Rosenwald Schools taught a generation of early civil rights leaders across the South

Throughout February, WTOP is celebrating Black History Month. Join us on-air and online as we bring you the stories, people and places that make up our diverse community.

At the turn of the 20th century, Black children were barred from public schools, and many Southern states would not allocate funding to educate them. A revolutionary education program called the Rosenwald Schools built new schoolhouses all across the Southeast for Black children, and the remnants of these schools can still be seen in Northern Virginia and Maryland.