| Abstract |
"Since the beginning of the twentieth century, education has been a mechanism of opportunity and oppression for the African American community in Harlem. In Educating Harlem, a multi-disciplinary group of scholars document and analyze how Harlemites defined and pursued their educational ambitions in the face of political and economic challenges ranging from poverty and racism to government indifference. The contributors consider the individuals, organizations, and initiatives that fostered an educational vision for Harlem, from Harlem Renaissance figures who sought to reform the curriculum to efforts in the 1970s to develop and defend auxiliary aspects of schooling in the face of severe budget cuts. Examining a wide range of actors, the volume provides new ways of thinking about social movements and activism that includes both the efforts of large-scale organizations as well as smaller-scale efforts led by parents or para-professionals. Challenging the conventional "rise-and-fall" narratives found in many urban histories, the volume instead focuses on the on-going (if not always successful) efforts of Harlem residents to imagine and implement improvements for their schools"-- Provided by publisher. |
