African American Teachers in Rowan County, NC, late 1800s. Pay Vouchers

These vouchers document the crucial role of African American teachers in Southern Black communities following the Civil War, despite systemic discrimination. Two manuscript teacher pay vouchers for African American educators in Rowan County, North Carolina, issued during the late 19th century. These documents, each measuring 8.5" x 7" and doublesided, provide direct evidence of the challenges Black teachers faced in the post-Reconstruction South, where segregated schools were systematically underfunded, and educators were often paid less than their white counterparts.

The first voucher, dated March 26, 1888, records payment to Maggie Locke for (truncated) teaching in "School District No. 4, Rowan County, for Colored Race." The document instructs the county treasurer to pay her $30.00 for her service in Atwell Township from January 3 to March 2, 1888. The printed text at the top of the voucher warns that the treasurer is “prohibited from paying this order for salary of teacher until the same has been duly countersigned by the county superintendent and approved and signed by at least two members of the committee for the district in which the school was taught.” On the reverse, Maggie Locke has signed for receipt of her wages on March 27, 1888, from J. M. McCubbins, treasurer of the County Board of Education. The second voucher, dated January 16, 1892, authorizes payment to Isaac Kerns for his work at "School District No. 2, Salisbury & No. 2 Prov., Rowan County, for Col[ored] Race." Kerns was to receive $25.00 for teaching from January 15 to January 15, 1892. Like the first voucher, it requires the approval of the county superintendent before payment can be processed, reflecting the bureaucratic oversight imposed on Black educators at the time. The reverse side shows Kerns acknowledging receipt of his wages.

Prior to emancipation, education for enslaved people was largely prohibited in North Carolina, and postwar schooling for Black children remained a contested and underfunded endeavor. Black educators like Maggie Locke and Isaac Kerns were essential to advancing literacy and opportunity, even as they navigated disparities in pay and resources. The historical context suggests that Maggie Locke may have been a descendant of enslaved persons once owned by the Locke family, one of Rowan County’s largest enslavers. The 1900 U.S. Census records a 45-year-old "Maggie Lock" in Rowan County working as a "Servant," possibly the same individual. The same census records "Isaac W. Kernes," a 36-year-old schoolteacher, living in Rowan County with his family. Very good condition overall. These rare artifacts underscore the persistent inequalities of segregated education in the South while recognizing the resilience of Black educators in the fight for literacy and progress. (Inventory #: 21533)