SMALL BEGINNINGS.
The early years of the school were indeed trying ones. There are however
in all communities persons whose hearts are in the right place. I found
it so in this case, for while there were many who opposed the industrial
idea, there were those who stood for it and held up our arms. I refer to
that noble class of old colored men who always seek for truth. The men
who stood so loyally by me in the founding of the school were Messrs.
Frank Warren, Willis McCants, Ellis Johnson, John Thomas, Isaac Johnson,
Tom Johnson and P. J. Gaines. These men and their wives were ready at
every call. They gave suppers, fairs and picnics as well as other
entertainments to raise money for the school. Not only would they help
in the raising of money, but they would come to the school and work for
days without thinking of any pay for their work. When we got ready to
put up a new building, we would have what we called a house-raising and
would invite all the men in the neighborhood to come out and help us. On
these days the wives of these men would compete with each other to see
who could bring out the best basket.
At the end of the first school year it was clearly seen that we needed
two assistant teachers; but the question that puzzled us was, where
could they work. We had only one room and none of us had the money to
buy the lumber needed. But there was a saw-mill near by and finally I
sought work at this mill with the understanding that I would take my pay
in lumber if the people would agree to feed me. This they readily
consented to do. So I worked during May, June, July and August at the
saw-mill and took my wages in lumber. This enabled us to get sufficient
material to erect two of the rooms of our present Training Building. The
following October we opened school with three teachers and 150 students.
These two teachers had graduated at Tuskegee with me in '93. They were
Misses Ophelia Clopton and Rosa Bradford. They spent four years in the
work here and we never had two teachers who did more for the old people
in the community and who were loved more by them.
In the fall of '95 Mr. Barnes, who was also a member of the class of
'93, joined us, and has been connected with the school since then except
for two years which he spent in Boston.
In the fall of '96 another one of our class-mates, Julius Webster, a
carpenter, joined in our work here. We now had five teachers, all of
Tuskegee and all class-mates. I can never forget these old people and
these early teachers, for we all shared our many sorrows and our few
joys. No work was too hard for us and no sacrifice was too great.
Another Tuskegee student was with us almost from the beginning. While
Mr. Rivers did not graduate from the Academic Department at Tuskegee, he
finished his trade, Agriculture, there. Mr. Rivers has had charge of
our farm off and on since '95. I should say to his credit that he is in
charge today and last year he made the best crop the school has ever
made.
Thus far, I have spoken of the assistance given me by the colored people
and teachers, but no chapter about the founding of Snow Hill Institute
would be complete without a mention of Mr. R. O. Simpson, the white man
on whose plantation I was reared. Mr. Simpson must have known me from my
birth. I well remember that in '78 and '79 he used to stop by to see my
old grandmother when riding over his plantation. I think that my
grandmother prepared meals for him on some of these visits to the
plantation. I also remember that after the death of grandmother, when I
was sick and living with my aunt Rina, some days he would see me lying
on the roadside and would toss me a coin.
On my return from Tuskegee I found Mr. Simpson deeply interested in the
welfare of my people; in fact, it seemed as if he was looking for some
one to start an industrial school upon his place. We had many talks
together. When he found out that I had returned to cast my lot with my
people, he seemed highly pleased and said that he would give a few acres
for the school if I thought I could use it to advantage. I decided that
this was my opportunity and told him that I could. He first gave seven
acres, and then thirty-three, and finally sixty more, making in all one
hundred acres that he gave the school. In later years we bought one-half
of his plantation, making in all nearly two thousand acres. While all of
the white people in Snow Hill have been friendly towards the work, I
have found Mr. Simpson and his entire family to be our particular
friends and I have yet to go to them for a favor and be refused.
One of the cardinal points in Dr. Washington's Sunday evening talks to
the students and teachers at Tuskegee was that they should buy homes of
their own. I felt that the best way to teach the people to get a home
was for me to own one myself. I thought that it would be useless for me
to talk to them about buying homes as long as I did not have one for
myself, so I secured a home.
After the school was thoroughly planted and I had bought and paid for my
home, we began to encourage the people to buy homes. This was done
through several agencies, the Negro Farmers Conference, the Workers
Conference and the Black-Belt Improvement Society. The aim of this
Society is clearly set forth in its constitution, a part of which is as
follows:
(1) This society shall be known as the Black Belt Improvement Society.
Its object shall be the general uplift of the people of the Black Belt
of Alabama; to make them better morally, mentally, spiritually, and
financially.
(2) It shall further be the object of the Black Belt Improvement Society
as far as possible, to eliminate the credit system from our social
fabric; to stimulate in all members the desire to raise, as far as
possible, all their food supplies at home, and pay cash for whatever may
be purchased at the stores.
(3) To bring about a system of co-operation in the purchase of what
supplies cannot be raised at home wherever it can be done to advantage.
(4) To discuss topics of interest to the communities in which the
various societies may be organized, and topics relating to the general
welfare of the race, and especially to farmers.
(5) To teach the people to practice the strictest economy, and
especially to obtain and diffuse such information among farmers as shall
lead to the improvement and diversification of crops, in order to create
in farmers a desire for homes and better home conditions, and to
stimulate a love for labor in both old and young. Each local
organization may offer small prizes for the cleanest and best-kept
house, the best pea-patch, and the best ear of corn, etc.
(6) To aid each other in sickness and in death; for this purpose a fee
of ten cents will be collected from each member every month and held
sacred to be used for no other purpose whatever.
(7) It shall be one of the great objects of this society to stimulate
its members to acquire homes, and urge those who already possess homes
to improve and beautify them.
(8) To urge our members to purchase only the things that are absolutely
necessary.
(9) To exert our every effort to obliterate those evils which tend to
destroy our character and our homes, such as intemperance, gambling, and
social impurity.
(10) To refrain from spending money and time foolishly or in
unprofitable ways; to take an interest in the care of our highways, in
the paying of our taxes and the education of our children; to plant
shade trees, repair our yard fences, and in general, as far as
possible, bring our home life up to the highest standard of
civilization.
This Society has standing committees on Government, on Education, on
Business, on Housekeeping, on Labor, and on Farming. The chairman of
each of these committees holds monthly meetings in the various
communities, at which time various topics pertaining to the welfare and
uplift of the people are discussed. As a result of these meetings the
people return to their homes with new inspiration. The meetings are
doing good in the communities where they are being held, and our sincere
hope is that such meetings may be extended. It is the aim of the school
and of its several organizations, to reach the ills that most retard the
Negroes of the rural South. The articles of our simple constitution go
to the very bottom of the conditions.
Thus it will be seen that the work of the class-room is only a small
part of what we are trying to do for the uplift of the Negro people in
the Black Belt.