Exhibition Introduction - Black Education: Industrial or Liberal?

The debate over the merits of industrial versus liberal education for African American advancement is often associated with well-known figures such as W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington. In late 19th century Texas, many Black classicists were directly involved in negotiating these different philosophies of education with direct impact on local institutions, some of which thrive to this day. New schools and colleges sought to balance the need for teacher training, which often entailed literary and linguistic study, with preparation for industrial and agricultural professions.