| This study examined the origins, growth, and progress of the teacher education program at Southern University located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The study provided a better understanding and analysis of the development of Southern University, its teacher education program, and the University's impact on the Civil Rights Movement in Louisiana. Several research questions were addressed: Did Southern University fulfill its mission in providing teacher education for blacks in Louisiana during the period, 1879--1968? How did Southern University create social change for African American teachers in Louisiana? Did Southern University promote civil rights for African Americans in Louisiana in the 1950s and 1960s? Did the faculty and administration support the Civil Rights Movement in Louisiana?; The primary sources of materials were the Journal of the Proceedings of the Constitutional Convention of 1879, and the minutes of the Board of Trustees. Personal interviews of former students were also conducted. The secondary sources were publications of the university catalog, student-sponsored publications, dissertations, and newspaper and journal articles.; This study revealed that the founding of Southern University in New Orleans in 1879 was more of a political deal than a direct and sincere effort to establish an institution of higher learning for black people in Louisiana. Also, the Joseph Samuel Clark administration (1914--1938) tremendously influenced the relocation of the school to Baton Rouge. Moreover, significant progress was made in educating black teachers in Louisiana during the Felton Clark administration.; The Louisiana Colored Teachers' Association (LCTA) was founded in 1901 by Joseph S. Clark, Southern University administrators, and graduates in teacher education. This Association later became the Louisiana Education Association (LEA) in 1948. The LEA successfully lobbied for the equalization of black teachers' salaries. On the other hand, by participating in local sit-ins and bus boycotts, Southern University students voiced their opinions on civil rights in Baton Rouge and New Orleans in the 1950s and 1960s. |
