Harpers Ferry in Jefferson County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)
Heads versus Hands
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
| | National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior | |
We want our children trained as intelligent human beings should be and we will fight for all time against any proposal to educate black boys and girls simply as servants and underlings, or simply for the use of other people. They have a right to know, to think, to aspire.W.E.B. Du Bois
1906 Address to the Nation delivered on the Storer College campus
A national controversy regarding the education of African American students played out in the building before you. Throughout its history, Storer College faced great difficulty attracting funding. Most white benefactors favored trade school training for African American students. In order to attract better financial backing, Storer College opened this industrial arts building in 1905. The following year, W.E.B. Du Bois spoke out on this campus against training only the hands and not the minds of African American students.
[Captions:]
Despite the controversy, students continued to earn liberal arts degrees from the school until it closed in 1955.
Students took industrial arts training in carpentry, upholstering, and caning.
Storer College struggled to find funding for liberal arts courses such as this chemistry class.
Erected by National
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education. In addition, it is included in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1906.
Location. 39° 19.408′ N, 77° 44.501′ W. Marker is in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, in Jefferson County. It can be reached from the intersection of Fillmore Street and Hartzog Drive, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 68 Mather Pl, Harpers Ferry WV 25425, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area and in the Eastern Panhandle. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other
Other markers no longer nearby. Foundations of Freedom (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); That was the happiest time of my life. (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); The Niagara Movement at Storer College (was about 300 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Camp Hill during the Civil War (was about 400 feet away but has been permanently removed); Storer College 1867-1955 (was about 400 feet away but has been permanently removed); A Land Divided (was about 400 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Church and School (was about 500 feet away but has been confirmed missing).
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. This marker has replaced the linked marker which had slightly different content.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 21, 2021. It was originally submitted on May 21, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 316 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 21, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
