Educating the Masses: The Unfolding History of Black School Administrators in Arkansas, 1900-2000

by Calvin Smith

Overview

Smith (heritage studies, Arkansas State U.) and Joshua (education, U. of Arkansas at Pine Bluff) provide an historical account of the challenges, struggles, and accomplishments of the people who labored to educate black youth in Arkansas during the 20th century. The text combines data obtained from surveys conducted by the Retired Educators of Little Rock and Other Public Schools, through a grant from the Arkansas Humanities Council, with information from public and private documents and secondary sources. Annotation ©2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781557287441
Publisher:	University of Arkansas Press
Publication date:	11/28/2003
Pages:	194
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

C. Calvin Smith is a professor of history at Arkansas State University and the author of War and Wartime Changes: The Transformation of Arkansas, 1940–1945 (Arkansas, 1986). Linda Walls Joshua is an assistant professor of education at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.

Editorial Reviews

While the chief aim of Educating the Masses is to venerate the legacy of several generations of dedicated black educators, the last three chapters of the book set out a poignant reminder, a chilling warning, and a continuing challenge for all citizens of Arkansas. . . . The challenge, of course, is to continue to follow the example of the black educators celebrated in this volume in working for an educational system that will provide both quality and opportunity to all young Arkansans.” —Thomas C. Kennedy, Arkansas Historical Quarterly “An arresting account of professional dedication which, although long confronted by unremitting racial adversity, has resulted today in remarkable progress in public education in Arkansas. Professors Smith and Joshua have rendered a valuable service with their comp-rehensive history.” —David Levering Lewis, author of W. E. B. Du Bois: Biography of a Race, 1868–1919 and W. E. B. Du Bois: The Fight for Equality and the American Century, 1919–1963 (both Henry Holt & Co.), winners of the Pulitzer Prize for biography in 1994 and 2001. “A compelling social history . . . a story of triumph over incredible adversity.” —John Graves, author of Town and Country: Race Relations in an Urban-Rural Context, Arkansas, 1865–1905 (Arkansas, 1991)

From the Publisher