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University Microfilms 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 A Xerox Education Company HORD, Helen McConnell, 1917- THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BLACK LITERATURE IN THE LANGUAGE ARTS PROGRAM OF A PREDOMINANTLY BLACK JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL. The Ohio State University, Ph.D., 1972 Education, general I University Microfilms, A XEROX Company, Ann Arbor, Michigan 0 1972 HELEN McCONNELL HORD ALL RIGHTS RESERVED THIS DISSERTATION HAS BEEN MICROFILMED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BLACK LITERATURE IN THE LANGUAGE ARTS PROGRAM OF A PREDOMINANTLY BLACK JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Helen McConnell Hord, A.B., M.Ed. ******* The Ohio State University 1972 Approved by Adviser, Department of Humanities Education PLEASE NOTE: Some pages may have indistinct print. Filmed as received. University Microfilms, A Xerox Education Company ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I express heartfelt gratitude to the many people who helped me throughout my d o c to ra l stu d y . I e sp e c ia lly thank th e members of my reading committee: Dr. Donald Bateman, my adviser; Dr. Paul Klohr, and Dr.John Ohliger. I am extremely grateful to the ninth grade teachers and students at Franklin Junior High School, Columbus, Ohio. Without their cooperation and participation, the fourth chapter of this project could not have been possible. To my sister, Katherine, I extend my thanks for her encour- agment throughout the writing of the dissertation. To my husband, John, I am extremely grateful for the tolerance and support which helped to make the "task" possible. To Professor Darnell Williams, who worked untiringly to di­ rect my studies in the area of Black Literature and dedicated his time and energy to serve as an unofficial member of my reading committee, I dedicate this work. VITA July 31, 1917 ....................................... Born, Greenup, Kentucky 1939............................................................. A.B., Kentucky State College Frankfort, Kentucky 1944-45 .................................................... Teacher, Franklin Public Schools, Franklin, Kentucky 1945-56 .................................................... Teacher, Grayson Public Schools, Grayson, Kentucky 1956-61 .................................................... Teacher, Franklin Junior High School, Columbus, Ohio 1961-62 .................................................... M. Ed., The Ohio S ta te U niver­ sity, Columbus, Ohio 1962-69 .................................................... Teacher, Franklin Jr. High School, Columbus, Ohio 1969-72 .................................................... Assistant Principal, Franklin Jr. High School, Columbus, Ohio AWARDS 1961............................................................. Outstanding Teacher Award at Franklin Jr. High School 1963............................................................. Valley Forge Classroom Teacher Medal 1969.............................................................George Washington Medal from Valley Forge for Franklin Jr. High School Outstanding Jr. High School Teacher of th e Year by Columbus Ja y c e e s. i i i 1970 .........................................................R ecipient of a $500 gran t fo r the improvement of education The Ohio State University Medallion for studies in the field of Education 1972 ......................................................... Outstanding Service to Franklin Junior High School FIELD OF STUDY MAJOR FIELD: Humanities Education Studies in English Education. Professor Donald R. Bateman Directed Studies in Black L ite r a tu r e ....................................... Professor Darnell Williams Studies in Curriculum and Foundations ................................... Professors Paul Klohr, Kenneth Arisman Everett Kircher A. Donald Bourgeois TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS............................................................................................ i i VITA....................................................................................................................i i i Chapter I. Introduction .......................................................................... 1 Purpose of This Study ......................................................... 6 Summary....................................................................................... 7 II. Review of the Literature ................................................ 8 L ite ra ry Works by M inority W riters.......................... 8 Works by Mainstream A uthors.................................................84 The R elatio n sh ip between th e Black Dialect and Learning to Read ........................................87 Summary............................................................................................ 90 III. Language Arts Instructional Units ..................... 91 Interdisciplinary Approach: Afro-American . 93 Literary Approach: Major Black American Authors and Their Best Known Works ...........................105 Cultural Approach: Creating Black Awareness through the Poetry of the B lues ............................. 142 Summary..........................................................................................151 IV. Summary and Conclusions....................................................... 152 Methods ..........................................................................................153 F in d in g s ......................................................................................154 Limitations ................................................................................. 155 Recommendations .........................................................................156 Page APPENDIX A.................................................................................................................. 159 B. ..............................................................................................160 C.................................................................................................................. 161 BIBLIOGRAPHY..................................................................................................... 152 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION During no other time in the history of education in this country has the demand for relevancy been so great. Students are demanding that concepts and skills being taught are relevant to their individual needs; that these concepts and skills relate directly to their cultural and social existence; and, that teachers and administrators become more sensitive to their lin­ guistic and cultural differences. If one, however, relied solely upon the mass media (news­ papers, magazines, radio, television, etc.) he would be of the opinion that only college and university students are demanding that their education be geared toward a better understanding of human and individual existence. Contrary to the picture created by mass media, all levels of students are disgruntled with the present trends in education. This dissatisfaction is particular­ ly evident at Franklin Junior High School where I am the Assist­ ant Principal. At Franklin, the language arts program is the area of the total school program which comes under constant at­ tack. The basic complaint by the student is that the books that are assigned for reading do not include any works by Black writ­ ers . 1 2 This writer believes that if the language arts programs in predominantly Black junior high schools restructured their cur­ ricula to include those literary works by black Americans, the students would achieve at a higher level of competency in both reading and writing skills.