The Black Intellectual Tradition: Reading Freedom in Classical Literature

by Angel Adams Parham, Anika T. Prather

There is a shared story that has been largely forgotten: our common heritage in the classics and the liberal arts. This heritage has united, instructed, and inspired us all—slave and free, White and Black—over the few centuries of our history as a nation. As we have in recent years collectively wandered far away from the gracious and firm tutelage of the classics, much has been lost. These works were the ancient teachers that Black leaders used to hold our nation accountable to standards that we pointed toward but so often failed to uphold. The Black Intellectual Tradition offers back to us all, as Americans, a shared relationship with our living tradition in the Greco-Roman and Christian classics.

Genres: Education, Nonfiction

253 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2022

Reviews

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an intellectually-stimulating and soul-enlarging work. Through it I was introduced to the writings of Anna Julia Cooper, Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. Du Bois, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Toni Morrison. I'd known about the latter four, but I had not read them extensively. This book took me beyond the cursory knowledge that I had; it has left me wanting to read more of their writings. That these people were able to cultivate a life of mind to the degree they did, and under the strident circumstance of their time, is exemplary. That their ideals were opposed by many is shameful.
That they were characterized by hope is evident; that their hope was tied to their vast knowledge of Classic texts and the Scriptures shines through.

'Discovering the Jewel of Anna Julia Cooper' is at the beginning of one of the chapters. It is an apt description. She was a living epistle. I hope you will read this book and discover her for yourself through her writings in the Appendix of the book.

In this time of much division, I see this work as a bridge. It is a work of truth, albeit truth not without grace. The authors, like the persons they showcase, are true ministers of reconciliation.

[Jonathon McKenney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of great stuff in here, and a worldview (very Christian) that I have not really been exposed to so interesting to read. It felt like two books at times, put together into one, and I think I preferred the first section, as it had more variety of thinkers and scholars. However the deep dive into Anna Julia Cooper and her life's work was educational, and I liked reading her own writing in the appendices. However at times the treatment of Dr. Cooper felt a little hagiographic

[Fr. Nicholas Blackwell, O. Carm. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a great book. It helps readers of faith to enter into the black intellectual tradition in the USA. The book has challenge me to not merely read the intellectuals the pointed to but to read them within an ancient history of human thought. Now, I want to good back a reread Fredrick Douglas. I’m happy I read this book!

[Christine Norvell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated Dr. Parham's chapters most. Equiano's narrative was new to me.

[Russel Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I tracked this down on the strength of my affinity for Dr. Prather, still expecting a dry anthology. Instead I found a lively essay on the history and contemporary relevance of Classical education for all students but especially black ones. She and Dr. Parham explain through the examples of Dr. King, WEB DuBois, Toni Morrison, and Frederick Douglass, with whom I am familiar, and Anna Julia Cooper, who I really met for the first time, how the Classics have shaped the understanding of great black educators and thinkers and how they can continue to shape minds today. As I often tell people who seek to replace the Great Books with the James Baldwins and Toni Morrison of the world, these are the books that molded your literary heroes. The authors beautifully trace those allusions in Morrison’s work; there is room enough for the ancients of Greece and Rome, the greats of Britain and France, and for Toni Morrison in a robust curriculum. The plea is for a rigorous but empathetic education that meets students where they are but still expects much from them, that develops thinkers rather than the technocratic heirs of Booker T. Washington’s vision, and that does so while sharing with them the Gospel. And that plea should resonate with parents and students of all colors.

[Andrew Silagi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A seminal work for the classical education world in that it shows the receipts for all of those who would question anything but direct opposition between the African American tradition and the classical tradition. While this volume is organized a bit oddly—it has two separate sections that are organized quite differently, the latter very much like a truncated dissertation–it includes a lot of helpful references and examples of the classically educated African American. Parham’s and Prather’s precision around what entails classical educational philosophy is a bit wanting, but their zeal around the need for holistic education oriented around the good, true, and beautiful for students of all racial backgrounds is apparent and appreciated. The inherent Christian foundation of their understanding of classical education is also deeply refreshing. I am grateful that, with this book, these two women made their voices heard about what could be considered a rather unpopular opinion: classical education is not only for African Americans but has in fact formed some of the most renowned African Americans in our country’s 250-year history.

The case study on Anna Julia Cooper is very thorough, which makes sense because Prather researched Cooper for her doctoral dissertation. I was a bit confused about the Cooper’s emphasis on reading the classics for the purposes of citizenship and progress, but I appreciate that she also made sure that spiritual and moral formation were also a priority for her. Indeed, more educators, especially Christian ones, should look not only to her thought but also to her life for inspiration of how wholly missional education can be; her recollection of searching for her misbehaving students’ mother to understand their story was simple yet profound.


Parham’s chapters were nice but left a bit to be desired due to their brevity. The chapter on Morrison was especially befuddling because it read to me as an in-depth summary of Song of Solomon rather than a connection of Morrison’s work to any robust classical aesthetic theory (considering it was titled as a nod to its beauty á la “Truth, Goodness, and Beauty”.) Ultimately, this book is essential for anyone who either yearns or struggles to see classical education as a liberating, formative, universal project rather than a mere last-ditch effort to help white people keep their heritage.

[J. Alfred · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good and important book for everyone who is serious about education being both Classical and Christian.

[Gregory · Rating 3 out of 5]

An important contribution to the growth and maturity of the classical Christian education movement. Although I have some questions and concerns about the book, we need to be having these discussions!