Counterpublics and Civil Society: A Typology of Black Civic Organizations in the United States in the Twentieth Century

The history of African American education has overwhelmingly focused on formal education, schooling, and professional educators. This has left outside-of school-spaces neglected in this burgeoning area of research. Recently, US educational historians have begun to investigate the importance of informal learning settings, such as civic organizations, the Black press, and churches, which were rich sites of teaching and learning for African Americans. This seminar will provide an overview of the types and purposes of Black civic voluntary organizations and explore their various contributions as educational settings. Theorizing these informal spaces as part of a Black counterpublic, I will identify the types of associations that have been researched, highlight the contributions they have made, and point out gaps in the scholarship for further investigation.

Christine Woyshner earned her doctorate at Harvard University, and she is Professor of Education and Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Affairs in the College of Education and Human Development at Temple University. Her research focuses on the history of civic voluntary associations in American education. Christine has published six edited and authored books, including The National PTA, Race, and Civic Engagement, 1897-1970 and The Educational Work of Women’s Organizations, 1890-1960, co-edited with Anne Meis Knupfer. She is currently working on a book on the educational activities of black civic voluntary organizations during Jim Crow. In her spare time, Christine is an avid figure skater.

- this session is free to attend, but booking in advance is required.