The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-10-20
EDUCATION OF THE NEGRO
Discussed by Negro Educational
Conference

Conference.
The higher and industrial education
of the negro race was fully discussed
by some prominent white men and
negro educators at an educational mass
meeting in the interest of Morris
Brown College at st. James A. NJ. E.
Church yesterday. The meeting was
under the direction of DR.. R. D. Stin-
son. commissioner of the institution,
who said in the opening that it was
the twelfth meeting of the kind held in
the largest cities of the state, the sin
gle object of which was to have the
two races more thoroughly understand
each other, to reach the unreached
masses and TO bring them under help
full and Christian influences, and to
prepare them for citizenship
The support received thus far for the
work which Morris Brown College is
doing is very gratifying. 1t has dem
onstrated conclusively that some of the
best friends of the negro race are to
be found among the white people OF
the South, and in many instances has
unarmed a spirit of latent antagonism.
Morris Brown College was founded
twenty-one years ago and has been
fostered by the $4,000 men,
bers of the A. NJ. E. Church in the
state of Georgia. The school has no
endowment. If it had a beneficiary
fund out of which could be given a
little aid to deserving students and an
enlarged industrial plant which would
furnish more boys and girls with help
full employment, 1t could easily have
an enrolment of one thousand stu
dents
President Wright of the State Indus
trial College for Negro Youths COM
pared the growth of the negro race for
the past forty years with the wander
ings of the children of Isreal to Gil
gal, the place of liberty. He spoke
of the material growth of the race and
said that the negro, although he start
ed with nothing, now owned 1875 900
acres of farm land in Georgia alone,
and pays taxes on SIS, 900 worth of
property. He complimented the past,
but urged greater diligence and appli-
cation to duty for the future. He ar
gued that many of the complaints
against the prejudice of the white race
should be transferred to the negro race
itself. That he is often his own great
est enemy. He urged upon the negroes
the wise expenditure of their earn
ings.
Rev. R. H. Singleton. pastor of the
A. Nj. e. Monumental Church, said
the true leaders of the negro race
should be unselfish; that their work
requires the heartiest spirit of Coop
Grafton. He complimented the work of
many negro ministers and teachers.
DR.. j. j. Durham, pastor of the Sec
ond Baptist Church, spoke of the NOR
al awakening among negroes in the
last decade. The negro Baptists last
year contributed 100000 to Christian
education. said he. The great masses
for many years must have a common
school education, but the negroes who
possess ability for professional work
should be given higher training. He
declared that unfit and incompetent
men in all professions are being crowd
cd out.
Rev. Ed. F. Cook, pastor of the
Wesleyan Monumental Church, spoke
on Education and Morals" He said
that the question of the proper kind of
education is one of the most vital in
our social life. He declared that ig-
norance is a menace to good govern
ment, but argued that improper edu-
cation Is worse than ignorance. Such
education produces a dangerous factor
in the home and community. Igno-
rance, poverty, squalor and want, are
hotbeds of crime. When you raise a
mans moral nature, you emancipate
him from the control of evil forces. He
said it was a crime to neglect the NOR
al training of children. Every reas-
enable sacrifice should be made BY
parents to secure for their children
proper mental and moral training. He
claimed that a thorough knowledge Of
the Bible was the basis rock for SOUND
culture. He said these meetings insti.
tuted by Morris Brown College are
accomplishing inestimable good. His
speech was heartily applauded.
DR.. James NJ. Henderson, president
of Morris Brown College, Atlanta,
among other things, said, in all dis
cussions of the negro problem the fact
should be constantly kept in mind that
he-is elevated or degraded by the same
forces that lift UP or destroy other
men. Negroes are not a new species
of human beings. In the education OF
the negro consideration must be given
to his ability and to the life work
which is before him. The great mass
of the race should be trained in some
useful trade. A few who give proof
of special natural capacity to become
wise and safe leaders should receive
the higher training. He urged that the
race should not condone crime, but
should aid that class of white citizens
who were seeking to purify the home
the civil and religious life of our com.
munities.
Bishop H. NJ. Turner was expected t.
speak also, but was detained and vii
speak at st. Philips A. M. E. Church
to-day.