The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1911-04-05
Y,uns Gil Moael Draws Color Line IN
Chicago Art Sehsol
SIZE Wins MUCH PRAISE
Refuses to Pose Before Glass in
Which Negro Man is Included
Hereafter Negroes to be Barred
Makes Epoch in Practices of Art
Schools IN Chicago.

Hereafter negroes Will be barred
admission to the art classes IN Chi
cago. The climax to the question was
brought about last week in Chicaso
through the following incident re-
lated by the Chicago Tribune:
A beautiful girl model standing on
raised dais before Boutwood's life
class of men students raised her
hands to her throat and was about
10 fling away the long kimono that
draped her figure from the nape OF
her softly curved neck to her bare
feet.
AS she did 80 her eyes took in the
men of the class. one by one. AT last
thew rested on Thomas Downs, ne
gro. Their suddenly ths hands which
had been fumbling with the cords at
her throat paused. A deep flush
soread over the face Of the girl. Turn
ing to one of the men students IN the
first room she said in a half whisper:
"I'll not pose so long as that
.hat-biack man is in the room. You
must get him TO leave if I stay.
Downs was on his feet in an IN
slant. This was the first time IN the
history of the life classes at the Art
Institute that the color line had ever
been drawn. A half dozen other stu
dents stood up when Down did. They
'ooked at Downs and Downs looked
at them eNpectantly. Then with a
nuttered protest Downs walked slow
" to and out of the door.
An instant later the kimono had
been tossed away and the work OF
the life class was on.
That was all there was to it ex-
ceut the congratulations and ap-
nlause that came to Miss Blanha-
that is the name Of the model-afser
the class was over; but it marks TIE
beginning of new order Of things
in the life classes at the Art lnstl-
tute. From now on no negroes Will
be admitted to the classes IN which
girls pose.
There has for long time, been an
undercurrent Of protest both among
the students and the models against
compelling beautiful young girls to
pose before negroes. This feeling
never found voice until yesterday.
The models were afraid to speak for
fear of losing their positions, the girl
students remained silent in dread Of
being ridiculed for prudery, and the
men said nothing because 1t did not
seem a thing for man to talk about
Miss Blanha's action solved the Sit
uation. She did what every one
seemed to want to have done ana
what no one seemed willing to do.
Miss Ylanha-her first name IS
.Mamie-lives at S12 Southwestern
avenue. She had been chosen to pose
for the class because Of the exquls-
iteness of her figure, which is salo TO
be almost Grecian in its classlcalness.
Yesterday was her nrst appedIanee
before Boutwell's class.
"The other girls had told me what
1 was to expect when I posed before
this class said Miss Blanha. "ano
how they dreaded to do it. I made
up my mind that some one would
have to take a decisive stand ID the
matter, and as I have personally such
a great aversion to colored men that
it would have been almost impossible
for me to force myself to pose before
one of them, I determined to bring
on a crisis Of some sort. am glad
that matters have turned out as they
have With the exception OF the ne
gro student I guess every one is sat
isfed.'