June 28, 1844 Here is an article about the “proceedings of our coloured fellow-citizens, in regard to their constitutional rights, and to the Smith School and its teacher, Mr. Abner…
Category: <span>Separate schools</span>
July 12, 1844 From the Nantucket Telegraph Here an article asserts an opinion against the right of the state to have separate schools for colored children, expressed in resolutions by the School…
July 19, 1844 An item from the Christian Watchman expresses hope that there will not be any considerable number of colored citizens who will seek the abolition of schools established expressly…
August 2, 1844 A committee of parents offer a report in which they express a sense that “the relation of Mr. Forbes towards the Smith School should cease….” Signed by…
February 14, 1845 Here is notice from Nantucket, of a meeting in the Town Hall to promote “abolition of caste in our public schools” It was resolved, “That the colored…
March 7, 1845 A notice that the State Senate has passed “the law asked by the friends of the colored people, in relation to public schools.”
June 27, 1845 Here is a report of a special meeting of the Primary School Committee, to consider “the petition of a number of colored citizens, praying that ‘separate schools…
July 17, 1846 From the Worcester Co. Gazette comes an admonition of recent action by the Primary School Committee of Boston by which it has found that the continuance of…
August 21, 1846 The majority and minority reports of the Primary School Committee are included here. One comment is on the argument that, because the colored community asked for the…
December 24, 1847 An article critical of Mann, who, it claims, has not given aid to the campaign for equal school rights for colored children. He has not helped either…
August 18, 1848 An article about a meeting at the Belknap St. Meeting House, with a large attendance, on July 31. Resolutions passed include one which says that the Smith…
August 10, 1849 July 23 a large number of people were present. Among the resolutions passed: “… that all ‘exclusive schools’ are injurious to the welfare of the community,…
September 7, 1849 Here are notes from a meeting of colored citizens at the Belknap street Independent Baptist Church, Monday evening, Aug 27th. The resolutions recorded are long, but here…
September 21, 1849 An article signed, “W.C.N.”, (William Cooper Nell) regrets the action of the School Committee, which has voted to continue the separate Smith School. They have acted, in…
December 14, 1849 From the Boston Courier of Dec. 5, is an account of the arguments presented to the Court re. the Roberts case. The arguments made by Charles Sumner…
February 15, 1850 Here is a letter addressed to the Editor, from Thomas Paul Smith. Here are excerpts: “We are colored men, exposed alike to prejudice and oppression; our interests…
April 19, 1850 A brief notice of a Juvenile Exhibition, held at the Belknap Street church. “The exercises in declamation and singing were very satisfactory to a large audience of…
April 26, 1850 The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decided that Sarah had not been “unlawfully excluded from public school instruction”. Comment by the editor: “This decision of the Court fills…
April 26, 1850 The friends of this reform met at the Belknap Street Church, and passed resolutions of surprise at the wrongful Massachusetts Supreme Court decision, including one resolution which…
March 19, 1852 A letter addressed to the Editor, dated March 10, 1852, from Waltham, is signed “J.M.L.” The writer expresses “impatience to see some movement of the colored citizens…
April 7, 1854 This is an account by Nell of a recent visit to a school in Cambridgeport. He comments that the colored boys and girls were “not seated in…
August 18, 1854 Here is a Report of the Committee on Public Instruction, presented to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, May 22. There is discussion of the exclusion from…
November 10, 1854 Here is an account of the case brought by Mr. Pindall, whose son has been ejected from a school on grounds of his color. The decision affirms…
March 30, 1855 The report of the Committee on Education cites numerous reasons why the city of Boston must not continue its practice of assigning colored children to separate schools. …
August 17, 1855 William Cooper Nell has an article about the last days of the separate school, the Smith School. The article notes the “lack of zeal for examination day,…
September 14, 1855 The Board of the School Committee has acted to implement the recent law against separate schools for colored children, and this gives notice that the services of…
December 28, 1855 The story of a presentation to Nell for his efforts on behalf of Equal School Rights. The gathering is at the Southac Street church, and includes, a…
February 20, 1857 William Cooper Nell writes on Feb 16, and recounts “cheering indications” of events which “should stimulate the friends of humanity to continued well-doing, for success will ultimately…
December 11, 1857 William Cooper Nell calls again for abandonment of separate schools for colored children, including in his appeal, reference to an article in the Providence Journal, which speaks…
January 29, 1858 There is a column about a Special Meeting of the School Committee, in Providence, in which there is debate about “colored schools”. In another column the editor…
February 24, 1860 A brief article refers to the continuing attempt to seek “abolition of the colored or caste schools of that State.” While the movement to abolish those schools…
August 3, 1860 A brief article from W.C. Nell, tells of Mary Louise Lockley, of the Bowdoin School, who has had the honor of being the first recipient of a…
December 13, 1861 At a recent meeting of the School Committee, Charles W. Slack, who had submitted the report and bill by which “separate schools” had been abolished six years…
March 11, 1864 This article signed by “D.B. H.”, from Providence tells of discussion in the House “Committee of Education”, of a petition by three hundred colored citizens, asking for…
March 18, 1864 This is a recommendation that the petitions for equal school rights be granted. It is signed the Chairman of the Committee on Education, and four others.
March 24, 1865 This article indicates that a bill for Equal School Rights has passed the House of Representatives, and though action by the Senate has been postponed until the…
November 10, 1865 R. P. Randolph, writes to Garrison, from New Orleans, and tells of eight large schools just established, of which he is Principal, named for Garrison.