The Washington times., 1902-07-21
Organized to Promote
Self Help Among Mem
berS of Race.
RECENT ANNUAL SESSION
Self-Appointed Company Of Educated
Colored Men Who Gather Information
and Formulate Statistics of a Socio-
logical Nature-Institute in Virginia.

HAMPTON INSTITUTE, Va. July 20.
The Hampton Negro Conference, which
has Just closed its annual session here.
is a self-Gppointed company of educat-
ed, intelligent negro men and women
throughout the country. organized Tor
the purpose of promoting self-help
among the negroes. Through the agency
of its committees, which are appointed
at each annual meeting to serve for
year 1t gathers information and formu-
lates statistics of a sociological nature
with regard to the negro population.
From the knowledge 50 gained 1t de-
duces conclusions and offers suggestions
as to the best way for the negro to
overcome the difficulties in the way of
his progress. 1t aims TO look the facts
squarely in the face. whether they are
welcome or not, to acknowledge the
weaknesses and discover the better quail
tiles characteristic of the race, and to
consider calmly and Judge as wisely ds
1t may what seems best for the good of
the people.
O-@
Wednesday. Thursday. and Friday, COW
cred a wide range of subjects. including
general statistics, vital and sanitary
problems, domestic science, the improve
ment of negro farms. business and la
Dor, religion and ethics, cooperation
necessary to race unity, education, and
the condition of the colored woman. For
the consideration of these subjects there
came many OF the best negro citizens of
Baltimore. Washington. and Rich
mond, representatives OF Howard,
OF Washington, and Wilberforce uni
versities. and of the negro schools
and colleges in Virginia and North and
South Carolina, together with minis
rers. editors, and business men of ac-
knowledged achievement The audiences
were swelled by the attendance of some
300 or 400 teachers OF the negro public
schools OF this State, who are attend
ing the Summer School of Methods at
Hampton Institute.
Need of Ministers.
Emphasis was laid upon the need of
better Christian ministers and better
Christian homes. Incidental to this plea
came an address from Archdeacon
Thomas J. Packard, of Washington urg-
ing that a score of more of young negro
men, sound in body, mind, and heart
should turn their attention to the min
istry of the Episcopal Church and take
the training necessary to fit themselves
for service in that church.
Rev. Dr. F. ]. Grimke. pastor of the
Fifteenth Street Presbyterian Church OF
Washington, chairman of the COMMITTEES
on ethics, called attention 10 a subjec,
that has been much discussed in the
press, viz. that the chief trouble with
the negro is that there is no rebellion
in him; that he lacks the vital force
of dissatisfaction. While all the i'm
provement in the world is based upon
the intelligent dissatisfaction of the
masses of the people. the negro is rare
IL dissatified, and never dissatisfied in
telligently.
The proper training of the teachers as
well as of the preachers also received
the attention of the conference. There
are $1,000 teachers OF the negro public
schools, having 1900 900 pupils under
their care. 1t was urged that these
w uiltu " Ildht lHtlT influence
felt in the moral development of this
great body of youth
Kindergarten Schools Needed.
Another recommendation OF the COM
mittee on education was for more kin .
dergarten schools. Attention was called
to the alarming tendency toward law
lessness and criminality among negro
youth, and TO the necessity OF doing
something to offset that tendency. The
kindergarten was declared the best
means TO that end, because the most
efficacious education begins early in
life, while the child's mind is in the
most plastic stage. Perhaps the most
important suggestion made by this COM
mittee was that the National Educa-
tional Association be asked TO create a
department Of negro education.
Much interest was manifested In the
subject Of domestic service because of
the large proportion OF negroes en-
braced in that class of work. AS a side
issue the report on vital and sanitary
universal custom in the South of hav-
ing the servants live outside the homes
Of their employers.
Report on SdnltdUOn.
A report on sanitation called atten-
tion TO the diseases which are largely
responsible for the high rate OF NOR
tality among the negroes. naming ma
lsrial and typhoid fever and consump-
tion as the leading nalndics. The re-
port then gave a comprehensive ex-
PLANTATION OF how their spread. in a great
measure. may be prevented by remov-
ing from dwellings the breeding places
OF mosquitoes and by providing protec-
tion from flies and by making deter
mined effort for cleanliness.
The final subject discussed by the
conference was Negro Women" Mrs.
Amanda Coleman. of the Virginia Union
University, told of the struggles and
sacrifices made by negro mothers and
sisters for the betterment of their chill
dren and their race. Miss Georgia
Washington. of Mount Meigs. Ais. pic
tured the hopelessness and ihdescriba-
bic misery In which the women Of the
black belt are plunged. laboring from
dawn till sunset in the cotton fields OF
Alabama and enslaved by the mortgage
system.
The conference closed by adopting
without a dissenting voice the resolu-
tions presented, which declare the need
OF kindergarten schools and of the
teaching of agriculture and manual
training In the courses of education for
all; OF religious training in all the
-.booig ard ~ scbooIc for .hox.,