American Negro Academy facts for kids
The American Negro Academy (ANA) was an important organization in the United States. It was started in Washington, D.C., in 1897. The ANA was the first group in the country to support African Americans who wanted to study at a high academic level. It encouraged them to learn about classic subjects and the liberal arts. The ANA operated until 1928.
The Academy aimed to help African Americans who were working in scholarship and the arts. This idea was supported by thinkers like W. E. B. Du Bois, who wrote about the "Talented Tenth." This group believed that a small number of highly educated African Americans could lead and uplift their communities. This was a different idea from Booker T. Washington's approach at Tuskegee University. Washington believed in teaching practical skills and industrial training, especially for Black people living in the rural, segregated South. He thought these skills were more useful for their daily lives.
Who Started the ANA?
The people who founded the ANA were mostly writers, scholars, and artists. They wanted to create a place for Black intellectuals to share ideas.
Some of the key founders included:
- Alexander Crummell: An Episcopal priest and politician. He had also worked in Liberia for 20 years. He started the first independent Black Episcopal church in Washington, D.C. Crummell was the ANA's first president.
- John Wesley Cromwell: A notable figure from Washington, D.C.
- Paul Laurence Dunbar: A famous poet and writer.
- Archibald Grimké: An attorney and writer.
- Kelly Miller: A scientist and professor of Mathematics. He was one of the first Black graduate students at Johns Hopkins University.
Their first meeting was on March 5, 1897. Eighteen members attended, including:
- Blanche K. Bruce
- Levi J. Coppin
- William H. Crogman
- John Wesley Cromwell
- Dr. Alexander Crummell
- W.E.B Du Bois: A scholar and activist. He also helped start the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909.
- Paul Laurence Dunbar
- William H. Ferris
- Francis J. Grimké: A Presbyterian clergyman and brother of Archibald Grimké.
- Benjamin F. Lee
- Kelly Miller
- William S. Scarborough
- John H. Smythe
- Theophilus G. Steward
- T. McCants Stewart
- Benjamin Tucker Tanner
- Robert Heberton Terrell
- Richard R. Wright
Other Important Members
Many other important people joined the ANA over the years. They included:
- Orishatukeh Faduma: A missionary and educator.
- John Hope: A president of Morehouse College and Atlanta University.
- James Weldon Johnson: A writer and civil rights leader for the NAACP.
- Alain Locke: A philosopher.
- Arturo Alfonso Schomburg: A historian and activist. He founded the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.
- Carter G. Woodson: A famous historian and editor.
- Robert Tecumtha Browne: A prominent member who co-founded the Negro Library Association in New York City. He also wrote a highly praised book called The Mystery of Space.
What the ANA Did
The Academy was formed in Washington, D.C., in 1897. Black newspapers were excited about the ANA. They hoped it would help uplift the Black community through education. The Academy planned to publish its work in "Occasional Papers." These scholarly writings aimed to encourage Black people in the South. At that time, many states were creating unfair laws, known as Jim Crow laws. These laws took away voting rights and separated Black and white people.
The ANA usually held an annual meeting for one or two days. These meetings took place at Lincoln Temple Memorial Church in Washington, D.C. The public could attend most parts of the meetings. Only members could join the business meetings. During these meetings, members discussed current issues. They also considered new applications for membership. In the evening, a main speech was given. For example, W.E.B. Du Bois gave the second annual address. After the speech, a paper would be presented. The next day, more papers were presented and discussed. People could ask for copies of the papers from the Academy's secretary.
ANA's Impact
The American Negro Academy played a part in the early fight for equal rights for Black people. It aimed to support their academic achievements. The ANA was started shortly after the Supreme Court's 1896 decision in Plessy v. Ferguson. This case said that "separate but equal" facilities were legal, which led to more segregation.
W.E.B. Du Bois believed in the "Talented Tenth." He thought that a small group of highly educated African Americans could lead their communities. They would help educate many other Black citizens. While many Black people in the rural South worked in farming or unskilled jobs, Du Bois wanted to create opportunities for those who could achieve more. The ANA published its "Occasional Papers" to share its scholarship widely. Alexander Crummell, the first president, said the goal was to help Black intellectuals influence "his schools, academies and colleges; and then enters his pulpits; and so filters down into his families and his homes…to be a laborer with intelligence, enlightenment and manly ambitions."
Some scholars have different opinions about how much influence the Academy truly had. Dr. Alfred A. Moss Jr. wrote a book called The American Negro Academy: Voice of the Talented Tenth. He argued that the Academy was effective. However, he also suggested that the Academy faced challenges from early on. It struggled to organize consistently. It also found it hard to get new members and raise money for student scholarships.
See Also
In Spanish: Negro Academy para niños
- Talented Tenth
- Negro
- African-American upper class
