[Xmca-l] Re: The Highlander Center in Tennessee

[Robert Lake]

​Hi ​
​Andy,
I am so glad you are intrigued by Septima's role in the formation of SNCC .
She was often overlooked in the chauvinist culture of the times (both white
and black) and that is why began researching her life. Most people see
recognize Rosa Parks and Ella Baker's role and later those who were
credited for the "Freedom School curriculum​
​". If you look at Clark's life and the manner and content of what she
taught on John's Island and other parts of South Carolina, ​
​you can easily recognize that her work was seminal in the formation of the
Freedom School Curriculum.

I have tried to get permission to reprint Septima's autobiography from her
family, but I have been unsuccessful. The book by Cynthia Brown  *Ready
from Within *has a lot of  primary source interviews. Catherine Mellon
Charon's book,  *Septima Clark: Freedom's Teacher *is richly detailed with
many interviews of her friends  and documents from primary sources from the
University of Wisconsin Highlander collection.

Here is a link to a recorded interview with Septima that may be useful to
you. I enjoyed hearing her voice at least.

http://docsouth.unc.edu/sohp/G-0017/menu.html

*Robert*


​

On Aug 29, 2014 5:05 AM, "Andy Blunden" <ablunden@mira.net> wrote:

> So you are placing Septima Clark right up there in importance, Robert.
> I am part way through a "chronicle" of Highlander, called "Highlander. No
> Ordinary school, 1932-1962". It is very useful for me, so I can get
> everything in sequence. So here I discovered that Septima Clark was in
> charge of the discussions with the students who later joined SNCC. So she
> is coming into focus for me. I have just ordered two books on her,
> including the one you recommended. Unfortuantely, an autobiography she
> wrote in 1962 seems to be out of print and entirely unavailable now.
>
> Andy
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *Andy Blunden*
> http://home.pacific.net.au/~andy/
>
>
> Robert Lake wrote:
>
>> Hi Andy,
>> Yes I do. Start with this .
>> http://highlandercenter.org/about-us/history/
>>
>> And this biography of Myles Horton
>>
>>  http://www.amazon.com/The-Long-Haul-An-Autobiography/dp/0807737003
>> and the biography of Septima Clark.
>>
>>  http://www.amazon.com/Freedoms-Teacher-Life-Septima-
>> Clark/dp/0807872229/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=
>> 1408889271&sr=1-2&keywords=septima+clark <http://www.amazon.com/
>> Freedoms-Teacher-Life-Septima-Clark/dp/0807872229/ref=sr_1_
>> 2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1408889271&sr=1-2&keywords=septima+clark>
>>
>> I have written a piece on her as well and will send it this afternoon.
>>
>>
>> I think the book We Make the Road by Walking: A dialogue between Myles
>> Horton and Paulo Freire
>> is one of the best books on both these leaders.
>>
>> More Later,
>> Robert Lake
>>
>>
>> I will send more this afternoon.
>>
>>
>> On Sun, Aug 24, 2014 at 9:31 AM, Andy Blunden <ablunden@mira.net <mailto:
>> ablunden@mira.net>> wrote:
>>
>>     Does anyone on this list know about the Highlander Center, what
>>     used to be called the Highlander Folk School?
>>     The people there are very helpful, but they're also rushed off
>>     their feet (like everyone, I guess) and if there were any other
>>     sources of information about it, that would be helpful. I'm
>>     particularly interested if anyone is familiar with what they were
>>     doing in the 1950s and 60s.
>>
>>     Andy
>>     --     ------------------------------------------------------------
>> ------------
>>     *Andy Blunden*
>>     http://home.pacific.net.au/~andy/
>>     <http://home.pacific.net.au/%7Eandy/>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> *Robert Lake  Ed.D.
>> *Associate Professor
>> Social Foundations of Education
>> Dept. of Curriculum, Foundations, and Reading
>> Georgia Southern University
>> Secretary/Treasurer-AERA- Paulo Freire Special Interest Group
>> P. O. Box 8144
>> Phone: (912) 478-0355
>> Fax: (912) 478-5382
>> Statesboro, GA  30460
>>
>>
>>
>