Throughout history, women educators have played a pivotal role in shaping literacy instruction, using reading and writing as tools for empowerment and social change. In this installment of Women in Education: Then and Now, we highlight two influential literacy champions—Lucy Craft Laney and Dr. Gholdy Muhammad—who, despite living in different centuries, share a common mission: ensuring all students, particularly Black students, have access to meaningful and empowering literacy education.
Then: Lucy Craft Laney – A Legacy of Literacy and Classical Education
Lucy Craft Laney (1854–1933) was a 19th-century educator who dedicated her life to expanding educational opportunities for Black students in the post-Reconstruction South. A firm believer in the transformative power of literacy, Laney founded the Haines Normal and Industrial Institute in Augusta, Georgia, in 1883.
🔹 Advocating for Classical Education – At a time when vocational training was often emphasized for Black students, Laney insisted on a rigorous academic curriculum that included literature, philosophy, Latin, and history. She believed that education should prepare students to be leaders and intellectuals, not just workers.
🔹 Empowering Black Girls Through Literacy – Laney’s school placed a special emphasis on educating Black girls, ensuring they had access to the same high-quality literacy instruction as their male counterparts.
🔹 A Vision of Literacy as Liberation – Her philosophy aligned with the broader movement of Black educators who saw literacy as a pathway to freedom, self-determination, and racial uplift in an era of segregation and disenfranchisement.
Through her work, Laney laid the foundation for generations of Black educators who would continue the fight for equitable literacy instruction.
Now: Dr. Gholdy Muhammad – Reimagining Literacy for Today’s Classrooms
More than a century later, Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, a literacy scholar and author of Cultivating Genius, continues the legacy of using literacy to empower students. Her work focuses on historically responsive literacy (HRL)—an approach that draws from Black literary societies of the 19th century to make literacy instruction more meaningful, inclusive, and justice-oriented.
🔹 Identity-Centered Literacy Instruction – Muhammad emphasizes that students must see themselves in the texts they read and the writing they produce. She challenges educators to design literacy lessons that affirm students’ cultural identities.
🔹 A Framework for Culturally Relevant Teaching – Her Cultivating Genius framework centers four key learning goals:
- Identity – Helping students develop a strong sense of self through literacy.
- Skills – Building essential reading, writing, and analytical skills.
- Intellect – Encouraging deep, critical thinking.
- Criticality – Teaching students to analyze power, privilege, and social justice issues.
🔹 Advocating for Literacy as a Tool for Equity – Muhammad’s work challenges outdated, standardized approaches to literacy instruction, urging educators to make learning more relevant, liberatory, and engaging for all students, particularly Black and Brown students.
Bridging the Past and Present
While Lucy Craft Laney and Dr. Gholdy Muhammad lived in different times, their commitment to literacy as a means of empowerment connects their work across generations. Both educators recognized that reading and writing are not just academic skills—they are tools for self-expression, critical thinking, and social change.
What Educators Can Learn from Their Legacies:
✅ Prioritize literacy as a tool for empowerment. Literacy should not just be about decoding words—it should be about using knowledge to challenge inequities.
✅ Ensure all students see themselves in literacy instruction. Representation matters. Select diverse texts and foster student voice in writing.
✅ Teach literacy with a social justice lens. Encourage students to use reading and writing to engage with and transform the world around them.
Conclusion
From the classrooms of Lucy Craft Laney’s Haines Institute to the modern literacy frameworks championed by Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, the mission remains the same: empowering students through literacy. As we continue advocating for educational equity, we can draw on their legacies to create classrooms where all students, regardless of background, have access to meaningful, identity-affirming literacy instruction.
