Willa A. Strong :

Abstract

Primary sources include interviews with individuals who knew Miss Strong as well as school records and reports. While much of the data was destroyed during the transition from separate schools to desegregated schools, the researcher was able to report the climate characterizing Black education during Willa Strong's tenure as a teacher and as a principal. Secondary sources include literature focusing on Blacks in Oklahoma and other areas.

This study questions the notion that all-Black schools were inadequate, poorly managed, lacking in educational standards and in general inferior. When viewed within the legal and social restraints of separate but equal education the roles and functions of Black educators merit closer attention.

This study delineates the history, the background and unique problems of Willa A. Strong, a Black female school administrator-educator during the separate school era. Particular attention is given to the techniques and strategies used by this administrator to: (1) activate and maintain a relevant and meaningful curriculum, (2) promote a positive, humanistic and productive learning environment and (3) maintain an exemplary educational institution.