Cydney Brown

Why, public schools in Charleston 

had white teachers teaching Black children.

Negroes weren’t allowed

Imagine the miseducation* of our children,

the lack of knowledge of their history,

the self hatred being taught in these institutions!

We went door to door in 1919

to ask people if they wanted their 

Black children to be taught by Black teachers 

“Sign here…and here!”

We got 10,000 signatures–that was my first political thing

Lawmakers thought Black children would grow up 

“more respectful”

if taught by a white teacher

They wanted us to be obedient 

but you can’t treat people like dogs

The Lawmakers didn’t want us to be 

anything more than we were

They didn’t think

the domestic workers, chauffeurs, 

garbage people, longshoremen 

Wanted to be teachers

So we had to go door to door again

to get Black teachers to teach our children

In 1920 

We had Black teachers teaching Black children 

In segregated schools

The students helped to get the signatures 

White people assume you want to stay at the bottom

That’s why we have to advocate for ourselves, you know?

* This line is inspired by Carter G. Woodson’s novel “The Mis-Education of the Negro” published in 1933. The book explains how education systems in The United States are mis-educating Black students and how in order to circumvent this obstacle we must design environments conducive to our empowerment and progress.