The Jeanes Arts + Education (JAE) Initiative is a commemorative project that integrates performing and visual arts with popular education approaches to honor the legacies of the Jeanes Teachers of North Carolina.
Based on the unparalleled body of historical research by renowned education attorney Ann McColl, the goal of this project is to produce accessible curricular content that teaches place-based histories about North Carolina’s Jeanes Teachers and inspires better practices among contemporary educators throughout the state.
Through the application of interactive digital content, learning modules, historical exhibitions, physical art, performances, and more, CREED will translate the unique stories of these educational heroines for practitioners and the general public.
Background of the Jeanes Teachers
In 1907, wealthy Pennsylvania Quaker Anna T. Jeanes bequeathed $1 million to support Black education in the South through the Negro Rural School Fund (commonly referred to as the Jeanes Fund). The money was used as supplementary funds to hire Black “industrial supervisors” who worked in Black schools under the direction of white local county superintendents and the state’s Division of Negro Education (DNE). They became affectionately known as the “Jeanes Teachers.”
There were thirty-six exemplary Black women educators supported by the Anna T. Jeanes Fund in North Carolina – more than any other state – who served the rural African American communities from 1907-1968. The Jeanes Teachers could be thought of as “community organizers” who oversaw instruction, raised funds for education, rallied parents, and provided crucial social services. In 1868, the North Carolina State Constitution established universal public education for all students as a right. However, deliberate underfunding of Black schools and racial disenfranchisement made it nearly impossible for African Americans to take hold of it. Without the crucial interventions of these luminary educators, in the face of state-sanctioned segregation, the promise of Black education in rural North Carolina would not have been possible.
Project Outcomes
A. Increase awareness about key figures and contributions of Jeanes Teachers in North Carolina
Produce documents and reports providing historic information
Generate monologues, dramatic performances and visuals that interpret history artistically
Secure historical markers that signify places of significance to the Jeanes Teachers throughout the state
Curate a pop-up/traveling exhibit that provides statewide and place-based history of Jeanes Teachers in North Carolina
Produce a short film that explores particular dimensions of the Jeanes Teachers’ stories
Dedicate an episode or series of the On the Margins Podcast to Jeanes Teachers
Deploy social media campaign and explanatory videos to increase knowledge-base
B. Update modern educational practices to reflect historical praxis of Jeanes Teachers in North Carolina
Structure professional learning modules and lessons within CREED Academy (a continuing education platform) to teach specific dimensions of Jeanes Teacher approaches for practical application in present-day North Carolina public schools.
Write K-12 curriculum based on Jeanes Teachers in North Carolina for middle and high school students
