Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-02-27
THE HIGHER EDUCATION OF THE
NEGRO.

REV. WILBUR p. THIRKIELD i'm his ad-
mirable address on 1.-The Industrial and
higher Education of the Negro" as pub
lished in the CHRISTIAN EDUCATOR of
Cincinnati, o., continued:
1.-The Negro is fast becoming his own
teacher. The common schools in every
Southern State are now largely under
his control and direction. Teachers in
stitutes are conducted by him. Many
of the normal schools, academies and
colleges are now in his hands. How
imperative, therefore, that men of dis
ciplined mind and tested scholarship
lead in this epochal work that is to
mold the thought and shape the charac-
ter of the rising g neration
DIR Harris, United States Commits
sioner of Education, strongly empha.
sizes this thought: Money expended
for secondary or higher education of the
Negro accomplishes far more for him. Ii
is seed sown where it brings forth "a
hundred fold, because each one OF the
pupils of these i her H. st Sutions is n
center of diffusion of superior meth IDS
and refining influences among an imita-
tive and impossible race. All outside
aid should be concentrated on the
secondary and higher education"
Heclinched this argument with others
along the same line when he said:
III. In the interest of pure industrial
ism for the Negro. this higher training
is a necessity. He needs the best disci-
pline of his mental powers to fiji him for
the inevitable era of strenuous competi-
ton in the South, with which he must
soon battle
If the Negro is to hold his own, he
must have behind his brawny hand and
strong right arm the trained mind to
direct the hand. and the disciplined soul
TO control the arm for highest issues. Is
every Negro to be forever content to re-
drawer of dividends? Is every Negro to
be ever led and never leader?
For his leaders and teachers in the in
dustries, this discipline of mind and
spirit is imperative. To train the me
chanics of n race Of nine millions, is an
endless task. But it is possible TO train
the master mechanics, who may go forth
with thoroughly disciplined minds, as
the teachers Of mechanics and as the
organizers and inspirers of their people
on higher industrial lines. Leadership
IN the trades calls for men of thorough
training. Any body can learn something
ABOUT the arts ana trades. But educa-
ton in the principles underlying the
trades is required for their mastery.
Let us not forever link the industrial
education of the Negro with the idea of
mere elementary training.
Years ago / met a young man Just
graduated from one of the best Eastern
colleges. His taste turned him towards
electricity. l found him one night MAX
ing some rough experiments in electric
ity. He possessed high literary culture,
and had mastered the sciences in his
college course. He even wrote good
poetry, Yet he soon rolled up his sieev-
es and went to work in the shops of the
General Electric Company, in Lynn,
Mass. Less than ten years afterwards, i
met him in Berlin. He was already at
the head of one of the greatest electrical
companies in Europe Now, an elemen-
tary education might have made this
man a good electrician. The higher edu-
cation fitted him for mastery
But enough for this issue. This is un-
questionably the ablest plea that we
have as yet read on the subject of the
higher education of the Negro.