“Built for mind and spirit”: The socialization of race through higher education at Fisk University and Spelman College, 1881–1930

This thesis examines the socialization of blacks in higher education from 1881 to 1930. In doing so, the evolution of both the formal and informal curriculum at two prominent black higher education institutions—Fisk University and Spelman College—will be explored to highlight ways in which the cultural, social, and economic factors effected change at these institutions. Further, this study looks at the various roles students played in shaping and re-shaping their scholastic environment. Primary sources such as course catalogs, student newspapers, administrator correspondences, and alumni files, are used to gain a fuller understanding of the context and content of these academic environments. This work also engages with a body of literature that seeks to understand how race ideology was formed and taught amongst the black middle class. Ultimately, this thesis will underscore the significance of the dynamic nature of race ideologies in black higher education.