Before and After Brown : Education Context of Change / Eleanor Smith.

This paper discusses the educational experiences of blacks before and after the Brown decision of 1954. During slavery religious organizations, sympathetic whites, and blacks themselves led the effort toward literacy for slaves. Following the Civil War, blacks initially made great strides in establishing educational opportunities. By 1877, white supremacy was renewed, along with the promise to provide "separate but equal" school facilities. New constitutional interpretations and statutory laws institutionalized segregation and discrimination. For the next 100 years, the primary responsibility for black education fell again into the hands of individuals and private societies. Most black colleges founded during this time offered education in the liberal arts, and the striking successes of these schools led many to struggle to maintain them after the Brown decision. Some of the effects of this decision on curriculum, enrollment, and educational policy are described. Improving the educational situation for blacks has been a struggle with positive changes clouded by negative setbacks. (KH)

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