The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-21

foundation of an industrial life that now
keeps going a large part of the colleges
and missionary effort Of the world.
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION NEEDED
May I be tempted one step further In
showing how prone we are TO make our
education formal. technical. instead of max
ing it meet the needs of conditions regard
less of formality or technicality? At least
so per cent. of my people in the South
found in the rural districts and they are
dependent on agriculture in some form for
their support. Notwithstanding in this in
stance we have practically whole race de-
pendent upon agriculture, and notwithstand-
ing thirty years have passed since our free
dom, aside from what has been done at
Hampton and TuSkegee and one or two
other institutions, not thing has been at
tempted by state or philanthropy in the
way of educating the race in this one in
dustry on which their very existence de-
ponds. Boys have been taken from the
farms and educated in law. theology. He
brew and Greek-educated in everything else
but the very subject that they should know
most about. | question whether or not
among all the educated cOlored people in the
United States you can find six, IL we eX-
cept the institutions named, that have re-
ceived anything like a thorough training
in agriculture. 1t would have seemed that
since self-suport, industrial independence is
the first condition for lifting up any race,
that education in theoretical and practical
agriculture, horticulture dairyng and
stock raising should have occupied the first
place in our system. Some time ago when
decided to make tailoring part of our
training at the TuSkegee Institute / was
amazed to find that ii was almost impos-
sible to find iii the whole country an edu-
Gated coored man who could teach the
making of clothes. / could find them by the
score who could teach astronomy, theology,
German or Latin, but almost none who
could instruct in the making of clothing,
something that has to be used by every one
of us every day in the year. How often has
my heart been made to sink as have gone
through the South and into the homes OF
the people and found women who could
converse intelligently on Crecian history.
who had studied geometry, could analyZe
the most complex sentences. and yet could
not analyZe the poorly cooked and still more
poorly served corn bread and fat meat that
they and their families were eating three
times day. 1t is little trouble to find
girls who can locate Pekin or the Desert of
Sahara on an artificial globe. but seldom
can you find who can locate on an
actual dinner table the proper place for the
carving knife and fork, or the meat and
vegetables.
"A short time ago in one of the Southern
cities colored man died who had re-
ce1ved training as skilled mecnanlc dur
ing the days of slavery. BY his skill and
industry he built up great business as
house contractor and builder. In this same
city there $4,000 colored people among
them young men who have been we'll edu-
Gated in the languages and literature, but
not e. single one could be found who had
been trained in mechanical and architec-
tural drawing that could carry on the bust
ness which this eX-slave had built up, and
so it was soon scattered to the wind. Aside
from the work done in the institutions that
| have mentioned you can find almost no
colored men who have been trained In the
principles of architecture, Notwithstanding
the vast majority of our race is without
homes. Here then are the three prime con-
ditions for growth--for eivilZation-food,
clothing, shelter ard yet we have been the
slaves of forms and customs to such an ex-
tent that we have failed in large measure
to look matters squarely in the face and
meet actual needs.
you cannot graft a fifteenth century
civilization onto q twentieth century civili-
zation by the mere performance of mental
gymnastics Understand. / speak in no
fault-finding spirit, but with feeling of
deep gratitude for all that has been done,
but the future must be an Improvement on
the past. l have endeavored to speak plain
ly In regard to the past because fear that
the wisest and most interested have not
fully comprehended the task which Ameri-
slavery has laid at the doors of this
Republic. Few. I believe, realize what is
to be done before the seven millions of my
people in the South can be made a safe.
helpful. progressive part of our Institutions.
The South, in proportion to its ability. has
done we'll but this does not change facts.