To the right you can see a picture of a classroom taken in Tuskegee in 1902. I got this picture from a website that is a little bit of a puzzle website. It gives you a picture form the historical archives changes a few things and makes you guess the changes. Not that it's really necessary to do the activity but it was fun for anyone who wants to try. Also theres a bigger picture that lets you see the details in the photo which I find really nice since the blog shrank it. So here is the website if you want a better look at the photo I recommend pasting this into your browser> http://historymatters.gmu.edu/text/puzzle5ans.htmlIf you get a little confused notice that because I had to show you the original photo I had to click end activity and it gave me all the answers. But if you scroll down you just see the original photo, without the white cirlces. The picture was taken just over a decade after the school was founded, and you can see it's thriving. Just looking at sheer numbers this classroom as more than my biggest class at St. Edwards (remember this goes onto become considered a university). Another big thing I noticed was that there are a fair amount of women. This kind of surprised me, I didn't expect to see them in the numbers they're there in. I also noticed right off the chalk boards. Theres more than one in the room and they seem to be written on in only cursive, something I don't nearly as often today as I do print. Also be sure to notice the american flag in the background and pretty much everywhere. I don't think ive ever seen so many flags in a classroom. It's kind of cool to look at all those benches and the floor and think that students themselves most probably helped with those. Every time I look at this picture I see something new and it surprises me. So if anyone wants to take a look at the photo and sees something maybe I did or just has an opinion comment away its interesting to know what other peoples thoughts are .
PS: don't be daunted by my huge block of text above, its intimidating looking even to me
This picture is really interesting to me now that we have read Booker T. Washington's autobiography. We now know that the students helped with literally everything in the school, so looking at this image gives a clearer picture of the effort they put in to make their classrooms look like real classrooms as opposed to the bare ground and poorly built walls they used to learn in.
ReplyDeleteAnother point to mention is the amount of people crammed into this room especially knowing that they all volunteered to go. Today, we are forced to go to school by law and society. If we had a choice, many of us would never go, much more if our classrooms looked as uncomfortable as this one does.
I think it is interesting that you point that we know that the students probably build those benches. I find it interesting because to me those benches look like benches you would find at a church or a park. Yet these benches look sturdy, and (from the photograph) nicely constructed. I also think the style of the classroom is very interesting. I’m not aware of the norm between classrooms at the time period, but it’s interesting that the chalkboard is at the side of the students- it is not the focal point of the classroom (if the students were facing forward). As both of you pointed out the photograph is interesting to our class, because we have read the struggles, effort, and time that went into the construction of this school. Like Booker T. Washington states in Up from Slavery, many students were eager to enroll in the school itself. I think the way that they are dressed is admirable, but I think it shows a point that Washington mentions in his book- sanitation and the pride in oneself appearance. Washington mentions in the book that he tried to install the habits of self cleaning, bathing regularly, brushing teeth, ect to his students at Hampton University and then at Tuskegee. As a young girl in school in Mexico, our dress code was inspected regularly. We had to have every part of the uniform intact and polished, our hair had to be pulled back, our nails clean and cut (and free of nail polish). Therefore, I can understand the institutional need to regulate the students’ appearance and the desire of the students to comply.
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