Friere and the Radical Hillbilly

Something that brought me to Paulo Freire was a book that was “talked” between Myles Horton and Paulo Freire. The book, We Make the Road by Walking, was composed at the Highlander center in 1987 and is a remarkable and intimate record of both the similarities and philosophical differences between these two men. Most readers will be familiar with Freire; fewer with Horton. A deeper understanding of Horton can be found in the book The Long Haul; An Autobiography of Myles Horton (1990, Doubleday).

Freire and Horton had been familiar with each other and their similar work for many years. With the encouragement of Freire and with the help of many people, including the staff at The Highlander Center, Freire suggested that they speak a book which they did at the Center in 1987. Three areas are of relevance for today are Pedagogy, Neutrality and citizenship, and by extension voting rights.

Pedagogy

Both men defined themselves as educators and at the center of their beliefs regarding adult education was a perspective that it was imperative to start where the people were and to listen to their concerns. A clearly visual perspective of that is the circle of rocking chairs at the Highlander center; no podiums, no lectures, just talk and listening. You cannot impose your ideas. Horton believed that until a group posed a question that they wanted information about and that had personal relevance to them, no group would make any progress in solving their problems. Horton was asked to solve problems by the participants at the center but he always declined and instead provided the space for others to work it out. That is a big difference between giving information and telling people how to use it. Freire’s concept of the banking model follows the same principle.

Horton defined the role of an educator as someone who helps others develop the capacity to make decision and take responsibility for those decision. Freire wholeheartedly agreed.

Neutrality

Both men spoke about neutrality and the recognition that such a stand is the best way of hiding your true beliefs. Freire believed that staying neutral and following the crowd was an immoral act. Horton believed that you had to take sides and that neutrality works in favor of the dominant view of the oppressor.

Citizenship and Voting Rights

Of the many topics that they discussed, perhaps one of the most interesting and timely is that of citizenship and by extension voting rights.

The development of Citizenship Schools through the Highlander center was described by Andy Young as the basis of the Civil Rights movement. For illiterate individuals voting was not possible because of the tests that they would need to pass in order to become registered. Just as Freire understood the need for people to be literate in order to understand their world, Horton knew that too. People began coming from the Sea Islands and Esau Jenkins tried to teach them to read. At that time the Center was working with the UN and engaging with a variety of international issues, just as Freire had. Horton began to visit the islands and understood “we weren’t thinking of it primarily as a literacy program, because teaching people to read and write was only one step toward their becoming citizens and social activists. The immediate goal was getting the right to vote. Becoming literate was only a part of a larger process. We knew that they needed to learn from the people (Bell, Gaventa, & Peters, 1990, p. 100).

As Freire listened to Horton describe the process that eventually became named the Citizenship Schools he related the long process that he explored in order to support literacy in Brazil. He said that he understood the coincidence between their experiences but the circumstances, culture and historical moments were different. None the less, the essence of the process was clear. Together the two radical educators shared the essence of their life0long goal of changing the structure of society to provide opportunity for freedom.

As the hours concluded, Horton read this poem, asking Freire if he could identify it.

“Go to them, Live with them. Love them. Start with what they know. Build with what they have. But the best of leaders when the job is done, when the task is accomplished, the people all say we have done it ourselves.”
—Lao Tzu (604 BC)

This was written by Lao Tzu in 604 B.C. but the ideas are exactly what Paulo and I have been talking about.

Following is the epilogue to the book Bell, Gaventa, & Peters, 1990, p., 248:

Myles: Well, you feel contented that we’ve done all we can do?
Paulo: Oh yes. Maybe I am totally wrong but I think that it will be a beautiful book

Myles: Yes I don’t see any reason for having any more discussion

Paulo: It is more or less structured

Myles: Let’s have a drink

Paulo: Yes

A liberatory educational perspective can exist in multiple situations and environments. The task of all educators in such repressive times is to act with students to enliven the kinds of dialogue that Horton and Freire created to challenge oppression and to act against it. These two men with their similar views albeit different practices provide models for today and the future.