Septima Clark and the Citizenship School Movement

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Citizenship Schools 2 Septima Poinsette Clark also known as the "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement," (Crawford, 1993, p. 96) used education to empower others. Her life's work enabled many people in the segregated South the opportunity to learn to read and write so that they could fully participate in a democratic society by exercising their right to vote. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the philosophy of education of Clark and the events that shaped that philosophy. According to Max Hunter, (2011) "in 1954, Clark began teaching at the Highlander Folk School in Monteagle, Tennessee where she developed her Citizenship Pedagogy" (para. 2). The pedagogy that Hunter referenced developed because of the racism, sexism, and discrimination that Clark experienced while teaching in the public school system in and around Charleston South Carolina. She along with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) fought for black teachers to receive pay equal to their white counterparts ("AdultEducation," n.d.). She also fought and won the right for blacks to become principals in the Charleston school district (Wikipedia, 2011, para. 5). According to Lewis (2003), the school board fired Clark after teaching for 40 years, because she refused to give up her membership to the NAACP (Brief Portrait section, para. 4). She later, served as the first African American member on that same board (Sears, 2000, para. 19). All of these experiences shaped her work as an activist, feminist and advocate for civil rights. Foundation That Paved the Way Clark's accomplishments and contributions ... ... middle of paper ... ... (2008). The life of Septima Clark [Review of the book Freedom's teacher: The life of Septima Clark, by K. M. Charron]. The John Perkins Center. Retrieved from http://www.spu.edu/depts/perkins/about/perspective/2010-spring/Freedoms-Teacher.asp Labaree, D. F. (1997). Public goods, Private goods: The American struggle over educational goals. American Educational Research Journal, 34(1), 39-81. Lewis, S. K. (2010). Celebrating women's history month-Septima Poinsette Clark (1898-1987). Retrieved from http://sistermentors.org/celebratingtenth.htm Veterans of the Civil Rights Movement, (n.d.). Citizenship school (1954-196?). Retrieved from http://www.crmvet.org/tim/timhis54.htm#1954- Wikipedia. (n.d.). Septima Poinsette Clark: NAACP involvement. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septima_Poinsette_Clark

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