It is challenging to imagine modern society without such a concept as universal education. However, it was not always available for everyone and everywhere. More recently, in the United States, education was considered a privilege of whites, while black people were deliberately restrained from acquiring knowledge. Fortunately, this situation began to gradually change after the Civil War through the opening of schools in the South. Thus, the foundation was laid for a unique cultural layer of black educational institutions. The purpose of this essay is to explore this concept with the help of the presented documentary and analyze the place of historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) in the culture of America and the modern world.
The history of the emergence of education among blacks is directly related to the struggle for freedom and rights. The main obstacle to obtaining at least some knowledge for the slaves was their subordinate position. Their owners deliberately discouraged African Americans from learning. Nevertheless, many blacks felt a desire to learn and were eager to gain at least some crumbs of knowledge. Therefore, when the opportunity arose to organize, schools were among the first to rise in the black society. The documentary very vividly shows the desire of the former slaves to obtain the knowledge and conditions with which they were willing to be content for this. Although there was initially no qualified teaching staff in such schools, the blacks shared the skills they had. This factor and such a desire to learn, even despite the lack of conditions, clearly shows how critical education was for these people.
It is this aspiration, as the film shows, that has helped to create many educational institutions throughout the country. However, this process cannot be called ideal due to several issues. Some of them are related to Booker Washington, who is both the greatest educator and politician who defended the African American and a conservative who didn’t want to fight for the immediate granting of blacks’ full civil rights. While Washington actively promoted technical education for blacks, including its opponents, such as W. E. B. Du Bois, demanded more radical measures. The documentary is extremely clear about the internal struggles between various black groups. Although they all fought to improve blacks’ living conditions, their views did not coincide, which led to discord and conflicting educational trends.
Perhaps partly because of this, but blacks could not gain complete educational independence immediately, despite the eager need. Even in those educational institutions with a black administration, the true leaders were still white. The film shows that despite the presence of many colleges and universities and the nascent black intelligentsia, segregation persisted in society. Blacks were somewhat separated from everyone else, but for most of them, it was considered normal. However, the HBCUs served one essential purpose – they allowed blacks to shape their views, vision of the world and carry it further through the youth. In many ways, this struggle was complicated by the presence of prohibitions and oppression, which were overcome with the help of protests and active defense of their rights.
Such movements could not have been realized if the blacks did not have the concept of their education and their educational institutions. At the moment, HBCUs are not in the best position; their future is controversial, as many of them lose their accreditation. However, the institutions that remain are a safe haven for black students who may feel right at home. The film shows how happy African Americans are to be surrounded by their people, how much joy and freedom it brings them. Thus, HBCUs deserve a place in America today. Their cultural significance is difficult to overestimate, as is their importance to the African American people. Many of these establishments have a rich history that should be preserved and passed on to descendants. Besides, these places are examples of black culture, educating young people in African Americans’ cultural traditions. Consequently, society needs to focus its efforts on preserving this cultural layer since it is essential for future generations of both black and white children.