Unrecognized Roots of Service-Learning in African American Social Thought and Action, 1890-1930‪.‬

African American social thought has evolved to become pragmatic, urgent, and concerned with merging social theory and action. Given the problems identified in the black American existence, this expression of social thought has focused on social justice, group empowerment, and encouraging social change to promote real democracy. Such a response is understandable since, historically, African Americans' social thought has been marginalized from acknowledged bodies of academic social thought, and expressed in action rather than print. Social protest activity, political ideology, and social movements to address issues of racial equality are some familiar articulations of this social thought. There is a less obvious educational agenda obscured in this action-oriented and pragmatic expression of social thought. Revealed in a social welfare orientation, this agenda is embedded in a community service ideal that combines intellectual ideas and education with direct social action to improve conditions and standards in American black communities. With careful scrutiny one may locate important precursors to service-learning pedagogy and philosophy in the community service perspective that is an expression of African American social thought. These precursors, or early forms of service-learning, are often embedded in the community service perspective, sharing the social welfare orientation with its practical interest in social betterment, supportive communal systems, and education designed to promote race pride and sense of community.