The Price of Education (Literacy Opportunities after 1800-The Opening Doors of Opportunity)

Being able to go to school from elementary school to college is something that I have never seen myself being able to do. Although, at one point in time in my life college seemed far away and costly, I knew I was going to make it some kind of way. Reading Going Against the Grain, put into perspective the struggles that African-Americans went through to receive an education.

The reading talks about how the African-American community itself was responsible for literacy in the community. “In this way, the African American community itself was largely responsible for laying the fertile foundation for universal literacy in African American communities. This stood out to me because, it seems as if literacy in African American communities is not deemed valuable. The African American is still a vital backbone, but the focus is not literacy. In my opinion, I believe that literacy is one of the keys to being successful in life. Most of the prominent people in the world today view literacy as a component that has helped them thrive. Literacy was important the most when we were not given the opportunity to read or write. However, if we want to continue to flourish and grow as a people it is mandatory that our communities stress the importance of being literate.

Reading the about the impact that Atlanta University Center had in educating African Americans in the South was interesting. From opening the first public school for African Americans to creating an environment for students to learn in. The history of Spelman College was also refreshing to read. Even though, I already knew the history, it was gratifying to see it mentioned in the reading. It reminds me of the importance of the Atlanta University Center and the significance of the schools. The reading even included Morris Brown College, which is today not acknowledged. However, the reading reminds us that Morris Brown was pivotal in the community.

The African-American community was an important element is supporting literacy in our people. Literacy in the past should still be seen as important today. If we stress the importance of literacy in our kids, the future of the African American community could be prosperous.