Education versus Slavery: Understanding the Effect of Education on African American Personal and Societal Development

Abstract

Education is about gaining knowledge to impact the environment positively. It is why it is safe to say that ignorance was a key factor in the success of slavery that began in the 15th Century. As soon as Blacks realized the importance of education, some of them sought to educate themselves by any means necessary. This education inspired most of them to fight for their emancipation. It was achieved by interrogating history using the critical historical method as an insight and guide to show how, in the past, enslaved people fought for their well-being, impacting their time and the present. Like Dr. Martin Luther King, some of them had a dream that gradually became a reality. This paper aims to highlight how African American education, in general, and African American higher education, in particular, contribute to African Americans’ personal and societal development. Our African educational system is called upon to train people to respond to social problems and challenges on the ground. So, could Africans learn from the African American educational system and its contribution to personal and societal development?