THE NEGRO AND THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF THE SOUTH.
Too much praise cannot be given to the General Education Board, Dr.
Dillard and Mr. Rosenwald, and others for what they have done and are
doing to improve Negro public schools of the South, for in the last
analysis it is there where the great masses of Negro children must be
educated.
We have in the South, as every one knows, a dual system of public
schools, one for the whites and one for the Negroes. This accounts in
part for our poor schools for both white and colored. Such a system is
expensive and, of course, the Negro gets the worst of the bargain. This
is not surprising to him; he expects it in all such cases. He has been
taught to expect only a half loaf where others get a whole one, but in
some cases he gets practically nothing from the State for education. For
an instance, I know four or five Negro public schools in the Black Belt
that get $37.00 for the school term of four months. It would be hard to
figure out how a teacher can live in these days on $9.25 per month. But,
as I have said, the agencies that I have mentioned above have done much
and are doing more to improve these conditions.
[Illustration: TEACHERS OF SNOW HILL INSTITUTE]
They endeavor to work with or through the State and county officials
wherever it can be done. This I think is perfectly right and proper
because the State must in the end direct the education of its subjects.
But where this cannot be done, I think provision should be made for the
thousands who are now being neglected.
Ever since I succeeded in getting the late Miss Anna T. Jeanes of
Philadelphia to give so largely towards the Negro public schools of the
South, I have been thinking how this work could be carried on in harmony
with the State and county officials. The General Education Board, Dr.
Dillard and Mr. Rosenwald have gone a long way towards solving this
problem.
At the present time every Southern State has a Superintendent of
Education and a County Superintendent. These officers are elected by the
people (white people, of course). Recently, however, there have been two
other offices created, State Supervisor of Education for the Negro and
County Supervisor. These officers are selected and not elected. I think
the offices came about as a result of the efforts of the General
Education Board and Dr. Dillard, and I think that the State Supervisors
of Education are selected largely through them.
Thus far all of the State Supervisors for Negro schools have been white
men, and they in turn have been given the power to select the County
Supervisor for the Negro schools, all of which are colored.
These white men are not always able to get the most efficient persons
for such work because I know of a few County Supervisors here and there
who are not competent to do the work that has been intrusted to them.
Now as the Negro has nothing to say as to who should be his State or
County Superintendent of Education, it seems that in the matter of his
State and County Supervisors he should have a word. (I think it is right
and proper that the great funds for Negro education should be spent
through the State and county officials wherever it can be done.)
The State Superintendent ought to be given the power to select the most
competent Negro educator to be State Supervisor of Negro Schools, and
the County Superintendent ought to be given the same. Furthermore, as
each State has a Negro Education Association which meets once a year, I
think this Association should recommend to the State Superintendent of
Education a number of persons from whom he may select the State
Supervisor. In each county we have an organization, which is known as
the County Teacher Institute. This organization could recommend two or
more persons to the County Superintendent from whom he might select the
County Supervisor.
I feel and think in this way because in order to really help the people
one must go amongst them and know of their hardships, struggles,
desires, sorrows, and their joys, must talk with them, eat and sleep
with them and know their hearts. It would be asking too much of the
Southern white man to do this.
We know that in order to save the world God gave His only begotten Son,
Jesus Christ, who came to earth in the likeness of man, to save man.
Perhaps He might have sent an Archangel or an Angel, but this work of
redemption could only be done by His sending a person who was a man,
just like the men He was to save, and so it is with all great work of
reformation and evolution.
In order to help the people we must become like them. In Christ becoming
like man is what we call the humiliation of the Incarnation, and in that
lies the great secret of redemption and reformation.
Again, I feel that this is a day of democracy, and that the Negro should
be given a voice in the government of his schools. If this democracy, of
which we are hearing so much, is for the white man alone, then I think
that the Negro should know it, and if it is for all people he should
know that.
The white man owes it to the Negro to make this matter plain.