The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-09-07
Provision For Negroes

'The board was confronted with an- other difficult problem. that of providing proper accommodations for the negro youth of the city. The shifting of the negro population in the territory east of Twentieth street made it difficult to select a site in any section that could be regarded as a permanent negro settle ment The pupils of the Thomas school were occupying insanitary quarters in the basement of a negro church on the corner of Third avenue and Twenty-fifth street. Some years ago, a site 100 by 140 feet, situated on the southwest corner of the same street and avenue had been purchased, with the intention of erect ing thereon a negro school for this sec ton of the city. The rapid development of all properties in the vicinity of the Terminal station. changed the complex ion of the neighborheod and 1t was nec- essary to seek a site elsewhere for this street was sold for the sum of $2o00O and site 400 by 14O feet was bought for the sum of sS000. This site is located on Sec ond avenue between Thirty-fourth and Thirty-hfth streets. Plans were at once drawn, and contracts were let for sub stantial brick building containing 2i class rooms The building will be pro- vided with modern heating and sanitary equipment, and will be the first modern school building erected for the negroes in the county.
 This work. which have here sketched in outline was confined to the old city limits This might be regarded as labor enough for the Board of Education with in the space of one year But, on the first day of January. 1910, with the advent of the Greater Birmingham, more serious problems were presented for your consid- eration. Early In the new year, in com rany with the city building inspector, the ch'ef of the fire department the fnspec- tor of plumbing and superintendent of schools, the board visited each of the school buildings in the annexed territory and made a careful inspection of the grounds buildings and equipment. It vas found that only few of these schools have buildings that are adequate. prop erly constructed. and equipped with mod ern heating and sanitary facilities.
 'The Elyton school, the Graymont school and the Hemphill school at West End occupy modern buildings that are we'll constructed and properly equipped. These buildings require only minor re- pairs and improvements to make them entirely satisfactory. A new school build ing at Pratt City had been planned and the foundations of the structure laid, when it was turned over to this board. This building, when completed and fur nished will cost about s50,0oo. This build ing is expected to be ready by the open ing of the next session in September. Of the six school buildings for white children In the Ensley district, none was found adequate and properly provided with heating and sanitary facilities: in two instances the building inspector threatened to have the buildings closed IS unsafe, unless certain repairs were made at once. The repairs were Immediately
 
 brick and one frame, will have to be en- tirely rebuilt if they are to be made ab- solutely safe and sanitary.
 ''The Fairyiew and Vivian schools are fairly well constructed, but are too small and lacking in proper sanitation. The Ensley high school building had already been planned and the contracts had been let for the completion of eight rooms This work was to nave been done with q part of the proceeds of bonds sold by the city of Ensley The funds set aside for this purpose proved to be insufficient and this board is making every effort to provide the means necessary and equip eight rooms of the building by the open ing of the September session.
 'The Barrett school at East Lake, the Central school at Woodlawn and the North Birmingham school. occupy build iigs that are fairly well constructed and ecuinped. In each of these buildings important changes and improvements in the heating and sanitary facilities are reauired. The Gibson and Kennedy schools at East Lake is entirely de- void of sanitary equipment, and is too small to accommodate that section of the city. The Seventeenth avenue school oc- cupies a six-room building. which is in- adeouate in every respect, and will re- ouire an addition of several class rooms.
 wretchedIy Equipped
 "The negroes of the annexed district are wretchedly equipped at present In the matter of school buildings. At Pratt. the site of the old negro school had been sold and a contract let for a small frame building. This contract was continued