Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-01
THECOLOREDSCHOO
Remarkable History of Unique
Establishment.
FROM SMALL BEGINNINGS
Practical Autonomy Until Reorgani-
cation in 1900.
AVIDITY FOR IMPROVEMENT
Instructive and Pathetic Spectacle Of
Negro Youth Striving for
Education.
To the Editor Of The Star:


tional criticism takes the form of mere
structures on race lines. 1t is emphatically
so when reflections on the efficiency or in
efficiency of certain schools may cause any
| loss of vigor, of hope or of self-respect on
| the part of people who are struggling
| against odds to overcome through self
development the results of past neglect and
| present prejudices. To be at all helpful to
the growth and discipline of schools, edu-
cational criticism, above all, should pro-
coed from clear and scientific insight into
| conditions actual and potential. and the
! ability to recognize both excellencies and
| defects, coupled with a just appreciation
of the processes of development
The segregation of colored children in
"colored" schools is pretty generally under
stood to be not a concession to any predi-
lections of colored people. AS far as the
latter concerned the schools as they
are for average citizens, as to standards,
currcua, equipment and general facilities,
are unhesitatingly voted plenty good
! enough" Neither, on the other hand, is
the existence of the dual system IN
Washington responsible, as often charged,
for undue expense in the appropriation of
the nations moneys. In the school build
ings for colored children the attendance is
as large and the classes are as full as are
any in the city, and the annual per capita
cost has been up to date uniformly less.
If the colored children are to be educated
at all, it costs no more to put over them
hierarchy Of men and women who believe
In them, feel with them and capable
through interest and devotion of inspiring
and training them. Such a body of colored
educators can always be secured at Wash
ington through the liberal and impartial
generosity of the federal government, and
it is a matter of history that a remarkable
system had developed here prior to 1900 of
unquestioned efficiency, of unassailable in
tegrity and respectability-a complete
tOnOmV of administration of the cOlOreI
schools, controlling a system of 1000 pu-
pills and 400 teachers, handling thousands
of dollars in financing the huge plant and
rendering annually an Intelligent and ac-
curate accounting of it's stewardship
clean as hound tooth.
Proud of Their Inheritance.
The history and traditions of the Wash
ington colored school system are an inher-
| itance of which the colored people of the
District are jealousy proud. And when
we consider that their origin was due to the
personal efforts of men who were just
emerging from thraldom while yet the great
mass of their brethren were to toll fully
half century longer under it's weight the
persistency and achievements of those years
are marvellous.
The genesis of the colored schools of the
District of Columbia is, strangely enough.
almost contemporary with that of the white
schools. The white schools had more dis
tinguished beginning: They We're fostered
by no less a spirit than Thomas jefferson,
who, believing that knowledge promotes
the happiness of man." was disposed to
contribute (hs) endeavors toward its extern
sion" Moved by like appreciation of the
value of knowledge, three unlettered col
ored men, born and reared as slaves"
erected two years later0S0O the first school
house for colored children. Washington
then had a population of ,1iS white persons
and 494 free colored persons. Besides the
private schools, the whites had two free
schools and the free colored people one free
school.
Beginning thus, system of coored
schools in the District continued, with oc-
casional intermissions due to a variety of
causes, until the present and We're until
1900 practically under the control of the
colored people. Supported at first by the
contributions of the free colored people,
these schools were later aided by benevolent
societies, especially those known as relief
societies, and finally, in 1862 by special
and in 1864 by general taxation.
Not in Favor at First
1t is not strange that the early efforts of
the colored people to maintain an educa-
tional system failed of universal favor, but
when we consider the opposition which at
present manifests itself in this particular
in certain quarters, their early growth and
enlargement seem phenomenal. The most
serious setback that the colored schools re-
ceived was about 1885. This was period
of marked reaction in the treatment of the
colored people both free and enslaved, due
first to the growth of anti-slavery .agita-
ton, and, secondly, to the Instruction
which was led by Nat Turner in 1881 and
which made not only Virginia but the whole
slavery territory quake. This reaction man
ifested itself in Washington in what is
known as the Snow riot, which wrought
great damage to the colored schools by the
destruction of the buildings, furniture, and
books of the school system, and worse still
by the alienation of those who had hitherto
been friendly to these endeavors. Never
thelesS, with renewed energy and remark
able self-reance the free people recovered
from the blow and continued with much
sacrifice their struggle for education.
Besides these free schools. SO called, sew
eral parochial schools were maintained for
free children of color. especially by the
Catholic Church. Henry Barnard, commits
sioner of education from 1867 to 1870, in his
report, May 30, 1868, to the United States
Senate, respecting the public schools of the
District of Columbia, speaks thus of these
early schools:
1T is worthy of observation that in no
case has a colored school ever failed for the
want of scholars When a school failed it
was for a want Of money, and not for the
want of appreciation Of the benefits of edu-
cation. The same remarkable avidity for
learning was then apparent as is now so
manifest among the whole body of the col
ored population Of the District"
A Remarkable Growth.
Since 1852 the coored schools have been
supported by public taxation, and have
We're SeVenty-nVe SCHOOLS, elghty-nine teach
were seventy-five schools, sixty nine teach
ers and 5,4S9 pupils In 1900, when the col
ored schools lost their Independent charac-
ter and were merged into the unified sys-
tenn the total enrolment of pupils was more
than 1900, and the number of teachers had
increased to about $50.
The credit for the great success which
they attained is due principally to Mr.
George F. 7. Cook, who was the superinten-
dent during these years. The system which
gradually and permanently developed under
his administration Is monument of which
any man may be proud, and not himself
alone, but the great army of earnest. loyal
and harmonious teachers who zealously CO.
operated with him in the great work
1t cannot be denied that under the new
system since 1900 there has been some fric-
ton. This may have resulted from a lack
of perfect adjustment on the part of the
colored people themselves in the unified or
ganization, or from some misapprehension
of their limitations and lack of appreciation
of their strivings on the part of their white
overseers. 1t may be even that those col
ored people who had desired and worked for
the unified system found in the realization
of their dream that they had been over |
sanguine In their expectations of educa-