Black Women’s Ideas, White Philanthropy: Developing the First Generation of Black Women Scholars and Artists

• In Event: Liberation and Education: Historical Perspectives on Black Educational Thought

Abstract

Purpose: Northern philanthropies impacted the growth of historically Black colleges and universities in the South. Beginning in the first decade of the twentieth century until 1948, foundation funds influenced the educational paths of many Black students and faculty. This paper will discuss how Black women during this period used these foundations, especially the Rosenwald Foundation, to fund their intellectual development.
Modes of inquiry and data sources: The paper uses historical methods, making extensive use of the Rosenwald Papers as a primary source and relying on evidence from various secondary sources.
Conclusions: Black women teachers and university academics benefited significantly from the opportunities provided by these foundations, and the women left a profound intellectual legacy in return.
Significance: Given that, historically, Black women were the backbone of the education of Black youth in the South, it is important to understand their development as educators and their contributions to Black educational thought.

Author

• Linda Marie Perkins, Claremont Graduate University