From Slavery to Head Start

Childcare in America has been disproportionately provided by women of color. Since the first enslaved people arrived in 1619, women of color have been tasked with caring for the children of the affluent. Even after emancipation, indeed to the present day, the childcare sector has been dominated by women of color. In this episode we trace the development of the childcare industry in the United States from the days of slavery leading up to the creation of Head Start. We’ll ask how popular culture helped to perpetuate the image of the woman of color providing childcare and how community values influenced early childhood education over time.