The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-04-14
Progress of Education Of
the Negro.
Review of Work of Different
Schools.
BY Secretary OF American Mission
ary Association.

Association, has received from one OF inc
| corresponding secretaries the Rev. A. Il.
! Beard, ID. d., New York, some sketches
! from the south" based OH an official
visit among tho educational institutions
and churches of the American Missionary
Association In every southern state.
Everywhere, says DIR. Beard, find the
colorcd men and women who have been
enlarged in mind and thought earnestly
at work, uplifting others, uplifting the
race, often in remote places with poor
pay and unfavorable conditions, but not
shrinking duty or sacrifices. My first call
was ut IA rural school upon plantation.
When L asked the principal of the school,
" Are the people Of the rural places retro
grading. are those who are still Ignorant
and illiterate going further DOWN. His
reply was mo- the children even Of
cabin homes are an advance on their
parents both in intelligence and char
acter, and while you cannot do very much
10 change those who are no longer young
their living is i'm some degree improved,
because the children take something from
the schools back To them.
AT Gregory Institute, Wilmington, y.
c., named after Mr.. j. j. ii. Gregory,
of Marblehead, Mass, the principal in
forms me that the influence of this nor
NAL school may be traced in many parts
of the state. l heard class of twenty in
pedagogics, all of whom are preparing 60
he teachers. Not only the teachers I'm the
public schools of Wilmington are in
large degree graduates of this school, but
the rural communities also depend upon IL
for tea hers. When l asked, 'Is the race
as "a race really advancing he smiled as
II i were too innocent 'Most assuredly.'
Certainly no one can look in upon our
church organization there without roaliz-
ing the truth that the people have risen.
Dorchester Academy, in Mcintosh, Ga.
l. -. HI
down from the colony that founded the
Old Midway Church in l752,
which emigrated with their pas
tor from Dorchester England,
To Dorchester Mass, thence To
Dorchester, - and finally to Mcintosh.
Ga This school was opened i'm 1871 and
became graded school in 1884. When
the pupils in the chapel were asked,
How many started for school before
sunrise and have walked not less than
eight milesY' several rose. A larger
number were found To- have walked six
miles from their homes To school, and
many who had walked more than four
miles were not counted. 1t was frosty
morning for poorly-clad pupils, nut they
We're present and punctuaL The church
which accommodates n large congrega.
tion, is well filled on every Lords day
with reverent people from the lowliest
ranks in life They are all tllers of the
IL.
Near Ocala, Fla, is the Fessenden
School mt Martin. This came into bein
"A few years ago through the benevolence
OF the gentleman whose name it bears
Residing in Boston, he has found it
necessary for health's sake TO spend his
winters in this more genial climate on
the western side of the state of Florida,
Touched by the necessities of the colored
people he has erected the school building
and furnished it with handsome school
desks, maps, charts and all necessary ap-
pointments for instruction. A choice
organ of considerable power graces the
assembly room, where the pupils gather
for their devotions and public exercises.
well selected library is added for the
cultivation of the reading habit. The
teachers home has lately been erected,
Likewise without expense To the associa-
tion. The teachers in this school from
the beginning have received their educa-
tion in the higher institutions of the
association, the present principal Icing
graduate of Fisk University. This school
Is to be numbered among our rural
schools, but teachers educuated in Nash
Vile and Charleston are holding the torch
there which they lighted in our colleges.
The Lamson School, at Marshallville,
Ga, Is another rural school under the
care of teachers educated by the associa-
tion. Two of the present teachers arc
graduates of Atlanta University one of
Fisk, one of Avery and one from Tai
ladcga. The colored people of this region
are almost wholly engaged in agriculture
and are, as n rule, poor. The teachers
home and dormitory for girls is largely
the gift of "A lady who resides in Boston,
and from her the school takes its name
The school at Cotton Valley, Ala,
began under tho watch and care of the |
Woman's Home Missionary Association |
of Massachusetts,. lt was transferred to |
the association, tho W. III. nj. A., provid- |
ing for the support of the teachers. The |
building "A Few years ago was enlarged by |
the A. Nj. A. To meet tho demands of |
growth In place where no school existed. |
A rural school, remote from any town or 1
village IL has had "a history of great in |
terest growing largely out of the person.
ality of the principal for the past ten |
years. The influence which has streamed
forth from this little center is incalcul. |
able
These schools in Marshallvillc and Cot.
ton Valley are under the instruction Of
teachers of the colored race educated i'm
our schools. They are sampcs of a broad
work of this kind and one which is con
stantly increasing | met on the cars a |
resident of New Orleans, who discussed
this race problem with mo. not knowing
that had made any special study of IL. lie |
assured me that cOlorcd people could not |
take on what Is called higher education.
llc thought they should bc confined 20 tho
industries for which they were irr-rndcd,
- Let them do what they were mndo sor.
and not try to achieve what is beyond
their powers. y ! ask him If he know
= straight University He did not bur
Inc knew the negro. Yet nc that time
young people were in college who could
doubtless lead him race i'm mathematics
beyond whore he could follow. and could
rcad well In languages which nc couId
not understand People from the north
have had to demonstrate 10 the pcoplc of
the south the capacities and powers of
the negro.
The culored race Is pressing forward
What H. 90 lc its future only Uo knnv,s
to whom all things arc known. The
great majority Of the young pcople who
attend Christian schoOls and come under
The power of Christian tcnchers and
christian character arc saved, and are
going out To- save others.
DO YOU want tn learn to write "Short
'mndt You can get thoroughly prn,.
ticnl instruction through The Neys' grcn, |