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Pre Civil War Education
Before the Civil War, it was actually a criminal offense to educate slaves. Many slave owners were against the idea of educating their slaves because it could lead to a revolt or rebellion. -
The Morrill Act
The Morril Act established land grant colleges for African Americans. This act lead to the founding and funding of historically black colleges like Alabama A&M University, Florida A&M University, Langston University, and South Carolina State University. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
This landmark Supreme Court case upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation laws for public facilities as long as the segregated facilities were equal in quality, or also known as separate but equal. -
African American Teacher Training
An estimated 30,000 African American teachers have been trained since the end of the Civil War in 1865. They are a major factor in helping more than half the black population achieve literacy by this date. -
Souls of Black Folk
Souls of Black Folk is a book that was written by W.E.B. Du Bois. In this book, Du Bois spoke strongly against Booker T. Washington's advocacy of industrial education. Du Bois saw Washington's view as too narrow and economically focused and stressed the importance of a higher education for African Americans. -
NAACP is Formed
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is a civil rights organization in the United States. It was formed in 1909 as a bi-racial organization to advance justice for African Americans by W. E. B. Du Bois, Mary White Ovington, and Moorfield Storey. -
William Leo Hansberry
In September William Leo Hansberry of Howard University teaches the first course in African History and civilization at an American University. This goes to show that not only were African Americans starting to attend college, but they also were the professors. -
Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka
This landmark Supreme Court case over ruled the concept of separate but equal. The Supreme Court declared state laws that establish separate public schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional. -
1960's
During the 1960's there was a spike in the attendance of African Americans in predominantly white institutions. More African Americans were choosing white schools rather than historically black schools because of better academic reputation, financial aid, and academic resources that were far better than the black schools. -
Title VI
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects people from discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in programs or activities that receive Federal financial assistance (ex. Public Schools).
