Educating Slaves

The development of education in black America did not come free. It was a journey full of struggles and hardships. Slaves and their sons and daughters needed to be at par with their white counterparts. The only way this kind of equality could be achieved was through education. The slaves and their families knew this all too well. To bring this struggle into perspective, this paper will utilize the works of Charlotte (1864), National Humanities Center (1865), and Townsend (1859). The documents mentioned are primary documents and they have been preferred since they provide unbiased reporting of the situation as it was from the mouths of those who were enslaved.

Charlotte (1864) describes how she taught children of slaves who had been liberated in South Carolina. She paints a picture of education-hungry students who trooped into the school despite their age. The older students were forced to come with their little ones, as there was nothing else they could do. Although it was tiring, Charlotte derived satisfaction from knowing that she was participating in the betterment of the black community. The National Humanities Center is a combination of several interviews between the author and those who were slaves with regards to lack of education. The interviews show overwhelming obstacles that the slaves had to persevere in order to grasp any opportunity they could get. The former slaves explain the risks they took to learn since it was considered illegal for the black community. In fact, White men caught trying to educate black slaves were liable to a prosecution of a jail sentence and fifty dollar fine (1). The article by Townsend explains the different struggles for their rights as slaves. Education was held in high regard among the slaves, despite the unending discrimination and deliberate efforts by the whites to stifle education of the blacks. Townsend describes the chronicles of education for the blacks in New York and California, which started with the appropriation for colored children by the Council of Sacramento City (1). Despite the challenges and resistance, different authorities have been shown to warm up to the idea of colored education.

To find out more about the education of slaves, effort needs to be applied to more research to expose the effects of slave education. Slave education was successful in the end but the narrative seems to end there. It is important to identify the different beneficial impacts of educating people of color. This should be quantified to bring out the real impact of education. The impacts should be tied to their lifestyle and how it was impacted. For instance, did slave education improve living standards and on what dimensions? Did their health, income, justice, and general living standards such as housing among others improve?

To get more information about slave education, there are other equally capable sources. For instance, the University of Southern California Online Library is furnished with important material about the subject. The University of Southern California sponsors the website and this gives credibility about the source. It is impartial and meant for educational purposes. The second source is the Spartacus Educational Website. The website compiles important historical information and provides important links to other sources. It draws its content from different scholars around the globe.

The above discussion provides an insight into the early educational prospects of black folk in America. The studies painted a complete picture of the different hurdles that the black people encountered to make the endeavor as successful as it is today.

Works Cited

Charlotte, Forten. “The Evil Shadow of Slavery No Longer Hangs Over Them”: Charlotte Forten Describes Her Experiences Teaching on the South Carolina Sea Islands, 1862, n.d, http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6517/. Accessed 8 Nov. 2018.

National Humanities Center. “The Pursuit of Learning by African Americans before the Civil War: Selections from 19- and 20-century narratives.” 1865, http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/maai/identity/text8/slavefree.pdf. Accessed 8 Nov. 2018.

Townsend, J. Holland. “Two reports on the pursuit of equal educational opportunity for African American children in New York and California, 1859.” 1859, http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/maai/identity/text8/equalopportunity.pdf. Accessed 8 Nov. 2018.