Institutional Value-Making

Many students in secondary education today would most likely say that they are independent thinkers that are free to make decisions on issues of race and equity as they see fit. However, is that really a true statement? According to the article, “I Am a Man” by William Hart, these young academics are far from correct. In fact, Hart makes the claim that secondary institutions have the power to shape students’ perspectives on race and equity so that they fit with the institution’s values and principles.

Hart’s article mainly focuses on the life of Martin Henry Freeman, who was a free African American man that argued in favor of the colonization movement. This movement is described on page 151 as focusing on moving free people of African descent from the United States to Liberia to form their own colony. While some slaves and free men supported this movement freely, Hart argues that others, like Freeman, were conditioned by their institutions to support the colonization movement. On page 172, Hart states that Freeman’s college, Middlebury College, was so supportive of the colonization movement and so interconnected with the Colonization Society that Freeman would have been told everyday that the only place that he would ever find true freedom and justice would be in Liberia. This conditioning, according to Hart, is what turned Freeman into one of the biggest supporters of colonization.

Is it true that secondary institutions have the power to change the way students think about race and equity? It is very possible. Many students in colleges or universities live on campus and are surrounded by their institution’s mottos, values, and ideals 24/7. In some ways, this constant exposer to a particular way of thinking could lead students to adopt the school’s widely circulated mantras. If those mantras are imbedded in prejudice and elitism, it is not unreasonable to believe that some students might take on a sense of superiority over others in their everyday life. In this sense, institutions could be the foundation for a kind of brainwashing of the student population.

However, the argument can also be made that this concept is rather extreme. While many students are exposed to forms of institutional propaganda, Hart fails to take into consideration the role that parents and the outside community have on shaping the values of students in secondary education. In addition, he leaves out the influence of primary schools, extracurricular activities, friends, coworkers, etc. After all, no student is born and raised at a university. Therefore, while institutions play a major role in deciding what students are exposed to while on campus, researchers cannot overlook the impact of the outside world.

Overall, secondary institutions do play a major role in deciding which values and ways of thinking are exposed to their students every day. However, it is unlikely that these institutions have the ability to shape the way every student sees the world, especially in terms of race and equity. Primary schools, extracurricular actives, workplaces, family, and friends also have a huge impact on the way in which students navigate issues of racism and fairness. Institutions may be important to the development of all students, but they are far from being the key to understanding how student’s view the world around them.

To learn more about Hart’s work, please visit:

Hart, William B. “I Am a Man.” In Slavery and the University: Histories and Legacies, edited by Leslie M. Harris, James T. Campbell, and Alfred L. Brophy, 148-178. Athens, Georgia: University of Georgia Press, 2019.