The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1911-06-23

With the close of the fiscal year at
Fisk University comes a storm Of sur
prjses to the Negroes of Nashville
The first great surprise and one that
caused general Indignation was the
attempt of the President to draw a
color line on commencement day. An
article appeared in the daily papers
that said DIR. Gates had assured the
white people of the city that if they
would come out to hear the address
of DIR. Stowe on commencement day,
he would provide separate seats for
them. When this became known the
Negroes of Nashville were indignant
beyond expression, and had it not
been that they were so anxious to
hear the discussion of the civil war
by so distinguished a man as DR..
Stowe, it is very likely that the at
tendance at this years commence
ment would have been less than it
has in many years. AS it was the
Negroes consoled themselves as best
they could with the probability that
the president had been misquoted.
Many of them were heard to say that
they know the abrupt manner in
which DIR. Gates goes at things and
how the daily papers misconstrue the
meaning of statements, but with all
of that they are still complaining
with a deep feeling of regret that any
thing might be said by the president
that could be construed in such a
way.
The Negroes always looked upor
Fisk University as theirs, in fact
they know that Negroes made it pos
sible for the Institution to be what il
is. and while it is under the Boart
of the American Missionary Society
it is a fact nevertheless that thu
famous Jubilee Singers, through
their songs raised the money to bullt
Jubilee Hall and a great portion 0
that to erect some of the other build
ings. so in truth the Negroes of thi
country can say that Fisk Universlt,
is theirs. Were it not SO, the
would not feel that there is any jus
tifcation whatever for any presiden
drawing the color line at commence
ment to get a certain class of whit
people to visit the institution to hea
an address on the civil war. The
know that the best white people c
this city have always visited the un
versity on any occasion when the
desired to, and they believe tha
those who are interested in the il
sttution will continue to do So TIL
matter was passed off as lightly a
possible, but is not forgotten by tn
people.
The fact is also becoming know
that five of the Negro teachers hay
been let out and one Of the vacanciC
has already been flied by a whit
person In the case of some of thes
the people know full we'll that the
were competent and their integrity
above question. Some of them al
Fisk graduates and have taken sp
cial post-course studies in their sp
cial line of work, but nevertheless
they have been turned away fro
their own school and it is the ge
eral opinion that the vacancies w
be filled by white teachers. Th
matter has aroused the Negroes n
only of Nashville, but of the who
country. In the case of one lad
who was serving in the capacity
nurse, lit is said that she was 81
prised to know that her servic
were no longer needed, and the on
objection to her was that the gil
confided too much in her; that tn
told her things that should have be
told to the matron and white teat
ers. Another lady who was stenc