Literacy
Posted by Katherine Swanson
Written for AST 313. Hope you enjoy this...
Sometimes the most important history lessons are hidden by teachers, school system, and history books. It being Black History Month, what better time is there to explore the hidden history of the Black struggle for literacy in the United States? While African Americans have been through many struggles in this country, none has been more taxing than the struggle for literacy. It is a history which has been internalized by those that fought for it. From slavery through the Civil War and beyond, literacy has had a unique meaning for Black Americans. A meaning perfectly summed up by Fredrick Douglass, one of the great literate men of the 19th century, when he discovered and first understood the importance of literacy. He spoke these words, “I understood the pathway from slavery to freedom” (Douglass, Narrative of the life of Fredrick Douglass, 34), and they have been repeated many times over by others that toiled for the right to read and hav ... more »
Posted: February 27, 2008 11:08 pm | 0 comments
Tags: african american, history, literacy, opinion