Black AF History Recap Part 3: The Church, HBCUs, and the Power of Literacy

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have long been pillars of African American education, but their origins are deeply intertwined with faith communities. Long before these institutions were formally established, Black education took root in church basements, makeshift classrooms, and humble wood-frame buildings—spaces built by those who believed in the power of knowledge as a pathway to liberation.

The Church and the Rise of HBCUs

In the 19th century, religious leaders, missionaries, and church organizations played a critical role in the creation of HBCUs. Many White Christian philanthropists, particularly Quakers and Presbyterians, saw education as a moral duty and helped fund the earliest institutions for Black students.

One such philanthropist, Quaker Richard Humphreys, founded Cheyney University of Pennsylvania in 1837 (originally the African Institute), making it the nation’s oldest HBCU. Similarly, John Miller Dickey, a Presbyterian minister, established Ashmun Institute—now Lincoln University—in 1854 to train Black men in theology, the classics, and the sciences.

Yet, support for Black education was far from universal. Even Dickey faced resistance from his own peers, reflecting the deep racial and political tensions surrounding Black literacy. Despite these challenges, religious organizations persisted. The United Methodist Church, through the Freedman’s Aid Society, established 70 schools for Black students between 1866 and 1882—11 of which still exist today. Among them, Rust College in Mississippi remains one of the oldest HBCUs in the nation, a testament to the church’s unwavering commitment to Black education.

Black-led churches also took matters into their own hands. In 1881, rather than relying on White-run institutions, the African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church founded Morris Brown College in Atlanta—one of the few HBCUs established and controlled by African Americans. This move was about more than education; it was an assertion of self-determination, ensuring that Black scholars were trained within their own communities rather than under White oversight.

The Bible as a Tool of Control and Liberation

While churches were instrumental in Black education, Christianity was also weaponized to uphold slavery. The so-called “Slave Bible” was an edited version of the scriptures designed to enforce obedience while stripping away messages of liberation. Entire passages that emphasized freedom and equality—such as Galatians 3:28 (“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”)—were deliberately removed.

Instead, verses promoting submission, like Ephesians 6:5 (“Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters…”), were highlighted to reinforce the existing power structure. These altered Bibles were distributed to enslaved people across the U.S. and the British West Indies, ensuring that religious instruction aligned with the interests of enslavers.

Yet, despite attempts to control their spiritual and intellectual lives, Black communities reclaimed Christianity as a source of strength, interpreting the Bible through the lens of liberation theology. Faith became a tool for resistance rather than subjugation.

Literacy as Resistance

One of the greatest fears of slaveholders was an educated enslaved population. Literacy brought awareness, and awareness led to resistance. To suppress this, Southern states passed anti-literacy laws, making it illegal for enslaved people to read or write. Teaching an enslaved person could result in severe punishments, from fines and imprisonment to whippings and even death.

Despite these dangers, Black literacy persisted. Some enslaved people learned in secret, using Bible study groups, underground schools, or even tricking White children into teaching them. Others risked their lives to read and write, using literacy as a weapon of defiance. The ability to write allowed them to forge passes, communicate escape plans, and document their own narratives—directly challenging the dehumanization of slavery.

Onesimus and the Smallpox Vaccine: A Hidden Legacy

The fight for knowledge extended beyond education—it was also present in science and medicine. One of the most overlooked figures in medical history is Onesimus, an African man enslaved in colonial Boston who introduced a life-saving technique for combating smallpox.

In the early 1700s, Boston faced a deadly smallpox outbreak. Onesimus told his enslaver, Puritan minister Cotton Mather, about a technique long practiced in West Africa: variolation, an early form of inoculation where a small amount of the virus was introduced to a healthy person to build immunity. Initially dismissed by colonists, this method later became crucial in controlling smallpox outbreaks and laid the foundation for modern vaccination practices.

Despite his contribution, Onesimus’s name remains largely unrecognized in mainstream history—yet his story exemplifies how African knowledge and traditions shaped

Historic HBCU symbolizes the journey of Black education.

In revisiting these themes, we understand that the fight for education and literacy is ongoing. The path paved by previous generations must inspire future ones, ensuring the power of knowledge continues to be a force for liberation and empowerment in the Black community. Our story isn’t just about what was done to us, but about how we fought back, learned anyway, and built institutions of our own.