Atlanta School of Social Work
-
A graduating class of the Atlanta School of Social Work, circa 1920.
Courtesy of Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library, Neighborhood Union Collection.
-
Cover page of a report summarizing research conducted by students attending the Atlanta School of Social Work from 1931 to 1933 as part of the fieldwork placement required in the institution’s volunteer apprentice model. Student research was done in collaboration with civic or social welfare organizations and addressed issues relevant to the Black community.
Courtesy of Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library, Neighborhood Union Collection.
-
Page two of a report summarizing research conducted by students attending the Atlanta School of Social Work from 1931 to 1933 as part of the fieldwork placement required in the institution’s volunteer apprentice model. Student research was done in collaboration with civic or social welfare organizations and addressed issues relevant to the Black community.
Courtesy of Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library, Neighborhood Union Collection.
-
Lugenia Burns Hope and her husband John (center rear) pose with a group of female graduates from the Atlanta School of Social Work, circa 1935.
Courtesy of Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library, Neighborhood Union Collection.
Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) provided a safe space for activists and scholars alike to engage in education reform and discuss social change without fear of white retaliation. The field of social work developed in this environment as Black postsecondary institutions designed social service education to respond to local problems in southern Black communities. In 1920 the Atlanta School of Social Work became the first independent institution in Georgia to offer professional social service training and its volunteer apprentice model would significantly shape social work pedagogy and practice. Through community partnerships with programs like the Red Cross, the Neighborhood Union, and the Anti-Tuberculosis Association, the curriculum for the Atlanta School of Social Work required students to enroll in coursework while participating in field placements with local social welfare agencies. Social service education at HBCUs stressed empirical research in the development of welfare programs and instilled a sense of responsibility among its students, many of whom were women, to use their professional skills to improve conditions for Black Americans. As institutions like the Atlanta School of Social Work trained a burgeoning cohort of social service professionals, they became hubs for civic outreach and were instrumental in advancing economic, political, and educational opportunities in the Black community.