Synopses & Reviews
Now available in paperback, I'LL FIND A WAY OR MAKE ONE is a groundbreaking reading book featuring 200 black & white photographs. It explores the dramatic development and history of America's 108 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) through photos, historical memoir, anecdotal information, archival and contemporary materials, and personal interviews.
Stories abound about the abolishment of slavery. However, lesser known are the efforts––both prior to and after the Civil War––of African–American and white abolitionists banding together to formerly educate newly freed slaves. In 1861, the 28 known Black graduates went to the island of Port Royal, South Carolina, to take part in this educational experiment. The 18–month program and subsequent article that ran in Atlanta Monthly were instrumental in the government's commitment to educate Blacks after the war. Through the government, tireless work of Black churches, White missionary organizations and philanthropists, HBCUs were established. The tales of how these schools were created and the individuals who are linked to their histories are rich and often controversial These tales are the crux of I'LL FIND A WAY OR MAKE ONE.
HBCUs have come to be known as the backbone of America's Black middle class. Most importantly, I'LL FIND A WAY reveals how the social and cultural atmosphere fostered at these institutions ultimately played a major role in shaping African Americana.
Review
“A fascinating work of great scope and great detail.” Cincinnati Herald
Review
“An important resource.” Booklist
Review
“An authoritative survey.” BookPage
Review
“A touching statement to the glorious tradition HBCUs continue to maintain.” Philadelphia Tribune
Synopsis
I'll Find a Way or Make One is a groundbreaking commemorative book that explores the history and cultural importance of America's 108 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) through photos, historical memoir, anecdotal information, archival and contemporary materials, and personal interviews. Stories abound about the abolishment of slavery, but lesser known are the efforts-both prior to and after the Civil War-of African-American and white abolitionists banding together to formerly educate illiterate blacks. Through the government, tireless work of black churches, white missionary organizations and philanthropists, HCBUs were established. The tales of how these schools were created and the individuals who are linked to their histories are controversial, rich, and vast. HCBUs have come to be known as the backbone of and catalyst for the emergence of America's black middle class, producing some of our country's most impressive minds and leaders such as W. E. B. Du Bois, Oprah Winfrey, Spike Lee, Thurgood Marshall, Ed Bradley, and Martin Luther King, Jr. I'll Find a Way or Make One reveals how the social and cultural atmosphere at these institutions ultimately played a major role in shaping modern day African-Americans.
--Cincinnati Herald
Synopsis
A comprehensive and definitive guide to America's 107 historically black colleges and universities, this commemorative gift book explores the historical, social, and cultural importance of the nation's HBCUs and celebrates their rich legacy.
Included in this one-of-a-kind collection are:
- Detailed profiles of each HBCU
- Illuminating portraits of distinguished HBCU graduates such as Leontyne Price, Thurgood Marshall, Spike Lee, and Oprah Winfrey
- Little-known anecdotes about pre-Civil War efforts to educate blacks, such as how a white pastor founded what became Lincoln University after his black protégé was excluded from Princeton's Theological Seminary
- Rare photographs and archival materials featuring the likes of Eleanor Roosevelt addressing students at Howard University
Chronicling the history of education in the African American community, I'll Find a Way or Make One is not only an unprecedented salute to historically black colleges and universities, but also an indispensable account of some of the most important events of African Americana and American history.
About the Author
Dwayne Ashley is president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund (TMSF), an agency that provides scholarships, endowment-building assistance, and education and employment programs to HBCUs. Under his agency, TMSF has built relationships with the Coca-Cola Company, Miller Brewing, ING, Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, and Gallup. He is a graduate of HBCU Wiley College and of the University of Pennsylvania's Fel School of Government.