Date of Award
2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
History
First Advisor
Ansley Quiros
Second Advisor
Lynne Reiff
Third Advisor
Dwain Coleman
Abstract
This is a story of Black people who transitioned from slavery to freedom, rising early in the mornings to work in the fields but also to get their children ready to walk miles to school. Many adults took night classes to learn the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic. These simple things, such as knowing how to spell their names, had great meaning for formerly enslaved people, who wanted the opportunity to be identified by their names rather than a number or simply “boy” or “gal.” Some parents felt it was too late for them, but they were determined for their children to be educated and have a better life. Parents likewise wanted their children to sign their names rather than making an “X” on documents they could not read. This new opportunity for education after the Civil War came with challenges. White neighbors were livid at the fact that more Black people would soon be literate and no longer easily convinced to do things against their will, including working without pay. Therefore, many White supremacists tormented both the children who were learning to read and write and the teachers who were teaching them. They burned down schools, destroying both buildings and learning materials to stop a movement that was changing the trajectory of Black people’s lives forever. Gaining an education was also materially significant. Without education, Black families could not accrue generational wealth. Education changed that, and they obtained jobs based on trades they learned in school, therefore earning better pay for their work. However, this transition did not come easily. Black families may have embraced this new opportunity, but many White people in the South did not. ii Following the Civil War, learning for Black children began in barns, fields, homes, churches, or anywhere else they were allowed. Often, the overcrowded spaces were neglected and in poor condition. But Black children and their parents were not deterred. When Booker T. Washington was appointed as principal of the Tuskegee Institute in 1881, he began to understand the need for schools more conducive to learning in a clean, safe environment. He partnered with Julius Rosenwald, a northern philanthropist who was already involved with Tuskegee Institute, to complete that vision. Nearly 5,000 schools were built in the southern United States. The schools were built with contributions from the community, local school boards, and grants from the Julius Rosenwald Fund. Once Black children were educated, not only did their intellectual circumstances improve, but their economic circumstances improved as well. The Rosenwald School program opened the door for generational wealth for many formerly enslaved people and is the subject of this thesis.
Recommended Citation
Chapman, Kimberly, "THE IMPACT OF ROSENWALD SCHOOLS ON BLACK COMMUNITIES IN THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES FROM 1912 - 1932" (2024). Theses. 31.
https://roar.una.edu/theses/31
