A Brief History of Black Education in America: Ithaca and Beyond

In 2009 the Cornell University Library hosted a panel presentation to honor Black History Month. Download the video here: http://www.cornell.edu/mediavolume/events/2009/20090225-history-black-education.mp4 or watch a streamed version here:http://www.cornell.edu/video/details.cfm?vidID=510&display=preferences.

About the Video

Ira Revels, Margaret Washington, and Sean Eversley-Bradwell look at American education from the African American perspective.

• Ira Revels discusses the role of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in black education during the mid to early 19th century, using images from the HBCU Digital Collection, a collaborative project involving Cornell University Library and twenty-one HBCUs;
• History professor Margaret Washington discusses black education in antebellum New York City, with a focus on the African Free School. At a time when no public education existed, this privately run institution provided formative education for individuals who became the most important African American leaders in the pre-Civil War era;
• Ithaca College Professor Sean Eversley-Bradwell presents the history of black students in Ithaca, NY, revealing numerous examples of resistance and agency. This history helps to map how race impacts and structures local communities.

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