Final answer:
The claim that Sabbath Schools and midnight schools were central to education for African Americans prior to the Civil War is true. Despite systemic barriers, these institutions were crucial for slaves and freedpeople seeking literacy as a form of empowerment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement '"Sabbath Schools" and midnight schools were the mainstay of education for African Americans prior to the civil war' is true. Before and during the Civil War, formal education opportunities for African Americans were severely restricted, especially in the South due to the pervasive institution of slavery. However, freed slaves and free African Americans placed a great value on literacy and education. Sabbath Schools, usually held on Sundays, and midnight schools that operated at night were crucial avenues for slaves and freedpeople to learn to read, often at great personal risk. These schools were not only an opportunity to gain literacy but also an act of resistance against the oppressive social order that sought to keep blacks in ignorance and servitude. Figures like Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington, both of whom would become leading African American voices, recounted their own experiences with these informal education systems in their autobiographies, highlighting the immense desire among slaves and freedpeople to learn and improve their circumstances.