Berea College, the Day Law, and Black Education in Kentucky, 1890 to 1920

Abstract

This study investigates the educational consequences for blacks after the Kentucky State Legislature passed the Day Law in 1904. In its literal form, the law mandated the end of mixed-race education at private schools in Kentucky. Education in public schools had already been segregated as a result of the ratification of the Kentucky Constitution. Prior to passage of the Day Law, Berea College offered the only mixed-race education available in the state, but when that option was taken away from blacks, their educational progress slowed dramatically compared to education for white students. This study is qualitative in nature and analyzes numerous primary sources. Among these are course catalogs that state the educational goals and curricula of each school, as well as school publications, correspondence, and minutes from trustee meetings. My analysis found that those seeking an education at white schools, particularly normal schools (teacher training) and industrial schools (vocational training), advanced into higher-level college programs quickly as compared to those same programs at black schools. I conclude that the Day Law helped to slow progress in black education and limit choice for black students. During the time period from 1890 to 1920, many people argued that the system of black education in the U.S. South served the purposes of powerful whites rather than truly benefitting blacks. The passage of the Day Law in fact supported and helped maintain the existing social hierarchy that existed the South.