Resources Library of Congress. The African American Odyssey: A Quest for Full Citizenship. https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/african-american-odyssey/reconstruction.html
Freedmen's Bureau History.com (October 3, 2018). An Article About the Freedmen's Bureau. https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/freedmens-bureau
Freedmen's Bureau Records Rediscovering Black History (October 27, 2021). Records of the Freedmen's Bureau and the Reconstruction of Black Families by Bob Nowatzki. https://rediscovering-black-history.blogs.archives.gov/2021/10/27/records-of-the-freedmens-bureau-and-the-reconstruction-of-black-families/
Black Towns TheRoot.com (April 15, 2024) Here Are 15 Freedom Towns That Kept Black People Alive After Slavery by Jessica Washington. https://www.theroot.com/here-are-15-freedom-towns-that-kept-black-people-alive-1851407129
Black Codes History.com (August 4, 2023) How the Black Codes Limited African American Progress After the Civil War by Nadra Kareem Nittle. https://www.history.com/news/black-codes-reconstruction-slavery
Jim Crow Jim Crow Museum. What Was Jim Crow? https://jimcrowmuseum.ferris.edu/what.htm
Plessy V. Ferguson History.com (January 22, 2024). Plessy V. Ferguson and Jim Crow Timeline. https://www.history.com/topics/early-20th-century-us/jim-crow-laws
The Great Migration (1910-1970)
Great Migration Resources National Archives. https://www.archives.gov/research/african-americans/migrations/great-migration
Impact of The Great Migration Smithsonian Magazine (September 2016). The Long-Lasting Legacy of the Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/long-lasting-legacy-great-migration-180960118/
Painter Jacob Lawrence's Migration Series Moma.org. One Way Ticket: Jacob Lawrence's Migration Series. https://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2015/onewayticket/visualizing-the-great-migration/
Chicago Defender Newspaper The Atlantic (January 11, 2016). Role of The Chicago Defender Newspaper in The Great Migration, ,Bound for the Promised Land' by Ethan Michaeli. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/01/chicago-defender/422583/
The New Negro
Overview of the New Negro Digital History. The New Negro by Alain Locke. https://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtid=3&psid=3617
Marcus Garvey National Humanities Center. Marcus Garvey and the Universal Negro Improvement Association by David Leeuwen. https://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/twenty/tkeyinfo/garvey.htm
Harlem Renaissance PBS.org. Lesson Plan: The Harlem Renaissance. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/classroom/lesson-plans/2013/02/the-harlem-renissance
Dorthy West Deutschlandfunk Kultur (December 10, 2021). Eigensinnig und beunruhigend Von Katharina Teutsch. https://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/harlem-renaissance-100.html
The Great Depression
How the Great Depression Affected African Americans History.com (August 31, 2018). Last Hired, First Fired: How the Great Depression Affected African Americans by Christopher Klein. https://www.history.com/news/last-hired-first-fired-how-the-great-depression-affected-african-americans
Race Relations in the 1930s and 1940s Library of Congress. Primary Source Resources on Race Relations during the Great Depression and World War II. https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/united-states-history-primary-source-timeline/great-depression-and-world-war-ii-1929-1945/race-relations-in-1930s-and-1940s/
Brown V. Board of Education
Pre-Civil Rights Black Life in a Philadelphia Neighborhood 1950s When Philadelphia's Black Schools Were Great: Interview with Robert Woodson by David Hoffman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHTJSMJqC04
Brown V. Board of Education Resources National Archives. Brown v. Board of Education (1954): https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/brown-v-board-of-education
Civil Rights Movement and Black Power (1960-1970)
Civil Rights Act 1964 National Archives. Civil Rights Act of 1964 Resources: https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/civil-rights-act
The Civil Rights Movement Timeline Library of Congress. The Civil Rights Movement Documents: https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/united-states-history-primary-source-timeline/post-war-united-states-1945-1968/civil-rights-movement/
Black Power National Museum of African American History and Culture. Foundations of Black Power. The Foundations of Black Power: https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/foundations-black-power
Black Panther Party Blackpast.org. Black Panther Party Ten-Point Program (1966). https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/primary-documents-african-american-history/black-panther-party-ten-point-program-1966/
Freedom Schools Children's Defense Fund. Children's Defense Fund Freedom Schools Program Overview. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3uMwM2hJfw
Current Perspectives and Resources (1970s to Present)
Post Brown v. Board PBS American Experience. After Brown V. Board. https://www.pbs.org/video/after-brown-v-board/
Unequal Treatment of Black Students ACLU. Why School Discipline Reform Still Matters. https://www.aclu.org/news/racial-justice/why-school-discipline-reform-still-matters
Anti-Black Racism in Education Harvard Library. CONFRONTING ANTI-BLACK RACISM RESOURCE. https://library.harvard.edu/confronting-anti-black-racism/education
Impact of Desegregation on Black Teachers National Library of Medicine (October 14, 2009). The impact of desegregation on black teachers in the metropolis, 1970, 2000 by Deirdre Oakley, Jacob Stowell, and John R. Logan. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3769798/
Black Lives Matter at School BlackLivesMatteratSchool.com. National Black Lives Matter at School. https://www.blacklivesmatteratschool.com/
Cultivating Genius Muhammad, Goldy. Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy (Scholastic, 2020).
Black Joy National Museum of African American history and culture. Black Joy: Resistance, Resilience and Reclamation by Elaine Nichols https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/black-joy-resistance-resilience-and-reclamation
Black Homeschooling
Increase in Black Homeschooling Families CNN (March 1, 2023). ,A form of resistance': More Black families are choosing to homeschool their children. https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/01/us/black-families-home-school-reaj/index.html
Homeschool Resources National Black Home Educators. https://www.nbhe.net/
Kids Can Make A Difference
PBS (2021). PBS Kids Talk About: Standing Up for Yourself and Others: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plU2JksBYV0
Other Resources
Black Education Timeline Black Teacher Archive, Harvard Library. Archive of Resources and Timeline of Black Education Resurces. https://curiosity.lib.harvard.edu/black-teacher-archive/feature/black-education-timeline
African American Education 1740-1974 Harvard Library. African American Education resources and documents. https://guides.library.harvard.edu/aaeducation
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