I've Got to Do Something for My People: Black Women Teachers of the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Schools.

This paper examines the life stories of two Black women teachers from the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Schools. It begins with a historical overview of the impetus for organizing the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer Project and chronicles the Freedom Schools movement and its educational ideologies. Following the historical overview, the author describes her experiences with data collection and research methodology. The narratives or life stories presented reflect each woman's teaching experiences in a very critical time in American history. They expose themes of anger, fear, pride, community involvement, activist education, and collective memory. Finally, this paper examines African American women teachers 'pedagogical mission to educate students who participated in the Freedom Schools in 1964 and what that work means in the present context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]