The Washington bee., 1910-05-14
The Color Line
DRAWING THE COLOR LINE
AT OBERLIN

\ ODENllN
(From the Cleveland Plain-Dealer.l
Undergraduates of Oberlin are
drawing sharp lines of discrimination
against the Negro. Old alumni can
hardly believe it. Professors and
college officials nevertheless admit
race prejudice has slowly but surely
eaten its way into the social vitals OF
the institution. Letters of protest are
pouring into the college town by the
score. Public Indignation meetings
are being held by graduates through
out the state.
And yet the Negro IS beyond ques-
ton barred from enjoying his class
mates privileges in Oberlin Liter
airy societies which profess to be op-
en- to membership without consider
alton of race or color have lately is
sued the edict against the Negro,
Choirs in churches whose history is
a real part of that Of the college arc
turning a deaf ear to the application
Of the Negro singer. College board
ing houses no longer will allow the
Negro to eat at the same table with
the white man.
In athletics conditions are much
the same. A Negro may try for any
of the teams but he finds it hard to
land a place. The track team man
agement has issued an uitimatum to
the Negro students to the effect that,
when the team goes to Columbus this
spring, Negro athletes will have to
find their own hotel quarters and
shift for themselves.
Athletic Teams Complain
For years track teams have had tc
put up, it is said. with accommoda-
tiors at inferior hotels on account OF
the Negro. But this state of affairs
will exist no longer, The Negro
student can make the track team
hereafter but the rules are made so
stringent he would much prefer not
to take any part in Oberlin athletics.
1t is the same in baseball and foot
ball, according to college instructors.
Negroes are not actually barred from
the teams but they might as we'll be
| it is asserted, The boys make 1t en-
barrasing for their Negro teammates
at every opportunity.
The literary societies OF the col
lege have taken the most decided
stand in the race question Alpha
Zeta, Phi Delta and Phi Kappa Pi,
three of the mems literary organiza-
.ions, have barred Negroes from their
enrolment lists. This action was
taken during the past winter.
About a year ago a Negro applied
for membership in one of the college
societies, but was rejected. Later
strong pressure was brought to bear
upon the undergraduates by the
alumni so that the bars were let
down again for the admission OF the
Negro.
Feeling TnVades Glass Rooms
More recently the rising tide oi
prejudice has flooded the college
Ihalls. 1t has flowed into some of the
classrooms. In one of the Bible
study courses, so pronounced was th'
feeling that separate sections had t.
be organized, with the white me'
students in one division and the Ne
| groes in another. Then the boarding
house keepers yielded to racial preju
/ dice, it is said. with the result tha
| Negroes can no longer sleep and ca
under the same roof with white men
/ Officers of the college, prOminen
alumni all over the country and lead
ing educators look upon this move o
the Oberlin undergraduates with dis
favor. The osuacism Of the Negro i
not sanctioned by the faculty. Pro
| fessors are up in arms because of tn,
attitude of the students.
| Close followers of Oberlin's his
tory declare the action of the under
graduates is a blow to the prestig,
of the institution. For three-quar
ters of a century, since the establish
ment of the college, it has been it
lpolicy to extend a cordial welcome Il
all nationalities. Never was there 4;
trace of the color line in Oberlin. TIL,
lcollege motto. unoficially, wa
equality for all. whether white OF
black"
Some of the professors call tn.
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