3 p.m. | Catching the Learning and Having Our Say: Septima Poinsette Clark and the Sea Island Citizenship Schools

Presenters:
Anette Teasdell

This workshop focuses on the role Gullah Geechee women have played in community mobilization and social justice movements particularly in the Sea Islands of South Carolina. Prior to the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965, many African Americans who could not read were denied the right to vote. To qualify to vote, they were subjected to poll taxes and literacy tests. Septima Poinsette Clark and Ella Baker’s advocacy surrounding voting helped to prepare millions of African Americans to exercise their right to vote. By designing an adult education program grounded in critical literacy, and arming teachers to implement a grassroots reading program (Sea Island Citizenship Schools), they brought about significant social change. Collectively, Clark and Baker’s efforts led to voters’ rights empowerment and greater community and Civil Rights engagement. Findings indicate that the model for literacy education utilized by Clark and Baker helped mobilize African American voters. By creating a curriculum that reflected the needs and backgrounds of adult learners, this critical literacy model addressed pressing social issues in an environment where students and teachers learned from each other and helped change their communities. What are the modern implications of their work in Gullah Geechee communities? This research has implications for all learners who seek ways to make education transformative for today’s world.

Length: 75 minutes

2 thoughts on “3 p.m. | Catching the Learning and Having Our Say: Septima Poinsette Clark and the Sea Island Citizenship Schools

  1. Beth Glenn says:

    Hello,

    I’m intensely interested in watching this presentation virtually, but the virtual ticket I purchased doesn’t include a link to this session. Will it recorded, streamed or otherwise accessible to remote participants?

    1. Gullah Geechee Day says:

      Hi Beth, If you purchased a virtual ticket, you should be able to stream it. Check your e-mail for the password to the page: http://gullahgeecheeday.com/iggad22-zoom/, then click on the title (close to the bottom of the screen!).

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