Benjamin Griffith Brawley facts for kids
Benjamin Griffith Brawley (born April 22, 1882 – died February 1, 1939) was an important American writer and teacher. He wrote many books that were used as textbooks in colleges. Two of his famous works were The Negro in Literature and Art in the United States (1918) and New Survey of English Literature (1925).
Benjamin Brawley was born in 1882 in Columbia, South Carolina. His father, Edward McKnight Brawley, was a minister. Benjamin went to Atlanta Baptist College, which is now called Morehouse College, and finished in 1901. He later earned another degree from the University of Chicago in 1906. Then, he got his master's degree from Harvard University in 1908. Brawley taught English at Atlanta Baptist College, Howard University, and Shaw University.
He became the first dean of Morehouse College from 1912 to 1920. Later, in 1937, he returned to Howard University to lead the English department. Benjamin Brawley wrote many poems. But he is best known for his prose works, which are books and essays. Some of these include History of Morehouse College (1917) and A Short History of the American Negro (1919). In 1927, he was offered a second-place award from a special foundation. But Brawley turned it down. He said he only did "first-class work."
Contents
Who Was Benjamin Brawley?
His Early Life and Schooling
When Benjamin Brawley was a child, he learned an important lesson. He was taught that everyone is equal. This idea helped him stay humble, even though his family was well-off. He cared deeply about other people. This came from playing with kids who had less than him. Many believe this interest in people's lives shaped his career as a teacher and scholar.
Brawley's father was a very educated man. Benjamin was one of nine children in the family. Because his father was a church minister, the family moved often when Benjamin was young. He started his education at home, with his mother as his first teacher. Later, they moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where he began third grade. Even in Nashville, his mother continued to read Bible stories with him every Sunday.
As a minister's son, Brawley studied Latin when he was twelve. He learned it at Peabody Public School in Petersburg, Virginia. At 14, he learned Greek from his father. His father also introduced him to classic stories like The Merchant of Venice. Benjamin also read other books like Sanford and Merton and The Pilgrim's Progress. He even found romantic stories outside his family's library.
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During his teenage years, Brawley spent his summers working. One summer, he worked on a tobacco farm in Connecticut. For two summers, he worked at a printing office in Boston. He also spent time as a driver for a doctor. When he wasn't working, he studied privately. This helped him get ahead in school.
At thirteen, Brawley entered the Atlanta Baptist Seminary. This school is now known as Morehouse College. There, he noticed that many older students didn't know much about classical literature or languages like Greek and Latin. But Benjamin knew a lot about them. He did very well in his studies at Morehouse. He also helped his classmates by checking their written assignments. Besides being a great student, Brawley showed strong leadership skills. He managed the baseball team and was the quarterback for the football team. He also worked as a foreman at the College Printing Office. In 1898, he and another student started a student journal called The Atheneum. This journal later became Maroon Tiger.
His Career and Later Years
Brawley graduated with honors from The Atlanta Baptist Seminary in 1901. Soon after, he began his teaching career in Georgetown, Florida. He taught about fourteen children, from first to eighth grade, in a one-room school. The school term was only five months long. His salary was about thirty dollars a month.
Right after signing his contract with Georgetown, Brawley received a better job offer. It would have paid more and lasted longer. But he chose to honor his first contract. He didn't want to break a promise at the start of his career. After the school term ended, Brawley moved to Atlanta. He took a teaching job at his old school, The Atlanta Baptist Seminary. He taught English there for about eight years. While teaching, Brawley continued his own education. He worked towards a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts degree. He took most of these classes during summer sessions. In 1906, he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Chicago. In 1908, he received his Master of Arts from Harvard University.
In 1910, Brawley was invited to teach at Howard University in Washington, D.C. There, he met Hilda Damaris Prowd, a woman from Kingston, Jamaica. She later became his wife. Brawley even wrote a poem called "First Sight" about their first meeting. Brawley and Prowd enjoyed traveling, going to operas, reading, and hosting friends.
Later, Brawley and Prowd moved back to Atlanta. Brawley returned to teach English at Morehouse College. He also became the first dean of the college. During his first year back, he taught six classes every day. He also had many other teaching duties.
In 1920, Brawley traveled to Liberia in Africa. He went there to study their education system. After this trip, in early 1921, Brawley decided to become a minister, just like his father. He served as a Baptist minister for The Messiah Congregation in Boston, Massachusetts. However, a year later, he resigned from this role. He returned to teaching because his beliefs didn't quite match the congregation's. After leaving the ministry, Brawley taught at Shaw University in North Carolina. A few years later, in 1931, he accepted a teaching position at Howard University in Washington, D.C. He lived there until he passed away in 1939.
Benjamin Brawley's Writings
Benjamin Brawley wrote many important books and articles. Here are some of his well-known works:
- A Short History of the American Negro (1913): This book explored the history of African Americans.
- The Negro in Literature and Art in the United States (1918): This work looked at the achievements of African Americans in writing and art. It was later updated and called The Negro Genius.
- A Social History of the American Negro (1921): This book discussed the social life and history of African Americans.
- New Survey of English Literature: A Textbook for Colleges (1925): This was a textbook used in colleges to study English literature.
- Paul Laurence Dunbar, Poet of His People (1936): A book about the famous poet Paul Laurence Dunbar.
He also wrote many poems and articles for different magazines and journals. His writings covered topics like literature, history, and education.
Images for kids
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Benjamin Brawley
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Howard University -- Founders Library exterior
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Exterior view of Graves Hall, Morehouse College (formerly known as The Atlanta Baptist Seminary)
