Stuff You Should Know Selects: What were the Freedom Schools?
Dec 9, 2023
Discover the inspiring legacy of Freedom Schools established in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement. These schools empowered African American students, challenging educational inequities while fostering civic engagement. Delve into the innovative teaching methods that prioritized student expression, including the rise of student-run newspapers. Learn about the cultural activism that emerged and the significant backlash faced from oppressive forces. The narrative highlights how these grassroots initiatives continue to resonate in today's fight for education and justice.
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Mississippi's Resistance to Integration
- Mississippi deliberately resisted school integration after the Brown v. Board ruling.
- They drastically underfunded Black schools, sometimes spending 28 times less per student than on white schools.
Miseducation in Sharecropper Schools
- Sharecropper schools not only lacked resources but also taught a distorted version of history.
- This miseducation aimed to suppress Black identity and political engagement.
Freedom Summer's Purpose
- Robert Moses proposed Freedom Summer to challenge segregation.
- The aim was to force a confrontation between local and federal authorities by involving white Northern college students.
