The document provides a detailed analysis of the essay "To Educate a Race" which discusses the focus on education within the African American community after emancipation. It describes how schools sprang up in Fayetteville, North Carolina with support from northern charities. It highlights the work of Robert Harris and David Dickerson in establishing a network of schools and teacher training programs. The school founded by Harris grew significantly and helped establish other schools across North Carolina, eventually becoming Fayetteville State University.

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“To Educate a Race”
Essay Analysis Paper
A. ThesisandStructure
1. Thesis: Duringthe time of the Civil Warand immediatelyafterthe thoughtsof educationwas
the central focusof AfricanAmericansafterthe Emancipationact.The valuesof Churchand
moralitywere the centerof theircommunityandvirtuesandreflecteditself intheirschool,
social life andeverydayactivities.Especially,withinthe activitiesof Fayetteville NorthCarolina.
2. Structure: Thisessaymostlykeptitsfocuson Fayetteville NorthCarolina,discussingthe
educationnetworkforAfricanAmericansthatsprangupafterthe Emancipation;describingin
detail the circumstancesthatallowedthe school tothrive andbe createdinFayetteville.
Expandingonthe associationswithnortherncharitieslikethe AMA,AMEand AMEZ andtheir
aidwiththe buildingof a literaryandteachinginstitute.Expoundingthe workof RobertHarris
and DavidDickersonandtheirachievementsandaccomplishinganetworkof schoolsand
teachertrainingforNorthCarolinawithinthe AfricanAmericanCommunity.
B. Qualitative andQuantitative Support:
 The essaystarts withexplainingthe beginningof amove to start a state fundedschool
withinthe FayettevilleNorthCarolinaareaastate colorednormal school as theycalledit.
Legislationpassedin1877 that offered$2000 to purchase a buildingforthe institution
(279.) In April of 1877 more than 30 Africansmetfromover15 countiestomeetwiththe
AmericanMethodistEpiscopal ZionorAMEZto discussthe buildingof the school.The
mayor andstate superintendentwere impressedandthoughtFayetteville wasthe perfect
site to start sucha school. Fayetteville wasdeterminedtobe the perfectlocationforthe
school because itsalreadylongstandingaffiliationwiththe AMA andthe Freedman’s
Bureauwithinthe AfricanCommunityevenbefore the EmancipationProclamationhadbeen
decreed. There isevidence thatthere were blacksalreadyinvolvedinclandestine education
withinthe slave populationandJohnHope Franklinstatedthatthere wasalarge desire
withinthisparticularpopulationforeducation.There isevenevidence thatanumberof
whiteshadsetup a school forfree blacksin1850 (280.)
 It was ReverendDavidDickersonin1865 thatgot the ball rollingonthe schoolsin
Fayetteville. He waschargedwithmeetingwiththe Mayor,Freedman’sandwhiteelite to
discussandarrange the agreementof the school. Itwas notedthatby 1860 the school had
272 studentsandhadalreadyemployedtwomore assistantteachers. WhenDavid
Dickersondiedof DysenteryinApril of 1866 it wasthenthe campaignto getRobertHarris
electedthe newsuperintendentstarted (283-284.)

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 The firstthingsRobert Harris didup on beinggiventhe positionof Superintendentatthe
school in Fayettevillewere toname hisyoungerbrotherCicero hisassistant.He thendivided
the school intotwo schools PhillipsElementaryschool andSumnerSecondaryschool and
separatedstudentsaccordingtotheirEducational Attainment(254.) The large successof
Robertand CiceroHarris isastonishingconsideringthe littleexperience ineducationthat
theyhad receivedprevioustoapplyingforthe state coloredschool.RobertHarriswascited
saying“I have no experience inteachingexceptinprivatelyteachingslavesinthe south
where Ilivedinthe South(280.)”
 While,the white communityseeminglywasonboardwiththe educationinFayettevilleit
wouldseemthere were othermotivations.Inapressarticle itwas note that the white
communityshouldwantthe Africanstobe educatedandtheyshouldwanttohave a handin
whatwas beingtaughtto the intheirschools.Itwas statedby an article inthe pressa bit
laterthat “no Negrofeltanyinjustice andnowhite manfeltannoyedortroubledwiththe
officesinterference,whichhasoccasionedelsewhere somuchcomplaint(285.)”
 Thoughwhile there washarmonywithinFayetteville itiseasytosee how easythat peace
can be disturbed.Duringthe civil warGeneral ShermanoccupiedFayetteville inMarchof
86. He issuedthe Special FieldOrder# 28 anddecreed thatall of the railroadproperty
shops,factories,tanneries,andall millsexceptwhatwasneededtosufficientlysustainthe
populationof the areabe destroyedtothwartthe Confederate Army(281.) Everyblack
house wasraidedof suppliesandanyAfricanAmericanfoundwearingdecentclothingwas
askedto immediatelyswitchclothingwiththe UnionSoldiers.Itwasa interactionwiththe
Norththat removedfaithwithinthe AfricanAmericanCommunity;causingrecognitionthey
were goingtohave to buildtheirfuture themselves. Thisdistrustreareditself afterthe
Emancipationandthe refusal totake any charityfrom white organizationstobeginbuilding
theircommunities.
 AfterGeneral Shermanlefthe whitesusedthisopportunitytoattemptacoupand
reestablishpoweroverthe AfricanAmericanpopulation. Theybeganbyreinstatingportions
of the antebellumslave code.TheyreinstatedpublicwhippingsanddeniedAfrican
Americansthe rightto gatherina church togetheranddeniedthe write of African
Americanstowalkwitha cane withincitylimits(282.) The AfricanAmericansinthis
community abruptly puta holdonthese proceedingsbythreatingtohave a garrisonof
UnionBlack soldiersstationedatFayetteville.The white populationimmediately
compromisedandstatedthata Freedman’sAgentcouldbe broughtintoresolve anyfurther
disputes. While,there were issuesinFayetteville andthere were still race relations issuesit
wouldseemthattheywere muchbetteroff thanotherparts of the south.

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 The church became the centerof the AfricanAmericanCommunityafterthe Emancipation
withmanycharitiesincludingthe AMA,AME, andAMEZ all attemptingtoexertaidand get
congregationmembersoutof the south.While,the AMA wasthe mostpopularit wasthe
AMEZ that gainedgroundand supportinFayetteville. The churchbecame involvedin
christenings,marriages,education,non-churchrelatedevents. Educationwasdeemed
officiallythe numberone prioritysothateachindividual couldreadthe bible andhave
constantaccess to it (282.)
 AfterRobertHarris gothis teachingphilosophy’s,churchandcommunityinvolvementall
wrappedintoone package the school startedto thrive;atone pointboastingthatmore than
600 studentswere attendingthe school. RobertHarrisappealedtohave the school
transformedfroma summerschool toan all year school citingthatthe needforthe school
as inescapablyconnectedtothe communityandchurch. Close tiesbetweenthe churchand
the school resultedinafewextraprogramsbeingdevelopedincludingthe Temperance
Almanacand the Band of Hope.The Temperance Almanacwasabookdiscussingthe evilsof
overindulgenceandthe Bandof Hope wasan oathtakento swearoff liquor,tobaccoand
swearing. Itwas notedthatat one pointmore than 136 people hadjoinedthe Bandof Hope
(285.) RobertHarris was an intelligentmanandnew that the school existedbythe grace of
the white elite inpowerandpolitics.Itwasnotedthathe generallykepthisvoice outof
politicsandresoundinglynotonce didthe schoolsbecome underfire orinbad influence
withthe politiciansof the region.Hislargestaccomplishmenttothe school washisabilityto
obtaina buildingtohouse bothsidesof the school.Hismostastoundingaccomplishment
was hisabilitytotrainotherteachers.While,thistrainingresultedfromalackof resources
beingsentfromthe Freedman’sAgencyhisabilitytotrainteachersinevitablyexpanded.He
not onlyendedupsupplyingteacherstohisownschool butto all the countiesaroundhim.
It was notedthathe was supplyingtoteacherstoupto 15 schoolsatone pointintime. This
school districtstill existstodayitwasrenamedthe Fayettevillestate teacherscollege in
1939 thenbecame the Fayetteville State Collegein1963 and finallyjoineditsschool with
Universityof NorthCarolinain1969 (288.)

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C. Connections/Contradictions/Extensions
 The book confirmedand revisitedafew of the issuesthatwere shortlyvisitedinthe
essay.The booknotatesthat FamilyandChurchbecame numberone inthe
community.Itbrieflystoppedonthe factthat the AfricanAmericansstarted
establishingitsownchurchand leftwhite churchesby,explainingthe madrushto
start to getcongregationmemberstothe AME and AMEX
 The book alsoexpandedonmore reasonswhyAfricanAmericansfeltthe needto
knowhowto read.The essaymentionedthe primaryfocusbeingtoreadthe bible,
but the booknotatesonthe needtoprepare to take part inthe economic
marketplace. Italsotouchesupona few blackonlycollegesthatwere establishedin
Tennessee andinthe Nationscapital.
 The essayneverreallyexplainedwhatthe Freedman’sBureaureallywasneitherdid
the textit justreferenceditabunch.I lookedinthe backof the bookand foundthat
it wasa Reconstructionagencyestablishedin1865 to protectthe rightsof slaves
and theywere mainlytaskedwitheducationandlandowning.While,the essaydid
not domuch on the meansof landowningitwasmentionedmore thana few times
inthiscontextinthe book. Thoughaccordingto the book the onlyareain whichthe
Freedman’sBureauwasactuallysuccessful wasinthe realmof educationand health
care. The booksitesthat theyestablishednearly3,000 schoolsinthe south.This
was theirmostnotable achievementforthe five yearstheywere inactionduring
the Reconstructionperiod.
D. Evaluation:
Thisessayisa greatresemblance of the questforknowledge thatisknownwithinthe
UnitedStates.While,we maynotbe the most intelligentnationandmaynothave the
highesttestscores.We are alwayspushingourselvesformore knowledge andbroader
general access. While,earlyschoolsdonotresemble the schoolstodayitmightbe noted
that the school systemwe see todaymightall be resembledoff the school systemcreated
by RobertHarris.I saw a note in the article thatbasicallystatedhe hada school district
createdbefore the state governmentsevenstartedestablishingschool districts.Thisessay
sheda lotof lightonhow hardthe AfricanAmericansworkedtointegrate andovercomea
systemthatwas still stackedagainstthemevenafterthe Emancipation. Itwasa read that I
thinkanypersonwhois attainingHighEducationshouldhave knowledge of.It’samemory
of a past wheneducationwasnotforall.Thiswas the beginningof alongbattle thatwould
lastwell intothe middle 90’sforEqual Rightseducationopportunities.

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E. PrimarySources:
a. A letter “To my Old Master,”c. 1865
Thisletterwasa response froma lettersentoutbywhat I can onlyassume wasa requestto
returnback to a farm or to be a formerMastersemployee.The letteriswrittenexplaining
the newsituationthattheyare livinginandthat the childrenare beingeducatedandthat
theyare receivingfairwages.The ex-slave Jordonlaysdownhisrequirementstoreturn
home.Including,pastwages,proof theywill stayfree of nonviolence,andaskingaboutthe
educationsystemforthe childrenwherehe lives.Thisletter showshow important
educationhadbecome forthe freedslavesithadevenstartedtobecome a conditionfor
relocation.Italsoshowedthe beginninggaininstrengthwithinthe communityaAfrican
Americanactuallyrequestingwhathe wasdue.
b. The Knightsof theWhite Camelia,1868
Thisarticle or oath goesfar to show the beginningof whatevenbe consideredthe KKKin
the southernterritoriesof the UnitedStates.Itshowsthatwhile the warwasover,they
were still attemptingtomaintainWhite Control overthe population. Idon’tthinkthiskind
of thingwouldhave beenanythingtorare in the southafterthe civil war; eventhe article
mentionedthatthe presssuggestedthatthe whitestake aninterestinthe black’seducation
inorder to be incontrol of whatwas beingtaught.
c. “We Are Literally Slaves.”1912
Thisletteror essayitdoesnot discerntowhatkindof contentitwas originallyaffixedto.Isa
verygoodportrait of howthe slaveswere stillslaves,orforbettertermswage slaves.There
was verylittle differenceinthe change betweenbeingaslave andfree exceptyounow
occurredthe chargesfor clothes,medical situations,foodandshelter;whichwasall usedup
by the meagerwagestheyreceivedhavingtoworktwojobsto getbuy.It wouldseemfor
the lowerclassthingshave notreallychangedmuch;it’sjusta bit more spreadout across
the races these days.
F. Question:
What