On January 1, 1808, the African Benevolent Society for Education was founded in New York City. Created by free African Americans, the society aimed to promote literacy, moral development, and self-reliance within the Black community at a time when access to formal education was severely limited due to systemic racism. The organization provided instruction to both children and adults and became a model for other Black mutual aid and educational societies throughout the 19th century. Its founding also coincided with the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade in the United States, symbolizing a new chapter in African American self-determination and community building.
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