Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-31
CHARGE DlSCRIM INATION
South Washington Colcred Citizens Want q
School Trustee.
memorial Drawn Up by the Protective
AssOciation-Other Business
Transacted Last Night.

There was held in the Rehoboth Rantist
Church of South Washington last night a
largely attended meeting of the Protective
and Relief Association of South Washing.
ten, which was recently organized among
the colored citizens of that locality. Last
nishts meeting was presided over by the
Rev. H. c. Robinson of the First Baptist
Church of South Washington, and S, e.
Jones recorded the proceedings The COM
mlttee on permanent organization, inclu.l-
ing Messrs. Joseph Manning, W. D. Jarvis
John Barnes. J. c. Gunnell, ]. H. Smiler
and R. A. Gantlin, submitted its report and
recommended the following as the perma-
nent officers of the association: Rev. H. C,
Robinson. president; S. E. Jones, secre-
tary; E. Murray. treasurer and Rev j. L.
Richardson, chaplain. The committee which
was appointed to prepare a constitution
and bylaws for the government of the as
scclatlon was not prepared to submit its
report, and its work went over until the
meeting of next Thursday evening, to be
held in the Providence Baptist Church.
Public Needs.
The association discussed the necessity
of applying to the proper authorities to
have James Creek canal arched over as in
its present condition it was a danger to
life, as several people had lost their lives
in the canal. The question of having electric
lights in the streets which are dark was also
discussed Addresses were made by j. W.
Pee, Joseph Manning, j. H. Smiler and
others upon the work to be accomplished
by the association, saying that it could
bring much relief to the people Of that
vicinity.
The question of having colored school
trustee from that section on the trustee
beard of the public schools was discussed
at quite length, and it was determined
that q memorial should be presented to The
ov,oiS rela ting the grievances nf
the people in that locality and praying for
the appointment of South Washington
colored man. Rev. J. T. Clark. Joseph Man.
ning j. H. Smiler E. Murray and S. E.
Jones were appointed as a committee to
wait on the Commissioners and present to
them the following memorial and petition:
Determination Charged.
1--WE, the undersigned, with proper re-
spect, have the honor to call your official
attention to certain uufavorable cond.-
tons which characterize our public school
system in the District of Columbia, and
especially in South Washington; and do
hereby most respectfully petition your
speedy and favorable consideration of the
following, to wit: First, your honors will
observe that in the southwest section of
cur city the colored population, according
to the official census, is in round numbers
14,O00 against about 1000 covering the en-
combined. and looking over this dense pop
ulation you will further observe that we
represent about 20 per cent of the entire
colored population of the District of Co
lumbta. In this locality, South Washing
ton, we have about sixteen teachers on the
corps of teachers, out of the 800 or more of
the entire corps, which is less than per
cent. Now. your honors can see from
these figures that some unfavorable con III
tons prevail somewhere. We have not in
vestigated to discover the point Of difficulty
lest we should give public notoriety to a
matter that can be best remedied by you.
We are frank to state to you that our boys
and girls have become SO discouraged by
reason Of the fact that the teachers posi-
tons are awarded in other sections of the
city, until it is almost impossible to have
them continue school farther than their
seventh or eighth grade, feeling as they
do that they are disseminated against On
some grounds unknown.
Nepotf.m Alleged.
I'VE further state that we have in our
section graduates from the normal schools
who have received their diplomas six and
seven years ago and who have not been
given schools, on what We term very himsy
excuses. 1t seems strange and singular to
our minds, as we hope it does to yours,
that out of these sixteen teachers located
in our section three of them are sisters.
From observation we find that out of
about twenty-four families there are sixty
odd teachers and school officials, whose
names and residences can be furnished you
If SO desired. This we believe to be in
some respects positive nepotism, and which
ought not tc exist. There are numerous
other citations disclosing undesirable con-
dition of which We might speak If We
were thus inclined, but orr mission is to
secure redress for the grievances and
wrongs which we have sustained in South
for we are positively aware
that we have been Disseminated against
by our local school officials without your
honors' consent or knowledge 1t will be
further observed that Of the six schools
presided over by our local trustee. Mr..
Cornish, four of them are located imme-
diately lu South Washington, while the
other two are barely outside the limits Of
the same section, and 1t is apparent that
the white schools of South Washington
resides Immediately in the same section
1t Is further apparent three of the four
colored trustees reside in Northwest Wash
ington. namely. Messrs. Shadd, Bruce and
Mrs. Mary Church Terrell.
Ask Representation.
Your honors can see the justice Of our
petition in the fact tina. the parents and
guardians of our section have no resident
trustee to whom they can appeal for coun-
sci or advice, while in the northwest sec
ton there are. as named above, three trus-
tees. We think it nothing more than JUS
tifable that one of these trusteeships now
held by the trustees, namely, Messrs.
Shadd. Bruce, Cornish and Mrs. Mary
Church Terrell. should be transferred to
some one residing Immediately in our sec
ton. We now present to you, without any
intention to forestall your honors' judg-
ment in the selection of one to represent
the division in question, the name of Rev.
II. 0. Robinson, who We believe will give
perfect satisfaction to the people in our
section and who will also fill the position
of school trustee with effective credit and
ability. having the time to visit the schools
and give appropriate attention thereto"
The committee will call upon the Com
miSSiauerS and nresent q Than, To- d.,