BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-09-19
SAN JUAN, SEPTEMBER -
The High Standing
Of The Negro College

1T must maintain the standards of
popular education, is must seek the so
cia1 equality of the negro, and 1t
must help in the solution of problems
of race contact and cooperation. And,
finally, beyond all this, it must develop
men" Thus does Prof. w. E. Bur-
ghardt Du Bois of Atlanta University
define the high function of the negro
college in the United States in the course
of a noteworthy article in the current
Atlantic Monthly. It would be q
striking paper if only for the fact that
it's author, a recent graduate Of Harvard
has already taken front rank among the
colored teachers of the continent But
because of its intrinsic worth it should
attract quite as much attention as the
earlier paper in the Atlantic" which
led to the forced resignation of Profess
sor Sledd, it's author, from Emory Col
lege for the shocking offence of having
criticised his own people III their rela-
tons to the colored race.
Professor Du BOSS paper has also
the merict of great tinleliness. The ex.
traordinry success of such institutions
as TuSkegee and Hampton has blinded
many friends of wider education to
the need of other forms OF schooling.
After the civil war came decides of the
'chaotic disarrangement" of such Freed
mems, army, and mission schools as
were started after the hostilities. When
the industrial schools, with their prompt
and striking results, seemed TO show the
path ont of this educational wilderness,
it appeared to many observers the only
path, and they have bitterly resented
the construction of others. Naturally
the Southern press has been quick to
fall in with this view: and Professor Du
Bois is able to cite leading Southern
journal as saying that the whole scheme
Of giving primary training to the
regroes "has proved waste of time,
>forts, and the money of the State.
1t is unquestionably true that there
have been some grounds for doubt and
many for criticism in regard to the col
ltgiate training of colored men Social
ed colleges Tor negroes have sprung
up which have not even approXimated
high sch ools, but which have conferred
all imaginable and some unin1aginable
degrees Then the lack Of proper pre-
paratory schools forced into the worthier
institutions men and women who were
not properly fitted to digest the mental
pabulum spread out before them. And
it goes without sa} ing that the Southern
belief in the hopeless mental inferiority
of the negroes has ever been present to
hinder the efforts OF those who aspire to
the stars in matters educational But
granting all this and more besides,
it is impossible to think of any
pro3er educational edi6ce in which
the top story is missing. The top
story of all educational structures is only
slowly ne sring completion alter cen
turies of upbuilding. SO that il should
surprise no one if a simillr construction
for race ST lggling olt of serviiude,
total ignorance, and absolute poverty,
should leave nuch TO be desir !. 4. lie
ead Of only thirty years.
The function of the university IN
every educational system has never
been held to be merely the. instruction
of the comparatively fev who can OBJ
tain admission at is doors. One of it's
most important duties is to stand be-
hind and strengthen the lover schools
by supplying high educational ideas
and by furnishing teachers whose knowl
edge is not limited to the branches
which they teach. Professr Du Bois
rightly demands that in the negro edu-
cational system now being evolved in
the South by slow degrees there shall
be higher institutions, whether univer-
sites or colleges, which shall perform
the duties and exefcise the influence
eSersed by Harvard, Yale, Chicago,
Michigan, and other colleges in theiE
respective spheres of influence .. And
he has unans verable fac.s to prove that
few struggling but worthy negro colleges
ii tbeSouth have already begun to play
this part. The backbone Of Faskegee's
teacheing force is. and has been formed
by graduates of Fisk and Atlanta. OIL
the $500 negros who have received the
bachelors degrees from the colleges oi
the country So per cent. are teachers,
presidents Of Institutions, heads of nor
NAL schools, principals of city schools.
etc. ~ per cent. are clergynen, and III
per cent. are in the other professions
Six per cent. were farmers, artisans.
and nleIclaats, and A per cent. employ
ed By the Government Even if thel
remainder were all failures, these fyu-
res speak for themselves. Can any one
say that putting t on the lowest possible
basis, u e money spent on The education