The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-15
BLACK GIRL LOST MEDAL.
COLORED PEOPLE PROTEST AND
PETITION THE SCHOOL BOARD.

Miss Emily Charlton was Voted the most
Aninbls Girl In the College Class or Gram.
mar school BJ-Then was barred ns 1n-
eligible and = white Giri Got the naedsi.
James w. Gerard's amiability modal, which IL
given annually In tho college class in the East
Twenty-sixth street Grammar School. Is raising
Cain this year, and is bringing out a batch Of
unamiability greater than all the amiability
that ever was shown in the class. 1t is going to
come up before the Board Of Education at It's
next meeting. and an investigation Of Miss
Caroline c. Vanderbilt. the teacher of the class,
and Miss Felicia A. Griffin, the principal of the
girls department Of tho school, will DO de-
msnded. Tho demand will be made by Lawyer
A. A. Dwight on behalf of about two-thirds OF
the entire colored population Of the city.
THE Sun told a week ago Of the winning Of
the medal by Emily Charlton, a colored girl, on
the first ballot, and how, in spite of that, another
ballot was ordered, and n white girl got the
medal. II was supposed that the matter would
end there, but the seeming injustice that was
done to the colored girl has stirred up citizens
Of her race more than any local event that has
happened recently.
The amiability modal was given by Mr.. Gerard
when he was a School Commissioner, on condi-
ton that 1t DO given zach year to the girl who
was voted by her fellows in the class to DO tho
most amiable. This year Is the first in which
there has been q hitch. When the day came for
the b%alloting there was considerable rivalry,
and the ballot resulted: Miss Charlton 10;
Grace Alben. 4; Helen Skeily, 8; Emma ,Kalb,
and seven votes scattering. Emily Charlton;
Is in the second division of the class and all her
m prIte' II Ra ahI Ist diy Il sono thS9s ssIIe, she hsa had oIo won the he
Miss Griffin, tho principal, II being asserted that
only the girls who. wore ready to graduate were
eligible, As the girls ready to graduate were
r rh o sne SMR isss Ai asHaS sot t h,'' ns Ssfr'! fRon %f L
been a plot to defeat the upper division girls by
combining on the colored girl. Miss r ifin in
sis,fd INT H.. there SS. hsdn', been any ~ dis dise RIM.
Miss Charlton reported the facts at her homo
and the talk started. Christopher Stewart, the
hand and was the head Of tho movement to dc.
his brother, Rush Simms. Henry Millerton, and
other colored men were associated with him.
They looked over the whole case and made up
Griffin. that Emily Charlton had not re-
ceived the medal because she was not pre-
Stewart said it was plain that II the girls in tho
second division of the class were not entitled to
compete for the medal they certainly could not
they had had a vote on each ballot, and there
fore the excuse of Miss Griffin was disposed OF.
lie declared IT was all "a question OF color, and
that there had been discrimination of the worst
sort against inst the coloEed race, The others all
hktttu WIN Hln, u ueClutu luAb inc DtSJ
thing to do WINS to hire a lawyer and get up a
petition.
The petition reads as follows:
To ne Honorable Board Of Education Of the CITY Of
Nstr York.
GENTLEMEN: We. the undersigned colored citizens Of
New York. hereby protest against the action OF c. C.
Vanderbilt, the teacher. and Miss T. A. Grimm. the
principal, OF Grammar School No. a. ut 81 East
twelfth street. In the matter OF ordering q second
election for the aniability med | awarded in the col.
lege class. We ask for a thorough investigation In to
the whole matter, as we believe that the amiability
meial was not given TO Miss Emily Charlton. who got
the most vot S on the first ballot. simply because OF u
prejudice due to her color. We believe that the pub.
lie schools are not the proper places to show any
color prejudice, that the colored pupils are entitled to
the same rights as the white. and that such discrimi.
nation rs we are convinced has been shown is grossly
unfair and should not be permitted.
The petition was started on Saturday, and
yesterday there were about 500 signers. Among
them arc a large number OF tho colored church
people and n great many of the colored politi-
clans. The editor OF the star. commenting on
the refusal TO let Miss Charlton have the medal,
says:
1t is a shame and a disgrace 10 the teachers OF the
school. and the spubhing OF Miss Charlton was a need.
less and uncalled for Insult. Color should cut no
figure in any public school in this city.