Philosophic Trend Of American Negro Poetry
Abstract
This thesis, submitted to Xavier University in partial fulfillment of requirements for a Master of Arts degree in 1950, examines the development of Catholic elementary education for Black children in New Orleans, Louisiana from the city's founding in 1718 through 1950. Drawing on parish records, archdiocesan archives, school board documents, and published histories, the study traces the origins of Catholic schooling for Black New Orleanians through the educational work of the Ursuline Sisters beginning in 1727, the founding of Saint Louis School for free people of color in 1847, and the establishment of schools for freedmen following the Civil War. The thesis documents the pivotal role of religious congregations including the Sisters of the Holy Family, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, and the Josephite Fathers in expanding Catholic education for Black children across the city's parishes. The study examines the effects of Reconstruction, Jim Crow legislation, and the 1906 Separation Act on the organization and funding of Black Catholic schools, and documents the growth of the parochial school system through the early twentieth century. The thesis concludes with a survey of Black Catholic elementary schools operating in New Orleans in 1950, including enrollment figures, staffing, and physical plant conditions, and calls for continued expansion of Catholic educational opportunities for Black children in the archdiocese.
Note: No original abstract was included; this abstract is provided by the XULA Digital Commons editors.