Final answer:
Enslaved Black people were forbidden from learning to read and write to maintain control and oppression. Literacy was feared to encourage freedom-seeking and rebellion. Despite restrictive laws, some enslaved individuals managed to become literate and later championed the importance of education.
Step-by-step explanation:
Enslaved Black people were forbidden from learning to read and write primarily as a means of oppression and control. Throughout history, laws and punishments were enacted to prevent African slaves from becoming literate, such as the prohibitions in Missouri (1819), Georgia (1829), Alabama and Virginia (1832), and others. Slave owners believed that education and slavery were incompatible, fearing that literacy would empower slaves to seek freedom and possibly incite rebellion.
Despite these restrictions, enslaved individuals, such as Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington, found ways to learn and later detailed their experiences in writings that challenged the institution of slavery. Historical accounts show that clandestine schools and individual efforts facilitated literacy among slaves, with rare exceptions where some plantation owners allowed minimal education. After emancipation, the African American community placed a great value on education, understanding its paramount importance in gaining equality and empowerment