Berea College and African American Educational Development (1855-1912) (2023)

This project examines the role Berea College had on the development of education for African American students and their white counterparts before, during, and after the Civil War in Kentucky. From its creation in 1855 by an abolitionist founder to its forced segregation in 1912, Berea College provided a distinctive service-focused education to predominately economically disadvantaged African American and rural white students alike. A review of relevant primary sources (including a published appeal to keep the college integrated; a comprehensive institutional history; and a detailed list of potential educational institutions for freedman during the Civil War) highlights Berea College’s important role in providing skills and secondary education for Kentucky students, specifically formerly enslaved students.