Joan Landers

What were the challenges for teachers and students at African American schools?
    
       Students had to walk 3 miles each day in ankle deep mud just to arrive to their classes. They didn't have a lot of variety of food, only strong pork and sour bread. Just barely enough food to fill them up. The teacher would get insulted just for being a so called black. The Provest Marshal says "He don't believe believe in black teachers." The shed that they used as a so called school had no floor. Rain would come threw the holes in the wall where windows are supposed to be. The professor refused to take more than two students because most of the officers are opposed to the idea of negroes. One officer that the professor in this article mentioned would used to make his trained police dog chase the students when walking to and from school. "A great many would come to night-school only they are afraid." The professor said referring to the students. The school house has been broken open, books and furniture destroyed. Bricks were constantly thrown through the windows. The teacher and students had made complaint after complaint about that type of harassment and acts of racism but no act of protection or help was granted.

Robertson, Jr, James. I. Civil War!. New York: A Literacy Guild Selection, 1992. (book).