Sweet gum and pine trees covered the forest area. One thousand five hundred farmers gathered nearby because they had a HUGE plan for this plot of land.
At the turn of the 20th century, white supremacy did everything to keep our people uneducated and poor. But these Black farmers wanted the best for our people and knew that relying on whites to educate us wasn’t the move.
So they came together and put up the bread to make this historic move.
They formed the Louisiana Colored Agricultural Relief Association to address educational issues. Two years later, they purchased 23 acres from a Black landowner to build their own school.
And it’s still thriving today!
The founders of Northern Louisiana’s Grambling State University knew that we must all remember: we should always be in control of our education.
Whether it’s workshops or classes, university, or where you get your news, we should discern the intentions of our educators—if it’s not rooted in liberation, they can keep it.
For centuries, white supremacy has tried to play us and our education, and we found a solution outside their system every time. We have to keep that same energy always.
It’s incredible what we can do when with shared resources and a vision!