The Overlooked Perspectives of Black Mississippian Education and Desegregation
Department
History, Political Science, & Geography
Format of Presentation
Asynchronous
Research Category
Humanities
Description
In my research, I investigated the gap in knowledge of African-American schools and desegregation in the Lowndes County School District. My research goal was "What role did these segregated schools play in the African-American community, and how did that change after Alexander v. Holmes County School District?" With these questions, I wanted to shed light on the significance of these segregated African-American schools and how their influence still affects the community today. My argument is that before Alexander v. Holmes County, African-American schools in Lowndes County School District had a rising population and were well-redeemed in their communities, then experienced a sudden decline as they were pushed to abandon their schools for their white counterparts. For the individual black students, sometimes the experience was confusing and a sudden change that they could not fully grasp. Even though their schools seemed to be growing, they shut down and could not remain as one of the central pillars of the African American community. To conduct my research, I relied heavily on oral history interviews from Concord School alums that I performed in the Fall of 2023. I also utilized the works of significant scholars in the Mississippian and Southern desegregation field, such as Vanessa S. Walker and Charles C. Bolton, to create a grounding context for the Lowndes County School District.
Recommended Citation
Hargrove, Frederica, "The Overlooked Perspectives of Black Mississippian Education and Desegregation" (2024). Undergraduate Research Conference. 3.
https://athenacommons.muw.edu/urc/2024/oral-presentations-ii/3
The Overlooked Perspectives of Black Mississippian Education and Desegregation
In my research, I investigated the gap in knowledge of African-American schools and desegregation in the Lowndes County School District. My research goal was "What role did these segregated schools play in the African-American community, and how did that change after Alexander v. Holmes County School District?" With these questions, I wanted to shed light on the significance of these segregated African-American schools and how their influence still affects the community today. My argument is that before Alexander v. Holmes County, African-American schools in Lowndes County School District had a rising population and were well-redeemed in their communities, then experienced a sudden decline as they were pushed to abandon their schools for their white counterparts. For the individual black students, sometimes the experience was confusing and a sudden change that they could not fully grasp. Even though their schools seemed to be growing, they shut down and could not remain as one of the central pillars of the African American community. To conduct my research, I relied heavily on oral history interviews from Concord School alums that I performed in the Fall of 2023. I also utilized the works of significant scholars in the Mississippian and Southern desegregation field, such as Vanessa S. Walker and Charles C. Bolton, to create a grounding context for the Lowndes County School District.