"Of the Coming of John [and Jane]": African American Intellectuals in Europe, 1888-1938

On their way to achieving the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, why and how did African Americans around the turn of the century come to study at one time or another in European educational institutions? What course of study did these African Americans pursue? In what countries and what institutions d...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Amerikastudien 2002-01, Vol.47 (1), p.7-22
Main Author: Walker, Corey D.B.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
African American culture
African American studies
African Americans
Black colleges
Black communities
Higher education
Highways
Liberal arts education
United States history
Universities
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Summary:On their way to achieving the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, why and how did African Americans around the turn of the century come to study at one time or another in European educational institutions? What course of study did these African Americans pursue? In what countries and what institutions did they study? Under what conditions and circumstances did these institutions receive African American students? What was the meaning of the European experience in the formation of this stratum of African American intellectuals? In an effort to begin to comprehend the dynamics of African American intellectual formation and the complex matrix of relations of this diverse group of individuals and their social, cultural, political, and economic position in the Atlantic world, this essay explores the historical journey of African American scholars in European institutions. This essay does not imply an organic or causal link between the educational endeavors of African Americans in European institutions and their later directions in life; nor does it seek to explain the totality of their intellectual development in terms of their European social and educational experiences. This paper maps the locational and intellectual milieu of African American intellectuals who, during the course of their educational endeavors, studied for an extended period of time in European institutions. Instead of beginning with an a priori conception of African American intellectuals and African American intellectual formation, this paper provides a preliminary historical exploration of the nexus of the lived experience of African Americans who studied in various European institutions during their intellectual journey culminating in their achievement of the Doctor of Philosophy degree. This research and analysis will serve as an essential element in understanding the history of a certain class of African American intellectuals and their navigation of the contested and varied terrain of the Atlantic world.
ISSN:0340-2827
2625-2155