Freedman's Torchlight

The free African American community of Weeksville placed a high value on reading, writing and education. It produced a number of prominent educators, intellectuals and organizations such as the African Civilization Society (ACS), an anti-slavery organization begun by African Americans. ACS eventually directed its mission toward the sole purpose of educating Blacks. The Freedman’s Torchlight was ACS’s primary instrument for doing so. ACS also published another weekly paper called The People’s Journal, but none of the issues survived

Reprinted in Freedman's Schools and Textbooks, Vol. 3 (New York: AMS Press), 1980