In this previously untold story of African American self-education, Heather Andrea Williams moves across time to examine African Americans' relationship to literacy during slavery, during the Civil War, and in the first decades of freedom. Some slaves devised creative and subversive means to acquire literacy, and when slavery ended, they became the first teachers of other freedpeople. Williams argues that by teaching, building schools, supporting teachers, resisting violence, and claiming education as a civil right, African Americans transformed the face of education in the South to the great benefit of both black and white southerners.

About the Author
Heather Andrea Williams, a former attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice and the New York State Attorney General's Office, is assistant professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Reviews
"Upon finishing Self-Taught the reader will be changed. Untold stories of protest and resistance come alive through Williams's expert analysis and captivating storytelling." - Black Issues Book Review"



Book Information
ISBN 9780807858219
Author Heather Andrea Williams
Format Paperback
Page Count 320
Imprint The University of North Carolina Press
Publisher The University of North Carolina Press
Weight(grams) 449g