ABSTRACT EMERSON, DIANE EUGENIA. Education to Subordinate-Education to Liberate. An Historical Study of the Dual Role of Education for African Americans, 1865-1968. (Dr. Anna Victoria Wilson, Chairperson) This research is an historical study of African Americans’ experience acquiring education in North Carolina. In particular, I examine the ideological and institutional factors that shaped public education for African Americans following the Emancipation Act in 1865. Primary data includes an oral history of the experiences of teachers and students at Williston High School in Wilmington, North Carolina. Oral history serves as the principal vehicle for understanding Williston High School as a segregated learning institution along with document analysis of personal and public records. Williston High School was the sole secondary school for African American students in Wilmington, North Carolina, from 1919 until 1968. Founded in 1866, Williston was the first free school for African American students in the southern part of Wilmington. Local African American citizens raised their own funds to start the school. Desegregation forced the school to close in 1968. A brief history of African Americans in Wilmington, North Carolina, during the Reconstruction era contributes to understanding the local African American community’s efforts to maintain and enhance its only high school despite blatant acts of racism. Education to Subordinate-Education to Liberate An Historical Study of the Dual Role of Education for African Americans, 1865-1968 by Diane Eugenia Emerson A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty of North Carolina State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND POLICY ANALYSIS Raleigh 2003 APPROVED BY: DEDICATION O magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name together.―Psalm 34:4 On this journey of life, God has been my unfailing supply and support. I give thanks unto Him and Bless His name. Whatever good I have accomplished in my life, whatever dreams I have been able to realize, I also owe to my grandmother, Carrie Ruth Baldwin. I stand on her shoulders. I rest in her strength. Armed with a high school diploma, a doctorate in mother wit, and an unflinching faith in God, my grandmother worked and overcame countless obstacles in her life. When others might have given up or used the circumstances of their lives as excuses to fail, my grandmother’s courage and strength enabled her to rise again and again to succeed against the odds. Clad with an iron-will, firm love, and a sharp tongue my grandmother fashioned a wonderful life for her family. Very early in my life, my grandmother passed these unique qualities on to me. Grandma raised me on heavy doses of love and support. She nurtured my gifts and prodded me, always, to be the best that I could be, to grow, and to reach my highest potential. She refused to allow the circumstances of my life to define, confine, or restrain me. She envisioned a life of greatness and achievement for me. She believed in me when I did not believe in myself and opened the doors of self-esteem and achievable possibilities in all areas of my life. My grandmother has been my lifeline, my life-support when others would have me “bowed and broken, shoulders falling down like teardrops, weakened by soulful cries” (Angelou 1994, 8). My grandmother gave shape, form, and substance to my life. I celebrate and honor this woman who loved and celebrated me. ii BIOGRAPHY Diane Eugenia Emerson was born in Ft. Eustis, Virginia, to Joseph Eugene Emerson and Geraldine Louise Baldwin. Diane was raised by her grandmother, Carrie Ruth Baldwin, in Wilmington, North Carolina, where she attended the local public schools. She graduated from Louis D. Brandeis High School in New York City, earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from Delaware State College in Dover, Delaware, and a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, North Carolina. Diane began her teaching career at Leland Middle School, Leland, North Carolina, and worked as a high school English teacher and an assistant principal in the public schools of Wilmington, North Carolina. In Raleigh, North Carolina, she worked as an education consultant at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction in the Effective Practices Section. Diane was House Education Director in the Office of the Speaker and House Democratic Education Director in the North Carolina General Assembly. Although she is no longer in the classroom, Diane remains a teacher. Her life’s mission is to help children to realize their full potential. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am grateful to so many people for their various contributions in the completion of this research project. I owe enormous gratitude to my advisor, Dr. Anna Victoria Wilson, who from the beginning knew that I could and determined that I would. Thank you for embracing a will to excellence. I am ever grateful. I am also appreciative of the various roles of my advisory committee, Dr. Marsha Alibrandi, Dr. Paul Bitting, and Dr. Bill Johnston. Thank you very much for your willingness to serve. My sincere thanks and gratitude to my family and friends who have loved, supported and encouraged me through the years. I am so very grateful. I am especially indebted to my son, Cedron, for his love, consistent reassurance and support. Thank you for understanding. My sincere gratitude to all. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE CELEBRATING THE GREATEST SCHOOL UNDER THE SUN........................................1 Purpose of the Study ......................................................................................................2 Background....................................................................................................................2 Research Questions........................................................................................................3 Significance of the Research..........................................................................................4 A Personal Lens .............................................................................................................5 Untie the Last Knot........................................................................................................5 My Haven.......................................................................................................................6 My Teachers...................................................................................................................6 The Beginning of the Rest of My Life...........................................................................8 The Love of My Life......................................................................................................9 My Administrative Experience....................................................................................12 Sustaining the Connection ...........................................................................................14 A Look Through Teachers’ Lens.................................................................................15 Overview of the Research............................................................................................18 CHAPTER TWO A SEARCH FOR THE MULTIPLE REALITIES OF WILLISTON HIGH SCHOOL .........21 Historical Inquiry.........................................................................................................22 History of Segregated Black Schools ..........................................................................23 Life Histories ...............................................................................................................24 Enhancing Validity .....................................................................................................26 My Research ................................................................................................................29 Unpacking the Narrative Experience...........................................................................30 Inviting Participation ...................................................................................................30 Interview Format..........................................................................................................31 Analysis........................................................................................................................33 The Teachers Remember .............................................................................................33 Mrs. Drain....................................................................................................................34 Ms. Richardson ............................................................................................................35 Mrs. Todd ....................................................................................................................36 Coach Corbin ...............................................................................................................37 Mrs. Smith....................................................................................................................39 The Students Remember..............................................................................................40 Mrs. Moore ..................................................................................................................40 Mr. McNeil ..................................................................................................................40