Education for Liberation: A History of African American Education, 1800 to the Present

This course examines discourses around education and freedom in African American educational thought from the 19th century to the present, using both primary sources and the works of current historians. The course pays particular attention to how the educational philosophies of different African American thinkers reflected their conceptions of what shape freedom might take in the American context, and the tension between educational outlooks that sought inclusion or integration versus those that prized self-determination. We will also be attentive to the ways in which age, gender, geography, class, and color worked to influence the pursuit and achievement of various African American educational visions. This will be a 3-5 credit course and meet as a seminar open both to graduate students and advanced undergraduates.