The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-12-14
FAVORS SEPARATE SCHOOLS.
Movement On Foot looking Towards the Sci
aration Of White anu Colored Pupils.

| A meeting has been arranged by some
| prominent colored citizens Of this city for
the purpose OF discussing the question Of
having separate schools for tue colored
children.
1t is out of the ordinary for such a
move ment to originate among the colored
people themselves, and whether it will
| amount to anything remains to be seen.
The laws Of Kansas provide that in
cities of the first class colored and white
children shall have separate schools, and
this law is now in operation at Topeka.
Leavenworth and Kansas City, Kan.
Some three or four years ago dele
cation of colored people of this
city went to Topehs, and through
the fundamentally OF Senator
Bentley had a special act passed whereby
Wichita maintains mixed schools. Oae of
that committee was O. l.. Boyd, quite au
intelligent barber on North Market street.
He is now one Of the leaders in the move
| ment for separation.
Il think" said be to an EAGLE reporter,
that separate schools would be more con-
ducive to the intellectual welfare of the
colored children than mixed schools, anu
and that is the reason / am anxious to see
the matter discussed from An intellectual
and unprecedented standpoint"
why do you think sop
II am not blaming anybody, but / am
quite satisfied that colored teachers could
do more for the education of colored chril-
dren than white teachers
Your idea, then, is TO have colored
teachers for the colored schools.
Precisely. With mixed schools it is i'm
posi- BILE fsr US to have coiered teachers,
Cor the white folks would never consent to
have their children taught by either q COL
ored man or colored woman. There are
many coloreG tax payers in this city who
think that colored teachers ought to be
appointed in proportion to the colored
population. but l know enough about
human nature to know that that never
Will be done. Such, then, bsing the case
am in favor of colored schools and col.
ored teachers. It is needless for me to
argue that colored child will learn
more from q teacher of his own
color than he can from q white
teacher The white teacher knows
nothing whatever of the nature of
a colored child. and / believe that know.
edge Of the child's nature is not only essen
tixl, but think that teacher should
know something of their habits and mode
of living 10 have the right effect on their
minds. From the nature OF things this
is impossible. While teachers will not
mix with colored parents, and hence they
have no opportunity OF knowing the wants
o. their children.
But your plan would be expensive as
il would necessitate the maintaiusnce OF
duplicate school buildings"
No. nos at all. Il would not require
more than one school for all the coloreei
pupils in the city. This could be located
so as TO accommodate the greatest mum
Der. Il could be located, for instance,
10 the Second ward where nine
tenths OF the oo!ored people OF the city
reside The Catholics maintain a school
OF their own. IL is centrally located, aud
! am informed that nine on. OF every tea
Catholic children ia tue city attend is. aud
fad distance no material interference.
The coiored people are more compactly
located than tue Catholics are, aad
hence one school woasi accorimo-
date them better. | would say,
however, that the High school should
be still Kept opea for coiored cnlidren. for
the reason that higa school maintained
for colored children alone wouid De tao ex-
peusiye Besides. I doubt whether there
would ne enough eolored papils IN the city
sufficiently advanced in studies 20 warsaa,
the city In keeping corps CT high scsoo,
teachers for ,aeir benefit Personally, ]
have no kick 30 make, bat this mstter IL at
present engaging she attention Of quite
number Of coiored citizens.