Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB

Civil War, the public men in the South expended all of their eloquence upon national issues, and neither knew nor thought much about social conditions or problems at home.

The newer leaders of the South have been especially distinguished for their zeal for education, and the task devolves upon them of establishing such educational ideals and policies as will insure to the Negro justice in the apportionment of education funds.

But in spite of shortcomings of the South in providing adequate opportunities for the education of the Negro, a mere glance at what has recently been done in that direction indicates that some substantial progress is being made and that there is a growing sentiment in favor of better treatment of the Negro in educational matters.

The adjustment of the South to her new educational problem is only one of the many adjustments incident to her passing from the mores of slavery to the mores of freedom; and any sociologist knows that it is impossible to change the mores of a people suddenly, or to any great extent by artificial means, that the change can come only slowly and in conformity to changed conditions. In reference to this. matter, the great social science professor of Yale University, William Graham Sumner, wrote as follows in his classic work on Folkways:

"In the United States the abolition of slavery was accomplished by the North, which had no slaves and enforced emancipation by war on the South, which had them. The mores of the South were those of slavery in full and satisfactory operation, including social, religious, and philosophical notions adapted to slavery. The abolition of slavery in the northern states had been brought about by changes in conditions. and interests. Emancipation in the South was produced by outside force against the mores of the whites there. The consequence has been forty years of economic, social, and political discord. In this case free institutions and mores in which free individual initiative is a leading element allow efforts towards social readjustment out of which a solution of the difficulties will come. New mores will be developed which will cover the situation with customs, habits, mutual concessions, and cooperation of interests, and these will produce a social philosophy consistent with the facts. The process is long, painful, and discouraging, but it contains its own guarantees." "

The impression seems to prevail among some people outside of the South that the meager expenditure for Negro education is due to the unwillingness of the Southern whites to tax themselves for educational

•P. 90.

purposes. But, while the white people of the South cry out loudly against taxation in general, they are not notably behind other people in taxing themselves for education. Numerous investigations have shown that, in proportion to the value of property, the levy for school purposes in the South compares well with that in the North. For instance, North Carolina spends for her public schools forty cents for each hundred dollars of taxable property as compared to thirty-eight for Massachusetts. Merriam, a Northern author, is frank enough to admit that "three or four months of schooling burdens Mississippi more than ten months burdens Massachusetts." 8

Lyman Abbott said in the Outlook, "While Northern benevolence has spent tens of thousands of dollars to educate Negroes, Southern patriotism has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars for the same purpose. This has been done voluntarily and without aid from the Federal Government." "

Now and then some Southern legislator complains at the burden of Negro education, and introduces a bill to limit the expenditure for Negro schools to the sum which the Negroes pay in taxes. It is undoubtedly a fact that much more money is paid out for Negro education than comes in from Negro taxes (the auditor of the state of Virginia estimated that the Negroes paid in revenues to the state $105,565.00 and that the State paid for the education of the Negro $324,864.00),10 but the same is true of the poorer class of white people in every part of the United States. It is the theory of democracy that educational facilities shall be provided for all classes according to their needs, and not according to their contributions to the state. The Southern people hold to this theory, and never take seriously the occasional bill to apportion educational funds upon the basis of Negro

taxes.

People outside of the South, unacquainted with the economic and geographical conditions and the complications in the distribution of the population, have no idea of the difficulties of building up a publicschool system. They do not realize the fact that it was not until 1904 that the Southern people were able to rebuild their per capita wealth to the pre-war figure. The funds for education have been far be

11

[blocks in formation]

10 Hoffman, Race Traits and Tendencies of the American Negro, p. 305.

[blocks in formation]

hind the needs, and it has been a hard problem to make the funds go around. It has been impossible, for instance, to provide schoolhouses in all of the school districts, so that in hundreds of cases the school is held in a church, or in a house. donated or rented. It is more frequently the case that the Negro schoolhouse is not publicly owned, but the number of white schools conducted in private houses is amazing. In South Carolina, of the 2,354 Negro. schools, only 1,442 are publicly owned. In Alabama and Georgia only three-fourths of the schools for whites are owned by the public.12

In many towns and cities, and also in many rural districts, the common schools for the Negroes are the same in character as those for the whites, though often less expensive. Norfolk, Louisville, Nashville, Chattanooga, Charlotte, Atlanta, and Little Rock are conspicuous for their up-to-date Negro schools.13 In Atlanta, a recently built school for Negroes cost $500,000 and one in Norfolk cost $600,000. In North Carolina, during Governor Morrison's administration, more money was spent for the education of the Negroes than was spent for the education of the whites during Governor Aycock's administration, 1900-1904, which was notable for educational advancement.

