University of San Diego Digital USD Dissertations Theses and Dissertations 2001 A Historical Perspective of the Freedom Schools: Implications for Social Change O. Yvonette Murrell Powell EdD University of San Diego Follow this and additional works at: https://digital.sandiego.edu/dissertations Part of the Leadership Studies Commons Digital USD Citation Murrell Powell, O. Yvonette EdD, "A Historical Perspective of the Freedom Schools: Implications for Social Change" (2001). Dissertations. 680. https://digital.sandiego.edu/dissertations/680 This Dissertation: Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Digital USD. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital USD. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE FREEDOM SCHOOLS: IMPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE by O. Yvonette Murrell Powell A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education 2001 Dissertation Committee Johanna Hunsaker, Ph.D., Chair Dan Miller, Ph.D. Annjennette Me Farlin, Ph.D. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE FREEDOOM SCHOOLS: IMPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE Since the first African slave ship arrived on the American shores, the nature o f life for these new inhabitants has differed greatly from that o f any other immigrant group. The usual patterns o f assimilation were not present. While most other immigrant groups were able to assimilate within three generations by making name changes, taking on characteristics of the majority population, finding employment and acculturating via education, the same avenues were not available to Blacks.