New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-24
NO COLOR LINE IN CITY.
NETWORK HAS EDUCATED CoLoRED
CHILDREN FOR TWO HUNDRED YEARS
MUCH COMMENT on JAMAICA DEcrsIoN-coMpUL-
sorry SEPARATION ABANDONED
IN BROOKLYN.

IN BROOKLYN.
Tho recent ruling OF Justice Smith. Of the IN.
preme Court TO the effect that colored children may
be excluded from the New-York public schools
has excited considerable comment In educational
circles The decision Of the Judge was based on
the law Of 1854 which authorizes separate educa-
ton when desirable. and was called out ny a suit
brought by a colored woman Of Jamaica for a writ
NJ nandamus to compel the school authorities OF
Queens to admit her con into a school attended By
white children
In the schools OF the boroughs Of Manhattan and
The Bronx there exists no color line whatsoever
and coored children are enrolled in nearly every
school Indeed, this city has been FAMOUS Tor
many years because OF its educational work among
the colored people.
As early as 1904 a school for negro slaves. said
TO be the first Of its kind in the United states.
was opened on Manhattan Island by Elias Neau.
He was assisted by Mr.. Vesey the rector OF Trinity
Church This school attracted the attention OK
Governor Hunter. who issued a public proclama-
ton exhortins the clergy to aid the work In l7S
the New-York African Free School was established
in CIf-st for the purpose OF educating the chill
dren OF runaway slaves. In 1874 when john Jay
was president Of the society. General Lafayette
visited the school.
In 1884, by act OF the Legislature, these colored
schools we're united with the public schools OF the
city In 1852 the first evening schools for coIored
pupils were opened with attendance OF 3g.
During the war race pretudices were revived 10
such an extent that black children who had begun
10 attend schools with white children were de-
barred In some instances. II was AT this time
that the statute was passed on which Judge Smith
based his decision in the Jamaica case. Since the
Civil War, however. these racial distinctions have
not been revived and the statute would never
have been known 10 the majority OF people had II
not been called up I'm the courts.
mo complaints come TO the Board OF Education
concerning the attendance Of coiored children at
our public schools" said Joseph j. Little, president
OF the Board. to a Tribune reporter yesterday. L
do not believe this Jamaica case fairly represents
the situation There must have been some reason
other than the color OF the boy which debarred hin.
from the institution. Children OF all colors and
races taught in the public schools OF the en-
larged city There few schools. l believe.
which are exclusively attended by negro children.
This is not due to their exclusion from other
schools but because these institutions are situated
in districts almost wholly tenanted by negroes. Yes.
I can remember when the color line was drawn. not
only in the education OF children. but in almos,
every department Of life. Those the times
when the Sixth-ave. had signboards that read.
Colored people allowed TO ride this car But those
times. | am glad to say, have long been forgotten.
clusion of the negro from those privileges which he
has lawfully and painfully gained ~ pu,o
Schools, and John Jasper. Superintendent for Man.
The schools OF the Borough Of Brooklyn are also
free from any color line, and in a section OF its
school laws there is a paragraph which reads: -
THE principals and heads of departments shall
make no distinction account OF race or color
in admitting pupils into the schools"
Since Seth Low was Mayor OF Brooklyn there has
always been colored man on the Board OF Edu-
cation.
There was a time when Brooklyn maintained sep
arate schools for coored children and about twelve
years ago n coored man made fight To have his
child admitted to school No s. n which there were
white children only John Gallagher now OF the
Manual Training School, principal. Mr.. Gal
lagher refused to receive the child. He was sus-
tained by the Board OF Education .
The applicant took the into the courts. he
was defeated II was long after this that the
Board of Education remembered all the schools and
by common consent the designations. COored
Schools Nos. T. g and T. were dropped and these
schools numbered consecutively with the
white schools. In two schools the pupils are still
largely coored One is No 60 Union-ave.. near
Stagg-st. The teachers In this school are colored
The other school Is No. SO Bergen-st. and Schen-