Browse Exhibits (2 total)
Education Within Prince George's County
After the conclusion of the Civil War in 1865, the state assembly passed an act that allowed part of the taxes paid by African Americans to be used to construct schools for their children (Thornton and Gooden 1997:129–130). The federally funded Freedmen’s Bureau was authorized to establish schools for African-American children in Washington, D.C., and neighboring Maryland counties such as Prince George's County.
In 1872 Prince George's County took control of the education of African American children from the Freedmen’s Bureau and officials voted to establish one or more schools in each election district for African-American children. From there we see the birth of T.B. Colored School, the first school constructed and opened by the county. Education continued to develop for African Americans, with the first public high school, Paul Laurance Dunbar High being established in 1870 and located in Washington, D.C. However on the neighboring border, Prince George's County would not get its first high school for African Americans until 1928.
Education -> Rosenwald Schools
About 5000 Rosenwald schools were built for African Americans. The matching collaboration between Booker T. Washington and Julius Rosenwald outlined and required the community surrounding the school, to fund and maintain the school while it was functional. Mr. Washington believed that education and industrial skills were beneficial in upgrading the quality of life of African Americans. Therefore, industrial classrooms were incorporated in the Rosenwald schools, to teach kids technical skills such as carpentry, sewing, learning how to use a telephone, woodworking and agricultural skills.
Of the 27 Rosenwald Schools built in Prince George's County, the Ridgeley School is one of nine that remains.