The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-03-20
sroro rr.curns FOR NEGRO SCHOOLS

NEGRO TEACHERS FUN ~
Alta meeting of the Old Dominion Demo
cratic Club. which was held Few evenings
AGO n resolu,ion was offered, and according
to the renort unanimously adopted. that the
members Of the City Councn snou" oe 10.
auested not 10 cast their votes III support OF
anv person az a member OF the CITY School
Board who was in favor OF employing colored
teachers in preference TO white IN the colored
schools. The preamble to this resolution de-
clares. with entire confidence In the accuracy
OF the statement. that large majority Oh
those who have a right to exercise the suffrage
in this city desire to see only white hachers
in all the public schools irrespective OF the
color of the pupils.
We are disposed TO question the souldness
of the grounds upon which this assertion 10
based. If the statement embodied 10 the res
olution was absolutely correct. why is t that
colored teachers are found to-day in the oolored
schools and that the only expression o. oppo-
sition to this fact has come from the Old Do
minion Club. the Powhatan Club anc other
organizations OF a similar political character!
4
voters of this city were in favor Of the re-
mOyal Of the colored teachers from the col
ored schools. il would have been unnecessary
for the Old Dominion Democratic Club TO
have adopted the resolution TO which refer
ence has been made. Public sentiment, which
is the opinion Of the largo majority. would
long ago have required the change which Is
urged, to have been made; nay mora than
this, in the beginning public sentiment
would not have suffered the education of the
young negroes to have been committed TO
the individuals Of their own race.
No the established order of things is in en-
tire conformity with tho sober feeling Of the
community at large. and for reasons which
will stand the closest examination Where IS
the consistency of demanding separate cars
for whites and blacks, and then insisting upon
white teachers being thrust upon oolored
schools? If the development Of the two races
is to be upon separate lines. it is Just as
natural n cause for resentment 10 the blacks
for the instruction Of their children to be
consigned to the hands of white teachers as it
would be to the whites for the instruction of
their children to be placed IN the hands Of
black teachers. If we are going to be logical,
we can take no other view.
But there is another aspect 10 this question.
From the very nature of the case. there are
few departments above manual labor in which
the negro can earn a livelihood. Teaching
the children of his own race is one of them.
He is prepared for this special work in nor
NAL schools. which have been established and
are sustained at great expense For many
years. he has shown himself to be competent
to perform the duties which are imposed
upon him in the public schools. In some
he is q more efficient instructor for
the children OF his own race than white
teacher would be. He Is more in sympathy
with them in school, and he can enter into
their home life. Subjected to the strict and
supervision of white superin-
tendents, as they are now. it is only race
prejudice OF desire for more patronage
which would lead TO their expulsion from
their positions.
Suppose they were expelled. who would
take their places? White female teachers. a
of whom would be very young.
Would it be an agreeable spectacle 10 the
people of this community 10 see young white
women instructing oyergrown young negroes,
especially of the male sex standing for hours
in school rooms with the colored children
brought into the most intimate contact with
them and for the time being actually one with
them? Such a spectacle would be repulsiye-
The female teachers themselves would look
upon positions in colored schools as mere
stepping -stones to positions in the white
schools and they would not be satisfied until
they had been advanced.
This is not the spirit in which the children
Of the negroes should be instructed. Who
ever seeks to teach them should doso without
of energy and aspiration. The
negro teacher alone can be animated by the
proper feeling towards his own race. and so
strong is this conviction in the minds of the
white people Of Richmond that any discrlmi-
nation against the negro teachers in the
,olored schools would receive only the most
emphatic condemnation of public opinion.