ABSTRACT
Historically, Black women’s collegiate education experiences varied substantially from those of White women. White women were initially denied education in the early nineteenth century and then educated separately for “female education,” which emphasized classes related to religion and the domestic sphere. Their curricular options excluded “masculine” subjects such as advanced mathematics and science (Solomon, 1985). There was no expectation for them to work or to utilize their education beyond marriage and motherhood. Later, “female seminaries” and normal schools (the predecessor of teachers’ colleges) emerged to prepare women for the growing profession of teaching (Solomon, 1985). In contrast, basic literacy skills were denied to Black people during slavery, but they were aware of the value of education-particularly its centrality to the advancement and freedom of the entire Black race. As opportunities for education became available, Black parents eagerly and with great sacrifice educated their daughters as well as their sons.
