Literacy and the Black woman

“Historically, she has been and remains a member of the underclass. From the period of slavery through today, she has been perceived as nothing much. The myth is “through literacy, all can be overcome”(lim,1996, p.1). The  truth is that the black woman has much more to endure in our society. This chapter examines the education and literacy of the Black woman, historically tracing it from the period of slavery through today.

After 1865 (emancipation), the black woman openly sought what she had been covertly seeking during the period of slavery. She thought she would now be able to legally seek official literacy. The oppressors thought differently and acted on their beliefs. By the time of emancipation, the oppressors saw the changes that were about to come. Therefore, they enacted more laws that banned the education of slaves and free Blacks. The Black woman was disappointed once again; she was now faced with views that she was intellectually inferior and did not warrant being formally educated. But we should know that, even these women who are considered illiterate possess skills that, within a broader context, should enable them to be considered literate and upwardly mobile. These women are the best economists; they raise families at income levels barely appropriate for single persons. They are the best chief executive officers because they oversee the day-to-day survival of the Black family under harsh and discouraging circumstances.

Achieving literacy as a vehicle for social change is not an easy task. That is why, by demanding programs that address her needs, by being instrumental in creating effective curriculum, and by supporting or attending the schools that are in existence, she continues the fight for a better way of life. The Black woman continues to struggle for herself as well as her future generations just as her foremothers struggled for her and brought the change. No one knows what the future will bring; however, one should expect that continued change would take place as long as Black women are alive.