The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-05-22
Booker Washington Speaks

Booker T. Washington spoke today al the commencement exercises of the Sei- ma University TOT ,'eG, oes. His speech was delivered n a negro Baptist church that was crowded almost to suffocation. | Washington was accorded a welcome re- ception by the people of his race and seemed to make a profound impression upon them.
 Following is part of his commencement address:
 | ''One of the most encourag ging things in | connection with the history and growth of Selma University has oeen the constant effort in the direction of self-help. This institution presents one of the many in- | stances that show that our people are | wiling to sacrifice in order that they may contribute their portion towards the education of our youths. It may be a matter of surprise to the average man | to be informed of the fact that since the founding of this university twenty-five years ago the colored people in Alabama have contributed out of their property | $125. 900 in cash. This 's a record which we should be proud of. Again. 1t is a | matter of satisfaction to note that Selma University has presented to the country as an object lesson in showing that our people are capable of controlling educa- | tional institutions. In a very large de- gree his institution has been managed py memDerS or the race.
 This institution has the reputation of being a denominational college. I be- | lieve that you will agree with me in the l statement that a school of this character must be larger than its denomination in order to succeed. Many denominational institutions fail because they cherish the feeling that they will be patronized be- cause they are of this or that denomina- tion. That is taking a narrow and mis- | folr xTn hA trat r.yfn h. ported in proportion as 1t accomplishes | the most good. whether it bears the la bel of any speical denomination or not. The plain. simple, practical question, however, which I want to discuss with you today Is the mission of a college | for our people in the South It is i'm possible to present a panacea for all of tma zine We suffer. but there are a few direct things which think a college here in the Black Belt of the South should accomplish either directly or indirectly through the graduates which 1t sends out | from year to year. The usefulness of an | institution of this character is measured by the work done by its graduates. This institution is located in the heart of one of the most wealthy agricultural sections of the entire South. Agriculture is the main industry, the main dependence of the people for living. The people then who support Selma University have a right to ask to what extent Is this col lege either directly or indirectly helping to make life more prosperous and happy in the agricultural districts. What con- nection is there between agriculture and the work of the graduates of Selma Uni Versity? As partial answer to this question you may state that in this uni- verstty you do not teach agriculture; that has little to do with the question under consideration. The world cares very lit- tie about what a man studies in school or out of school. What the world Is de- manding is that whether a man studies agriculture, carpentry, Greek. Latin or English literature. that he use his edu- cation in way to lift up the life of the people about him. And if at Selma Uni verstty you can use Latin or Roman his tory or blacks.nithing or the sciences in way to it your graduates to reach and assist the people In he main industry. agriculture, on which they depend for their living. th.n the world will applaud your work. We should see to 1t that no matter what form of education is em- ployed, in our present condition here in the South our young men and women should not be educated out of sympathy with life in the agricultural districts, but should be constantly educated into sym pathy with farming life to such an ex-
 
 they will return to the country districts and assist their parents in working out their industrial problems rather than yield to the temptation of going to a city and trying to live by their wits. As rule, our people are at their best when owning and cultivating the soil in the country districts; In too many cases they are at their worst when in compe- tition with the complex city life. One of the things that often most alarms me is the large number of idle young men that hang about the street corners of our cities. Graduates of Selma University should see to 1t that an influence is ex- erted that will take these men from their places of idleness and put them to work.
 Unless we prepare ourselves through intelligence and skill for the competition that Is going to come in the future, we will ind that whether we are the own | CTS or the tillers of the land in this sec tion, they will slip from under us because for the reason that other people wlII come into this country and excel us in our methods of labor. If one man has learned to make an acre of land produce $20 annually and his neighbor has learned only to make his acre produce $10. it Is only question of few years when the man who owns the first acre will possess the land owned by the second. This Is universal law that obtains whether we are black, or whether we are white.
 Again the community has a right to demand. either directly or indirectly. that your graduates assist in bringing about a better domestic or home life among our people. that is. that the edu- cation of the graduates of Selma Univer- sdty should be brought to bear upon the most common household duties such as cooking. table service. laundering. garden ing and general housekeeping. The com munity has a right to demand that your graduates assist in eIevating life in these directions whether they perform such service for themselves or for others. I have seen students in other communities who can analyze the most complex sen tences in grammar, or who could locate the Desert of Sahara or the city of Pekin on an artificial globe. but who had no conception of the proper place to locate the carving knife and fork or the meat and vegetables upon an actual dinner table.
 Tt should be the mission of a college to send forth an influence which shall dignity all forms of labor and at the same time place a badge of condemnation upon all forms of idleness Any education of any r~- which makes the individual feel that labor with the hand is degrading is hurtful. Any educat tion of any race which makes one feel that labor with the hand is just as dignihed as labor with the head is helpful
 The negro youth in the South has a