Introduction

“Diversify the School of Agriculture and Life Sciences” analyzes North Carolina State University’s School of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ (SALS) approach to empower white men, white women, and African Americans through education. The exhibit starts at the opening of the school in 1889 and continues with an analysis of the program from the 1950s through the 1980s. Agricultural education empowered students through theoretical and applied training in current agricultural methods, and instilled personal satisfaction with educational achievements.

Preceding the development of the School of Agriculture and Life Sciences in 1923 at North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts (NCCA&M) was the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. Agricultural Extension was established in 1914 as an educational service to farmers and their families.[1] Unlike NCCA&M, Extension agents and 4-H club leaders (for children of farm families) disseminated new information about advances in agriculture to all races. White women and African American women and men relied upon Extension’s instruction to improve their farming.

NCCA&M functioned to educate white males, and segregated formal knowledge from white women and the African American community in the agricultural field. These secluded groups were limited to the roles they could pursue in agriculture. NCCA&M created a hierarchy that privileged white males for managerial positions and denied the minority groups a college education.

The exhibit will uncover SALS’ attempts to remove its own barriers and offer educational opportunities to white women, the African American community, and high school students interested in technical training. Education access enabled these students to secure careers in the various branches of agriculture. The exhibit uses the voices of the students to show their perspective about achieving empowerment through agricultural education.