The Quest for Citizenship

“In this engrossing comparative study, Kim Warren explores the education of African American and Native American students in Kansas in order to make larger claims about the meanings and expectations of U.S. citizenship. The work she has done to unearth fresh materials, as well as to smartly reexamine well-known figures in the histories of black and Indian schooling, shines through in this illuminating book.” — Tiya Miles, author of Ties That Bind: The Story of an Afro-Cherokee Family in Slavery and Freedom

“With clarity, insight, and understanding, Kim Cary Warren vividly brings to life the heroic educational struggles of African Americans and Native peoples as they embraced alternative conceptions of citizenship during a transformative period of American history.” — William J. Reese, author of America’s Public Schools: From the Common School to “No Child Left Behind”

“Drawing on thorough research, Warren uses overlooked stories of Kansas schools for African Americans and American Indians to explore broader patterns of racism and identity construction. In doing so she addresses a neglected area — the comparison of African American and American Indian experiences in an age commonly called 'Jim Crow' for the former and 'assimilation' for the latter.” — Wilbert H. Ahern, Morse-Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor of History and American Indian Studies, University of Minnesota, Morris

“A thoughtful examination of the educational, philosophical, and developmental history of nonwhite peoples in the United States, highly recommended as a worthy addition to college and public library American History shelves.” — Midwest Review of Books

“Students of the history of education will benefit from this helpful investigation that allows comparison to contemporary schools like the Hampton Institute and Booker T. Washington’s Tuskegee Institute. Recommended.” — CHOICE

“A valuable contribution to Kansas history and essential reading for those interested in education and the construction of identities among two of America’s most prominent minority groups.” — The Journal of American History

“Warren’s well-researched and valuable study is intriguing.” — American Historical Review

“A good, well-documented contribution to our understanding of the driving forces behind education for African Americans and Native Americans and the end results of such schooling.” — Kansas History

“A bold and important work that situates the Kansas story in the larger context of race relations in America . . . . This very fine book deserves a careful reading by educational historians. Students, moreover, will find it a fascinating window on the complex connections between race, education, and the meaning of citizenship in America.” — History of Education Quarterly