Evening star., 1897-04-30
ALLEGED DISCRIMINATION
Complaint That MulattoessHave Too Many
Teacherships IN tie Celered Schools.
A Mass Meeting OF Blacks Held and .
Committee ADp0inHed to Call
ON the Hresi4ent.

Although at o'clock last evening, the
hour selected for a mass meeting to begin
at Miles Chapel. Sd street. near New York
avenue northwest, the doors of the church
were still unopened, and there were not
more than half dozen persons In the vi
cinfty, by the church was well filed, and
little later the proceedings became very
interesting.
The meeting was called by some persons
who are Of the opinion that black men and
women, who aspire to positions as teachers
in the public schools, are Disseminated
against, and preference given to those who
are lighter in color.
After much noisy discussion a=committee
was appointed to present a preamble and
resolutions expressive of the views Of those
present to the President of the United
states This committee is composed Of
Messrs y. e. Black, chairman; Rev. Geo.
w. Lee, Thomas L. Jones, A. w. Brinkley,
W. ]. Tyler. ]. w. Steward and J. M. Fos-
ter.
The preamble and resolutions were as
ers have failed to grant the necessary re-
forms essential to our youths, and
whereas congressional aid does not now
seem apparent for several months:
RESOLVED, That a committee be, and the
same are hereby, appointed to wait upon
President Mckinley and present his excel
lency with a copy Of our annual report, and
solicit whatever aid he may expediently
lender in the furtherance Of our interests
and objects set forth therein"
The specific object of last evenings meet
ing was the renewal of the fight which was
started about a year ago by oliver G. Black
and others against the board of school trus-
tees, for the purpose of inducing them TO
appoint a greater proportion of black
teachers in the schools, when vacancies oc-
cur, than has been the case as alleged. in
the past. At that time q number of meet
ings were held in furtherance of the cause,
but finally the movement was allowed by
its promoters to go to sleep.
Mr.. o. c. Black was chairman of last
evenings meeting. On taking the chair he
made speech, in the course of which he
referred in sarcastic terms to the presence
OF w. Calvin Chase and some of the friends
OF the latter, who are opposed to Mr..
Blacks movement, and Mr.. Chase retail
lated when he got an opportunity to speak
by saying that Mr.. Black was dfsap
pointed office-seeker. Following this there
was great confusion, and apparently nearly
every one wanted to talk at once. In the
midst of the disorder some one moved to
adjourn, and the chair declared it carried
After the meeting was dismissed Chair
man Black said: For the past twenty-five
years the government and school positions
in the District have been filled by mulat-
toes, to the exclusion of the blacks. The
latter, who outnumber the others seven to
one, claim that the positions should be
filled by examinations, for under the pres
ent system of appointment as many as fif-
teen members of one mulatto family are
drawing salaries from the government
AS the voting power of the blacks Is so
consider this discrimination most unjust,
and are now making an effort to obtain
their rights and recognition in the District
government"