Read the excerpt below from the reminiscences of Fanny Jackson Coppin, a prominent nineteenth-century educator:
"The founders of this institution believed that the colored youth was capable of receiving a classical education, and that to deny them this opportunity was to accept the false premise of their intellectual inferiority. Therefore, our curriculum has steadily maintained instruction in the higher branches—in Latin, Greek, higher mathematics, and the sciences—to prepare our students to become the teachers and intellectual leaders of their people."
Which of the following best describes the primary social and political purpose of the curriculum described in the excerpt?
- To disprove theories of racial hierarchy and train educators to foster community self-determination.Answer
- BTo promote an accommodationist approach that prioritized manual trade skills over academic development.
- CTo prepare graduates for emigration to West Africa as the primary means to achieve racial equality.
- DTo align the education of Black women with the political priorities of mainstream white suffragist groups.
Answer
To disprove theories of racial hierarchy and train educators to foster community self-determination.
The correct answer is correct because the curriculum described—focusing on classical languages, higher mathematics, and sciences—was designed to challenge the dominant nineteenth-century pseudoscientific racism that asserted Black intellectual inferiority. By mastering these subjects, students demonstrated Black intellectual capability, and by becoming teachers, they built the educational infrastructure needed for self-determination and leadership within their communities.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
The role of early Black higher education and classical curricula in countering racist ideologies and preparing community leaders.
Estimated Time:1m 30s