The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-01-16
AN EXCELLENT SCHOOL.
For the instruction Of Colored Youth
A Word to White Friends.

A Word to White Friends.
To the Editor: The Slater Industrial
Academy and State Normal School at
Winston, n. c., is one of the youngest
institutions for cOlored youth III the
South. There were two ideas chiefly
underlying its establishment-the indus
trial education Of colored youth, and the
thorough training Of colored teachers.
The development Of such an institution
in the vicinity of Winston-Salem was in
view of two facts, namely-the very
large colored population which reside iii
these twin cities, and the manifest readl-
ness of the white people of this COM
munity to contribute to the education
and improvement of the colored people
therein The development of the brief
history of this institution has demon
strated the wisdom of its establishment
as well as its location, for the coIOred and
white people of the community in which
it is situated have proved their interest
in it not only by a remarkable moral
support, but by large cash donations,
and the interest on their part is still
growing.
There have been a great many notable
phases of this development. A few of
them are as follows: The large attend
ance of pupils from this county and sur
rounding counties; the annual appr0-
priations made by Forsyth county for
it's support; the annual contributions by
the Board of Trustees of the Peabody
Fund, and especially, the appropriations
by the State of North Carolina for the
support of the State Normal School. In
connection with this reference to the
phases of the institutions development,
oh ho oil Iybi
has come from the North. Philanthropy
ic contributions have continued to in
crease until now they amount to nearly
three Thousand dollars per annum, and
the friends of the institution in that
section of the country are multiplying
in numbers and in interest.
But the thing in connection with the
history and development of the Acad-
envy that l wish especially to lay before
the readers of the News and Observer
is this; namely-we believe that the ed
ucation and development of the negro
will be FASTENED and made more certain
If the Southern white people of means
could be induced TO contribute to their
means TO this end. 1t is not our idea
that less shopld be expected from our
Northern friends, but that more ought
to be contributed by the rich friends OF
the negro in the South We have been led
to this conclusion in studying carefully
and earnestly as to what would tend
most to develop cordially and destroy
prejudice between the races in our
southland. We feel that if our rich
friends in the South can be induced to
give money for the education anu inn
provement of the negro at their doors,
it Will have two striking effects-frst,
it will emphasize to the negro the fact
that the Southern white man is really
his friend; and, secondly, it viii give the
white people at the South an additional
reason, perhaps tie most effective rea-
son, for being interested in the negro's
schools, the agency to which the negro
must look as of the greatest potency in
his redemption. We think that these two
results will follow on the principle of
the Bible, that where a mans treasure
is, there will be his heart also. The ne
gro already believing his schools to be
of paramount Importance, will be con-
strained to think more justly of his white
! neighbor, and the Southern white men
/ having invested some of his money in the
T negro schools, viii have a more cordial
interest in that indispensable agency
in the elevation Of the negro.
Our desire is to call the attention of
+ the readers OF the News and Observer to
this new form Of philanthrophy and to
| point them to the Slater Industrial
Academy and State Normal School as a
visible and hopeful product of the same.
1t is our hope that this new form of
philanthropy, resting upon the pocket
book OF Southern white men of means,
this will be enlarged, and it is our
purpose that the institution especially
mentioned in this article will be an un-
questionable justification of every con-
tribution which may be made in pursu-
ance of this new doctrine of philan-
thropy.
Respectfully,
S. G. ATKINS,
President of the Slater Industrial Acad-
envy and State Normal School, Win
sfnO-Sa Inna n