19th Century African American School
The beginning of the 19th century showed no interest in educating African Americans, but around 1865 when slavery was successfully abolished, educating African Americans started to make its way to the surface. The South initially forbid African Americans from going to school because they were afraid of their education becoming more important than their duties as slaves. The North had run down, no resource schools for African Americans, but they were far inferior to the white schools. Education started in the church at Sunday school, where reading was a major subject taught. Reading was necessary in order for the children to be able to read the bible, which in turn made them “better Christians.” The first African American public High School was built in 1870, Paul Laurence Dunbar. Small schools were around as early as 1807 and were established in homes and churches, though they were still far inferior to the white schools, it was a major step to actually have schools built for the African Americans. The teachers were under qualified, and were required to teach in a one room schools with children of all ages.