Voices of Black power: The impact of vocational education on the lives of African Americans in Seattle in the 1960s – 1970s

This study explores the history of African American perspectives toward vocational education from the nineteenth century to the 1960s. It examines, through oral history narratives, the experiences of the staff, students, faculty of SOIC, and community members the experience of living in Seattle’s segregated communities. In Seattle, there was pervasive employment discrimination and de facto segregation, which led to segregated schools with overcrowded classrooms. This study is also significant because Seattle was different from the cities in the rest of the nation. The African American population was small. Through multi-ethnic and interdenominational community coalitions, the residents of Seattle challenged these discriminatory practices and created Seattle Opportunity Industrialization Center (SOIC). SOIC provided general educational diplomas (GED) and pre-vocational and job readiness training. The program also offered vocational training and job placement services. When the SOIC graduates and other community members faced more employment and union discrimination, the community coalitions took action through boycotts and protests. They also used the federal courts to break down the barriers that had held African Americans down for too long. This study is significant Because the African American community in Seattle was small, and little was written about the struggles they faced. This study reveals the documents and oral history of the residents who transformed the social and economic landscape of Seattle through protests, boycotts, education, and legal action.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2022

Author dc:creator

• Phillips, Pamela Denise

Contributors dc:contributor

• Lee, Sharon
• Pak, Yoon
• Hale, Jonathan
• Flores, Osly

• Black Power
• Vocational Education: Unions
• Protests
• Riots
• African American
• Activism
• Core
• Japanese Americans
• Discrimination
• Segregation
• Seattle

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2022 Pamela Phillips

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/117577

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F117577