The colored American., 1902-07-05
A NEW LIGHT DAWNS.
Booker T. Washington ond TUs-
kesee Open Ole Eyes Of South
erners.

The following editorial from the New
York Times is highly significant testi-
mony that Booker T. Washington is
throwing new light upon the race
problem, and constantly proving TO
the South tKe great possibilities that
reside in the Negro. Says the Times:
Southern men have usually insist
"a, and quite rightly. that the Negro
Y,roblem' was theirs and that their fel-
low citizens from the North could do
little toward understanding 1t, and
still less toward solving it.
Recently Mr.. Sidney OrmOnd, OF the
editorial staff of The Atlanta Consti-
tuition. visited Tuskegee with Governor
Jelks of Alabama and other prominent
and influential Southern men. He
writes in his paper:
From long contact and association
the Southern man has formed a very
just and complete estimate of the Ne
gro as he is. OF his possibilities, how
ever, under an exceptional environ
ment he is not fully aware. The
white man is familiar. of course, with
the sporadic examples of black men
who have. through force Of unusua
mental ability. transcended the rank
and fie of their race; but of the high
average of intelligence. industry. and
activity which may be attained by the
masses he has but a vague conception
The exceptional environment, with it>
attendant exceptional results is mani
tested at Tuskegee. This point-tha-
of an exceptional environment and in
tiuence-must be constantly borne ii
mind when Washington'S work a
Tuskegee is considered.
This is a significant statement a!
TO possibilities as to the high aver
age Of intelligence. industry, and &C
tivity which may be attained by tn
masses Really that is all there is t
the matter. 1t only remains TO suppl,
the conditions that are supplied a
Tuskegee. Certainly. that is a larg
task, slow one. and not without ii
difficulties; but by the candid test
mOny of this honorable Southern OF
server. it is a task that can be accom-
pIished
THE opinion Of Governor Jelks. re
ported by Mr.. Ormond, is in the sam
sense:
This is my first visit to Tuskege
since the school was established.
have always admired Booker Washine
ton and felt that he was doing a grea
work for the State, but I had no ide
that he was coming so near TO a sOll
tiOn of the Negro problem. He shoul
have the support of every Souther
man
Still more emphatic is the view e,
pressed by a prominent educator {
Georgia. President of the Southern F
male College. at LAGRANGE, DR.. {
a. Nunnally:
L am surprised beyond expression
From the wonderful results | hay
seen | am more than ever convince
of the Importance of an education fl
all We GeOrgians will have to wal
up to this fact at once. We need ju
such school as this for the Negroe
but We need more such schools for II
whites. We cannot afford to lag h
hind. The results here attained by OI
man crafty. but frighten me. f
cry thinking southern man would fe
the same way who had seen what
have seen today. Industrial educatiC
is a good thing for the Negro. but
is absolutely necessary for the white
I am going back to Georgia and preat
the necessity of industrial training f
both races
There has been no more impOrta
testimony than this TO the hopef
conditions as TO education which [
skill and fedelity OF Mr.. Washingt
have created -