The Untold Story of Black Social Reformers in Early Social Work History

Abstract

Summary: White dominance in the development of social work has been well-documented and emphasized in both education and practice. The history of social work largely rests with Jane Addams and the other women leaders of Hull House. Missing from this history are the critical contributions of Black social work pioneers, putting the entire field and discipline at risk of perpetuating White supremacy and erroneous historical understanding. Black social work pioneers’ accomplishments have been overlooked in many social work textbooks addressing the history of the settlement house movement—the cradle of social work. This article sheds light on the distinctive contributions of Black social reformers to the field. Findings: First, the article highlights White dominance in the early history of the social work profession, particularly in the settlement house movement. Second, the article describes Black social reformers’ pioneering contributions to the field of social work, which have been poorly recognized and celebrated so far. We argued that social work, as an academic discipline and professional field, must do a better job giving overdue credit to Black social reformers’ contributions. Applications: More balanced historical knowledge is important, particularly for social work educators and students, to dispel the White-centered history that implies Blacks are merely service receivers, dependents, beneficiaries, and victims rather than people who have made critical contributions to the field of social work.