The African American Struggle for Library Equality: The Untold Story of the Julius Rosenwald Fund Library Program

by Aisha M. Johnson-Jones

The African American Struggle for Library The Untold Story of the Julius Rosenwald Fund Library Program unveils the almost forgotten philanthropic efforts of Julius Rosenwald, former president of Sears, Roebuck, Co. and an elite business man. Rosenwald simply desired to improve, “the well-being of mankind” through access to education.

Many people are familiar with Mr. Rosenwald as the founder of the Julius Rosenwald Fund that established more than 5,300 rural schools in 15 Southern states during the period 1917-1938. However, there is another major piece of the puzzle, the Julius Rosenwald Fund Library Program. That program established more than 10,000 school, college, and public libraries, funded library science programs that trained African American librarians, and made evident the need for libraries to be supported by local governments.

The African American Struggle for Library Equality is the first comprehensive history of the Julius Rosenwald Fund Library Program to be published. The book reveals a new understanding of library practices of the early 20 th century. Through original research and use of existing literature, Aisha Johnson Jones exposes historic library practices that discriminated against blacks, and the necessary remedies the Julius Rosenwald Fund Library Program implemented to cure this injustice, which ultimately influenced other philanthropists like Andrew Carnegie and Bill Gates (the Gates Foundation has a library program) as well as organizations like the American Library Association.

Genres: History, African American, Nonfiction, American History, Books About Books

120 pages, Paperback

Published April 13, 2021

Reviews

[Elton Louis]

This is a powerful historical account on the African American history of libraries. Instead of reading an academic study that is heavy on the struggles, it weighs heavier on the aide, resilience, and progress in the black community. This is not limited to a story of how the "Talented Tenth" relayed an enterprise combating racism. This is a story of how libraries can become a powerful answer to disparities. Finance is not the only answer. The community that rose up became the community that shifted the fate of colleges and communities.

As an aspiring Black librarian, this has fueled more than enough inspiration and understanding to approach my new lifetime career of community impact. These noted descriptions of the Julius Rosenwald Fund Library Program gives me an opportunity to create blueprints for augmenting the number of activists that are doing the daily tasks of closing the racial disparity gap. Rosenwald's legacy lead to a level exigency in the whole American community. An inspiration, calling, and response we need to emulate today.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This compact but fact-filled, thorough study focuses on the Julius Rosenwald Fund Library Program in the early part of the 20th century and how Mr. Rosenwald's philanthropy benefited schools, libraries, and library training programs, mainly in rural areas of the South where African Americans did not have easy access to library facilities and materials. Extremely well-researched and documented, the author describes Rosenwald's goal: "Growth in the available books, services, and trained librarians" (58), and then demonstrates how it was achieved through a combination of the efforts of his fund, the General Education Board, and the Carnegie Corporation. By assisting "in diminishing the plight of African Americans through efforts that would increase literacy levels and educational opportunities" (73), Rosenwald set an example for other philanthropists and ensured that facilities, collections, and community outreach services would be available in many communities and educational institutions, from grade school to the collegiate level, where they had previously been minimal or not available at all. He was clearly a pioneer in terms of changing public policy and advancing social justice through philanthropic efforts and careful, detailed study of the means necessary to achieve those goals.
This is an excellent work of scholarship and I highly recommend it for any library professional or student of the history of libraries, African American libraries specifically, or American history in general.

[Viral · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty well researched investigation into the Julius Rosenwald Fund, created by Sears President Julius Rosenwald in the 1920s to help pay for integrated library services in the Jim Crow South. It was fairly dry, and didn't do much to contextualize the broader environment of Jim Crow library services, and was kind of unnecessarily too pro-Rosenwald (without grappling with how and where his wealth came from). A useful resource for some but not much else.

[Cheryl]

Looks wonderful, not to mention very important (and not just to academics & professionals), but is not telling the part of the story I'm currently most interested in.

October 2025