Franklin's paper the statesman., 1912-02-03


Says It Is Not a Negro Problem If
the MaIad djustment Is Not Common to
tho Whole Group.
Philadelphia. - Professor r. X.
Wright, Jr., has recently issued in book
form extracts from his two lectures on
the sociological attitude in the study
of Negro problems, which he prepared
for and delivered to the social study
class at the university of Pennsylva-
MIA The first part tells of the atti-
tude which social students ought tc
have in the study of race problems
and the difficulties involved. The sec
ond part consists of an analysis Of the
Negro problem. The lectures attracted
considerable attention being regarded
as among the most philosophic and
logical ever delivered on the subject
at any of the leading colleges.
Under the caption the study of
Race Problems" Professor Wright
says:
''In the study of the facts in human
activity the very condition of scientific
value must be the accuracy and Impair
tiality of the observation of students
For accurate observation the student
must be tolerant and open minded. He
must be widely acquainted with the
history and condition of peoples in diff
ferent parts of the world in order to
be entirely rid of national, sectional
racial, religious and political bias.
I'm spite of his race. religion and
early education. he ought to be able
to look at the facts of society entirely
This is especially necessary in the
study of nationalities and races diff
ferent from our own. We are very
liable to underrate these peoples-to
consider their mental and physical diff
ferences and mental and physical in
feriorities; to call their religion hea-
thenish; to look upon their racial tend
encies as downward if they are not as
ours. This will give us a provincial
philosophy, but nothing Of real scien-
tific value.
"In what consists the particular and
peculiar Negro race problem of which
we hear so much? A social problem
may be said to exist with reference to
any particular group when there is in
any way maladjustment of that group
with respect to its environment. Then
the Negro problem must be social
problem of maladjustment between the
Negro group and its American environ
ment. A social problem is Negro
problem in so far as the social malad-
justment is. first, common to the great
mass of the Negro group and, second,
peculiar to it. 1t is not a Negro prob
lem If the maladjustment is not com
mon to the entire Negro group-that Is,
only Negroes suffer it. This we must
get clearly in our minds If we are to
understand the problem Of the Negro.
What the Negro Problem Is Not.
Much confusion already exists as to
just what this maladjustment is, and
to avoid further confusion careful
analysis is necessary. The average
person with whom have come in con
tact identifies in some way the Negro
problem with the problem of ignorance
and vice, or with poverty and immo-
rality, or with industrial inefficiency,
unemployment or some other patholog-
ical social condition. One says IL 1t
were not for the ignorance Of the Ne
gro there would be no problem. But
let us examine this and we will see
that the Negro problem is not prob
lem Of illiteracy or ignorance. In the
first place, illiteracy is not common to
thf atT,. fyr -
them can read and write.
"In the second place. illiteracy is not
peculiar to them as a race, for there
are more white illiterates in this coun-
try than Negro illiterates. In 1900 the
census gave 3,2OO.069 as the number
of white illiterates and 1858, 1914 as
the number of Negro illiterates in the
United States. There are, according to
the same census, fourteen times as
many white illiterates in the state Of
Pennsylvania as Negro illiterates.
"By the same authority in proportion
to population there Is less illiteracy
among the younger generation of Ne
groes living in the north than In the
same class Of whites living in the
south The throngs which come to
our great cities have a great deal more
ignorance among the foreign white
element than among the Negroes. 1t
is plain, therefore, that ignorance and
illiteracy are not the Negro problem,
although many Negroes as well as
whites are involved in the general
problem of ignorance. which has no
color whatever"