A Pathway to Liberation: A History of the Freedom Schools and the Long
Struggle for Justice Since 1865
Abstract
The Freedom School Movement originated at the nexus of the struggles for
liberation and full citizenship. Beginning with the articulation of
education as a means to freedom during the era of slavery, the ideology
behind Freedom Schools was an integral aspect of the long Black freedom
struggle in the US. These Schools have continually recognized the
integral role and contribution of Black activists and educators who,
throughout the course of the United States' history, have historically
provided a counternarrative to White supremacy and racist policy through
education grounded in the needs, aspirations, and wisdom of local
community organizing.