The Fight for Equal Education: The Experiences of Segregated Students in Elsmere

Glassboro, New Jersey is known for being a township that has a rich history focused on education and community building through academics and learning. Throughout the entirety of Glassboros’ existence, its schools have been dedicated to sharing education with young people and striving to allow equal opportunities for all people in the area. However, this access to education was not equal to all over the course of American history.

Unequal access to education among African-Americans dates back to the times of enslavement, where white slave owners would prohibit learning among slaves in fear of rebellion. “During the early years of slavery, most Whites blocked Blacks in America — freed or enslaved — from obtaining opportunities for education” (Noltemeyer et. al 5). After the Civil War, these opportunities for education among black individuals did increase, but not quickly, and not without a struggle. Even after court cases (like Brown Vs. Board of Education in 1954) demanding that schools be “separate but equal”, black individuals found this not to be the case. As Noltemeyer writes, “Black students were typically educated in segregated, inferior facilities.” (6). Some facilities had infrastructure inequality, with buildings or desks being broken or missing, or facilities provided only small, crowded rooms. Others were in isolated areas where students had to walk long distances to get to where they wanted to go. While school funding for white schools was charitable, funding for black schools was lacking greatly.

Like various other locations in America, Glassboro was guilty of segregating their school district for a period of time, until 1949, when segregation laws in New Jersey were “truly outlawed” (Tucker 32). The African-American population located in Elsmere suffered during this time, as young black students were forced to walk longer distances to have a segregated education that was unequal to their white peers. These individuals worked through strenuous and exhausting conditions to receive their education, despite the obstructions placed in front of them by the discriminating national community at the time.

Those who worked through these constraints are an inspiration to Glassboro today. The education that many students today may take for granted was something that the African-American community in Elsmere fought for, with students, teachers, and families working together to get their children equal access to academics.

From School to Church to History

The historical influence of this area’s dedication to education can be seen as early as the 1800’s. Found in the Churches collection of the “Lawrence E. Walker Foundation Collection”, the Bethel African American Methodist Episcopal Church is number eleven on Pure History’s list of “African-American Historical Churches”. Only minutes away from Glassboro, this church is not only historic, but its roots are embedded in the history of education in the South Jersey area. According to Robert P. Tucker in his book, “The History of Elsmere”, he begins to discuss just how deeply African-American education was apart of Gloucester County’s diverse history. On page 18 of his book he writes, “In 1840, the Woodbury congregation erected a one-story, one-room school on Carpenter Street. From this location, it served black students for about 50 years. This was the first school for blacks in the county and believed by some to be the first black school in New Jersey”. We can see through this small example that African-American education is deeply intertwined with the history of Gloucester County, and the Glassboro area.

Statistics and Demographics

According to the United States Government Census, as of 2018, Glassboro, New Jersey was made up of a white population of 64.9% and a collective non-white population of 35.1%. Of that 35.1%, 18.6% of residents were Black or African-American. This population size was shocking to me at first, given what appears to be the diverse amount of students on Rowan University’s campus. To compare, in 2016, two thirds of Rowan University’s campus was made up of white students, and the other third was made up of non-white students. When looking at these statistics, the numbers are very similar, even if my own personal lived experiences differ. I was shocked to find that my perspective was not accurate with the numbers, that are almost identical. On both the U.S. Census and Rowan’s statistics, the percentage of American-Indian or Alaskan Native people is 0%, and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander is also 0%. Geographically speaking, these percentages are less shocking due to the distance between these islands and Southern New Jersey. 

I hope and anticipate that in Glassboro’s future, and Rowan University’s future, diversity will be evident. By remembering the historic misdemeanor of segregating schools, the community can actively embrace diversity and the work that people have put in to receive equal education. As history is not forgotten, the relationships between the past and the present can be used to encourage individuals to be kinder to one another. Although this history is unpleasant, I believe that acknowledging and learning about it allows for the construction of a more understanding and diverse future, with the range of demographic percentages becoming more spread out in this geographic region.