African Americans pursued higher education through the establishment of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), which provided vital educational opportunities in a segregated society. They also sought education through alternative means, such as informal community schools and literacy programs. Despite significant obstacles, including systemic racism and limited resources, many African Americans prioritized education as a pathway to social mobility and civil rights activism. Their determination and resilience laid the groundwork for future advancements in educational access and equity.
75%
African Americans were finally able to recieve an education.
Howard University
The Institution of Colored Youth was founded by Richard Allen in 1837 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Allen, a prominent African American leader and the founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, established the institution to provide education and vocational training for African American youth, addressing the lack of educational opportunities available to them at the time. The institution aimed to empower young Black individuals through education, fostering leadership and community engagement.
Booker T. Washington was an influential African American educator, author, and speaker in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born into slavery in 1856, he founded the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, which became a leading institution for vocational education for African Americans. Washington advocated for a philosophy of self-help and economic advancement through education and skilled labor, promoting the idea that African Americans could improve their social status through hard work and education. His approach was often contrasted with that of W.E.B. Du Bois, who emphasized immediate civil rights and higher education.
Churches
The oldest historically Black college and university (HBCU) in America is Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, established in 1837. It was originally founded as the African Institute and has played a significant role in the education of African Americans. The oldest predominantly white institution (PWI) is Harvard University, founded in 1636, making it the oldest institution of higher education in the United States.
According to the National Research Council 44% of African Americans received doctorate degrees in Education in 1995.
African Americans churches
75%
African Americans were finally able to recieve an education.
Had to eat in different sections in resturant,couldn't vote unless African Americans pay poll taxes,had to seat in the back of the bus and if there wasn't enough seats for whites blacks had to give up their seat for them!
Education
Giving higher education to African Americans who can use it
that the African Americans hoped to escape discrimination and find better education and economic opportunities.
Howard University
In "To Kill a Mockingbird," African Americans are not allowed to serve on juries in Alabama during that time period. The exclusion of African Americans from juries was a common practice in many Southern states at that time.