The Washington bee., 1910-05-21
A SCHOOL ALONG NEW LINES

A SCHOOL ALONG NEW LINES
The National Religious Training
School and Chautauqua for the col
ored race at Durham, N. c. is now
well under way in the process of for
nation. Permanent buildings are
started. The corner stone of the
great auditorium will be laid about
the time this article goes to press.
Until the buildings are ready tenn
porary buildings and tents will be
used.
The plan and scope of this school
is unique. 1t is designed to cover a
field of educational work now at
tempted by no other institution for
the colored people That its work is
sorely needed is attested by facts
and conditions in every Negro COM
munity in the land This institution
is a connection of a man of vast ex-
perience who has personally observ-
ed actual conditions to be relieved on
a wider scale than any other living
man. The originator, DR.. Shepard,
is a thinker, philosopher and sue
cessful business man. He sees q
wide spread condition that is unhap-
by, he knows what is the remedy and
through this work proposes to apply
that remedy for the uplift of the en-
tire race. The ultimate possibilities
are so farreaching that no one can
now see where the efforts started at
Durham will end.
The place selected as the seat OF
this institution is most happy. The
basis or fundamental principal on
which this school is founded: :"Change
the man and the environments will be
changed by the man." Religion, In
dustrial Training and Literary Train
ing must 60 hand in hand. 1t is in
terdenominational in character. All
sects and denominations may send
their religious workers here to be
trained.
The above paragraphs states the
stand taken in a nutshell. Some Of
the plans so briefly stated as a plank
in this platform will take years OF
hard work to bring about an ideal
consumation. The President has ad-
visors, a body of men, no ADLER nor
wiser can be found in any organiza-
ton anywhere.
1t might be interesting to follow a
Jew of these central thoughts into
the practical field of development
The tremendous task of leading
ten million people into a more pros
porous condition, into a plane OF
higher morality and intelligence, in
to a field that would get and hold the
confidence and respect OF white
neighbors, would have discouraged a
less courageous man. But the very
things that DR.. Shepard wants to DC
are the very things the colored Peo-
ple themselves want done, so without
any doubt whatever, he will have
the united support of all, everyone
The things he wants to do away with
are the very things the colored Peo-
pie cry against. So there is no rea-
son why so able a leader should not
have a united following,
We have said this school is unique
All other schools, both industrial and
academic, will be much benefited by
the work done here because active
leaders who receive instruction here
will go back home and become ac-
tive factors in pointing out higher
and better things to the young people
who will hasten away to various
schools. Our work is to train minis
tiers, evangelists, deaconesses, set
tlement workers, by NJ. c. A. and Y
w. {. A. secretaries and missionar-
les. All these you will perceive are
leaders and as such come in contact
with many others. These leaders at
this school will be taught Just the
things that they need to know to
make them more intelligent and eff