A novel method introduced in North Carolina for stimulating interest among the colored people in education is the holding of Negro county-school commencements. Of this innovation N. C. Newbold, state agent for rural schools, says: "Commencement Day is practically a county holiday. The county superintendent, teachers, school committee, and other educational leaders invite and urge the people throughout the county to gather on the day appointed at the county courthouse or some other suitable place for the exercises. They bring lunch, and come prepared to spend the day.

"The exercises on such occasions are varied. Early in the day, or on the day before, the industrial supervisor (if there be one in the county) and other teachers put up industrial exhibits, for the inspection of patrons and other visitors, in the hall where the meeting is to be held, or in some other convenient place. These exhibits consist of sewing, all the way from plain gingham aprons to handsome pieces of embroidery and drawn-work; cooking-cakes, meats, breads, candy; baskets, shuck mats, many samples of wood-work, etc., etc. Many of the best white people visit these exhibits, and expressions of surprise, admiration, and wonder are heard on all sides. The Negroes them

[blocks in formation]

selves are elated, happy, both because of the accomplishments of the children, and because their white friends are pleased with the work exhibited.

"In some counties, before the exercises in the courthouse, there is a grand parade of the Negroes through the streets of the county town. This is made up of school children, teachers, and patrons in buggies, wagons, floats, carts, and on foot. There is usually a chief marshal, in silk hat and sash befitting his position, and several assistant marshals, all of whom are mounted. Hundreds of people take part in these parades, which create great interest. They are conducted in an orderly, systematic manner. In no case have I seen or heard of disorder or unbecoming conduct on the part of the crowd. Many white people line the sidewalks and street corners to see the parade. In most cases the comments by white people are expressions of surprise, satisfaction, and commendation. Many times have I heard the expression, 'They are just as orderly as that many white people would be,' and sometimes a bystander would add, 'Yes, and more so.'

"The parade usually ends at the courthouse or hall where the indoor exercises are to be held. This is where the state agent for rural schools comes in for his share of the honors. The exercises are usually formally begun by some minister, who conducts devotional exercises. There are old-time melodies and other songs, and sometimes exercises by the children. After these the county superintendent, city mayor, or some other official presents the speakers of the occasion. Sometimes the chairman of the county board of education presides. At such times he gives a very practical talk on education from the viewpoint of the business man. The county superintendent has his word of sympathy and encouragement. The state agent brings his simple message of progress and hope from the standpoint of the larger unit-the state. Sometimes other white people are present and give interesting, helpful talks. Nearly always the chairman asks the supervising industrial teacher and other leading Negroes to speak. Perhaps the one word 'happiness' may be used to describe the tone and spirit of these talks; they do the white people present as much good as they do the Negroes themselves. The spirit of these meetings is fine-no other word describes it so well. . . .

"When the day's exercises are over the people return to their homes, encouraged and inspired to attempt greater things for their children, their homes, and their communities." 14

24

"Negro County-School Commencements," Southern Workman, Dec., 1916.

In recent years very good high schools for Negroes have been built in St. Louis, Forth Worth, San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Louisville, Norfolk, Atlanta, and Charlotte.15 In North Carolina, colored high schools increased from thirteen in 1921 to thirty-four in 1924, and high-school students, from 1,347 to 5,341. By way of preparing for more high schools there are 200 elementary schools which give instruction in secondary subjects.16 In 1924 Texas boasted of 150 schools offering high-school work to Negro boys and girls, one-fourth of this number being rated by the state as high schools of the first class. In many localities in the South the missionary and endowed schools for Negroes occupy the place of the public high school, and most of the numerous Negro colleges and universities also cover the ground of the high school.

The Southern states are not only building more and better Negro schools on their own initiative, but they are coöperating with outside. agencies in supplying public funds and private donations for Negro schoolhouses. For example, the Southern people are heartily aiding the Rosenwald endowment, the object of which is to promote the construction of model colored school buildings in coöperation with the local communities and county authorities. The basis of the coöperation. is as follows:

"For a one-teacher schoolhouse the community and county authorities must raise in cash, material, and labor, $750. The Rosenwald fund will contribute $400.

"For a two-teacher house the community and county authorities will raise, as above, $1,000. The Rosenwald fund will give $500.

"In cases of consolidation of two or more schools the Rosenwald fund will contribute more."

The table on following page shows the number of Negro schools built up to September, 1910, and the sources of the funds.

In the Southern states the character of the common schools in each county and township depends largely upon local initiative. Where the people have an enthusiasm for education they appear before the county commissioners or board of education, demand new schools, better schools, and better teachers, and they get what they want; whereas the people who are indifferent to education take what is offered them without complaint and allow their schools to become dilapidated.

[blocks in formation]
« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »