Social Settlements: United States. Alabama. Calhoun. "Calhoun Colored School": Agencies Promoting Assimilation of the Negro. Training Negro Girls in Domestic Science. Calhoun Colored School, Calhoun, Ala. 1901

Curator: This is a photographic print attributed to Frances Benjamin Johnston, titled "Social Settlements: United States. Alabama. Calhoun. 'Calhoun Colored School': Agencies Promoting Assimilation of the Negro. Training Negro Girls in Domestic Science. Calhoun Colored School, Calhoun, Ala." Editor: My immediate reaction is how staged it feels, almost propagandistic, showing these girls in what looks like a domestic science classroom and another formal learning environment. Curator: Indeed. The photograph is part of a series Johnston created documenting educational practices, particularly among marginalized communities in the early 20th century. It reflects the complex history of educational institutions during this period. Editor: It's a visual document of the problematic assimilation projects, the intersection of race, gender, and class, and the limitations placed on Black women’s aspirations at the time. Curator: It serves as an important reminder of the challenges faced by these students. Editor: Absolutely, the picture tells a story about the past. Curator: A past we must acknowledge as we continue to shape the present.