A Dream Deferred?

TL;DR: A Dream Deferred explores the history of education in the US, highlighting the struggles of African Americans to gain equal access to education and the enduring commitment of the community to develop their own educational system.

Abstract: The history of education in the United States abounds with double themes and purposes for education: schooling for democratic citizenship and schooling for second-class citizenship. Conceived as a means for great equalization, history echoes the intense disapproval of formal education for African Americans since the conception of the United States. The article places the discussion against the larger backdrop of national events within a political, cultural, and economic context. It further offers fresh insights into the African American commitment to education as they persisted in their struggle to develop an educational system in accordance with their own needs and desires with the hope that their work would transcend generations to come.