Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-07-09
THEIR EDUcArIoNAn WANTS.
The Rev. HI. A. Menr0c Preaches
Upon the Demands of the COIored
Peopie-Suggestisag Mixed Schools.

| RssHSNEheehA ECh0Oth
Taking for his text, 'eThe Howard
School Commencement" the Rev. H. A
Monroe, pastor of Ezion M. E. Church
Sunday preached a strong sermon OIL
the educational wants of the colored
people. He said:
The exercises of last Tuesday evening
marked an epoch in the history of the
colored people Of Wilmington, and look.
ing over the vast audience from the stage
felt justified in saying to Mr.. /. g.
Wears, "fou see a representative VIII.
mlngton colored audience tonight. u
Not only did we have the best
representation of our colored society, but
the presence of the members of the Board
of Education with their families was q
hopeful sign of what we may expect in
the future, that whatever of real merit
and progress we may achieve il will be
recognized and appreciated by others.
But the colored people were not quite
as jubilant as the papers of our city
seemed to think. They were intensely in
terested in the exercises, their race pride,
paternal feelings and local pride were ali
grntified by the success of the exercises.
but there was one unpleasant thought that
obtruded itself in the midst of that scene.
When the graduates received their diplo-
mas (not high school diplomas, but of the
sixth grade) il marked for them the end
OF all education on Delaware soil. You
couldn't cover it up with the beautiful
flowers presented, you could not smother
it out of sight in the aattering addresses
of the evening, but we could still recoR-
nize the fact that an unjust law was say
ing to these young ladies "Thus far shalt
thou come and no farther"
These girls were not to blame for hay
ing aspirations higher than the level of a
white mans kitchen. 1 was impressed
with the forecastry of their future career:
one wanted to be a physician, one
a lecturer, one musician. Why not !?
We cannot be race of walters and cooks.
There is room for them; we need them |;
they want to go up higher; they have the
ability to go. Why not?
But the question may be asked "What
do you colored people want ?" Our
answer is "An equal chance for our chill
dren." Nothingm more, nothing less. We ask
an equal share in all education paid for by
the peoples money. It is not question
of proportion-how much one pays.
Carry this out and there are good many
Whlbt hf Wt1l US LHt EOlOTtu IudI
will be barred out from the schools. The
white tax payers may be many and the
colored comparatively few, but if there
was only one colored tax payer in the city,
still it would be an injustice to deprive
his children of advantages paid for
by his money. The common school
system like the sun shines for
all. It is the creature of the peoples
money, and its benefits should be ex-
tended to all the people, without regard
to color or condition, and those who don't
accept this view ought to emigrate-
though where they will go, / cannot say.
Not south, for the new south is becoming
solid for education, as well as for democ-
racy 10000 colored children are in her
schools, and the man who does not be-
lieye in popular education for all the
citizens of the state ought to have died in
the good old days when the little children
you saw on the stage on Tuesday night
would have brought $40 a pound in the
Georgia market.
Looking upon the beautiful intelligent
faces of our graduates the other evening
l thought ''surely room ought to be
made for these three young ladies in the
new high school of our cities where they
can continue their Studies" lis it any
more contamination for colored and white
children to sit side by side i'll the school
than for their parents to sit side by side
in the street cars, &c The young lady
who wonld leave the high school if
colored people were admitted will sit by
the side Of n colored coachlnan not one
half MS well educated or refined and
drive all over town. To show that it
was not an impossibility to open the new
high school to colored pupils, MIR. Monroe
read some extracts from the New York
Herald of July I'd, relating to Judge
Beckner's address at the Berea College
commencement remarking: "Here is
what prominent Democratic Judge said
at the commencement exercises of a col
lege that for 30 years has been educating
colored and white pupils side by side on
Kentucky soil Sure if Kentucky can
stand it, Delaware ought to follow.
One objection frequently urged is that
the colored people will not appreciate
higher education. You might as well say
they will not enjoy heaven. You cannot
tell about either until they get there. 1t
is hard to blame us for not making the
effort when there is no incentive held
out. Just now there are scores of colored
children educated outside of the State.
Against this compulsory exile 1 feel it my
duty to protest. Our record is not Sc
bad. The one colored school sends up
three graduates for its highest honors, the
score of white schools can only turn out
rs to claim high school diplomas.
Incapacity is nm objection that is no
longer urged. The percentage of our
colored graduates averaged 85. This
speaks volumes in itself. On the ground
of capacity we ask no favors make youi
examinations MS rigid as you please, oul
children will stand the test equally well
with the white children. If they fail We
will accept defeat without n murmur.
All we ask is chance TO try. The ques.
tion of poverty does not apply to these
graduates. They are from well-to-dc
families, and their parents have sur.
rounded them with quite as many comforts
and luxuries as the average white CIR
that attends the high school possesses
If our color is the only objection tc
opening the doors of the high school ther
say, give them equal advantages else
where. We will accept separate accom-
modations with equal chances. Surely
if our preiudices are so strong we ought
to be willing to pay the price for in
dulging them.
Finally, if asked "What will you dC
about it ?" answer, "Protest again ani
again against the injustice that drives oul
children from their homes to obtain {
high school education. We will act
Next year in the Opera House we vii
make still better showing of the pro.
gress of our colored pupils. We will re
spectfully appeal to that better principl,
among our white friends that will asser
itself in our behalf. do not expect m,
individual efforts to do anything, but do
place great dependence upon that love o
fair play among our Anglo-Saxon friend
that has always worked in our interes
when we were unable 10 help ourselves
To that sentiment of Justice for all, mp
peal, and have faith enough in God m,
humanity to believe that appeal not il
vain.
| Hfr0thers Long Parted.
Connected with Thursdays excursion
to Colchester Beach there was IN inter
esting episode. An elderly gentleman
living in this city, who for 20 years In,
not been in n car nor for 10 years been ol
bont, accompanied the excursionists I,