The Struggle for Equality of Educational Opportunity: A Way Out of Bondage.

Historically, the education of some slaves established a middle class within the black population. By the beginning of the 19th century many ex-slaves were able to establish their own business enterprises, using the skills learned. This skilled group became the proponents of freedom for their people and participated in the establishment of schools for black children. Funds from various sources helped support the institutionalization of the freedmen's educational system. Common schools were first established, then high schools, and by 1868, the school system was virtually completed. As the school system stabilized, so did the methods and programs of instruction, and soon it became apparent that higher education institutions were needed in order to supply more teachers. Blacks played a large role in the establishment of free public schools through their participation in politics. As opportunities for political participation declined, black faith in formal education grew, and the school population increased. Although the move to equalize educational opportunity for black people extends from the 1880's the fight to desegregate began in 1935 and led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. A little more than a century ago, it was illegal to educate blacks, and today black people are still struggling to enjoy the basic right to a quality education that all other Americans enjoy. (Author/AM)