James Anderson Idea Of Education Summary

James Anderson’s The Education of Blacks in the South, 1860-1935 discusses the creation and black devotion to education. Anderson argues that contrary to popular belief, blacks laid the foundation for their education, and even though others sought to control the system, blacks still fought for their own education the way they saw fit. He also argues that there has been pivotal relationship between education and oppressed groups—American education has always funded education for all (Anderson, 1988, p.5). I believe Anderson argues this through opposition, emancipation, and fighting low standards. Anderson begins the monograph with discussion of the postwar South and how they were hostile to the idea of black schooling. Postwar South was not accepting of the idea of black schooling. Planters saw the former slaves fight for education as a threat to their rule as well as the social hierarchy. Planters resisted in various ways but one way Anderson mentions is how Virginia planters threatened black families of eviction if they sent their children to school (1988, p. 23). Those for schooling argued what a benefit to planters by mentioning that this would affect the agricultural trade and create more productive laborers (1988, p. 82).

Blacks wanted to create their own movement without the help of others, they accepted assistance from various sources when the time was needed but for the most part they started the movement (Anderson, 1988, p. 5). Anderson mentions the creation of the Hampton model which formed because blacks struggled to have a solid ideology that justified emancipation and fought the planter’s regime (1988, p.5). The Hampton model was a normal college based on industrial training which was to teach blacks their appropriate secondary role in the South (Anderson, 1988, p.5). They were to become teachers and use their knowledge to advise former slaves to stay in their