The Colorado statesman., 1912-02-10
What. THE negro
PROBLEM IS NOT
Subject Considered From an
ImoeRsonaI Point of View
FACTS ABOUT ILLlTERACY
PROF. r. r. WRIGHT IN socIo-
LOGICAL TREATMENT OF THE
GREAT QUESTION SAYS 1T Is
NOT A NEGRO PROBLEM If THE
MALADJUsTMENT is NOT CON-
MON TO THE WHOLE GROUP.

NOT A NEGRO PROBLEM IF THE
MALADJUsTMENT is NOT CON-
MON TO THE WHOLE GROUP.
Philadelphia.-Prof r. r. 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 Pennsyl-
vania. The first part tells Of the at
titude which social students ought to
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 at
tracted considerable attention, being
regarded as among the most philo-
sophie and logical ever delivered on
the subject at any of the leading col
leges.
Under the caption the STUDY of
Race Problems" Professor Wright
says:
I'm the study of the facts in human
activity the very condition of scien-
tific value must be the accuracy and
impartiality of the observation of stu
dents. For accurate observation the
student must be tolerant and open
minded He must be widely acquaint-
ed with the history and condition of
peoples in different parts of the world
in order to be entirely rid of national.
sectional. racial. religious and politi-
cal bias.
I'm spite of his race, religion and
early education, he ought to be able
to look at the facts of society entirely
from an impersonal point of view.
This is especially necessary in the
study of nationalities and races differ
ent from our own. We are very liza
BILE to underrate these peoples-to
consider their mental and physical
differences and mental and physical
inferiorities; to call their religion
heathenish; to look upon their racial
tendencies as downward If they are
not as ours. This will give us a pro-
vincial philosophy, but nothing of real
scientific value.
I'm what consists the particular
and peculiar race problem of which
we hear so much? 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 a social
problem of maladjustment between
the negro group and its American
environment. A social problem is a
negro problem in so far as the social
maladjustment is, first. common to
the great mass of the negro group
and, second, peculiar to it. 1t is not
a negro problem If the maladjustment
is not common to the entire negro
group-that is, only negroes suffer
1t. This we must get clearly in our
minds If we are to understand the
problem of the negro.
Much confusion already exists as
to just what this maladjustment is,
and to avoid further confusion c"re-
full analysis is necessary. The aver
age person with whom | have come in
contact identifies in some way the
negro problem with the problem of
| ignorance and vice, or with poverty
and immortality, or with industrial in
efficiency, unemployment or some
other pathological social condition.
One says if it were not for the ignor
ance of the negro there would be no
problem. But let us examine this and
we will see that the negro problem is
not a problem of illiteracy or ignor
ance. In the first place. illiteracy is
not common to the negro race, for
the majority of 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 country than negro illiterates.
In 1900 the census gave 3,200,069 as
| the number of white illiterates and
2,S53,194 as the number of negro IL
literates in the United States. There
are, according to the same census.
| fourteen times as many white litter
ates in the state of Pennsylvania as
negro illiterates.
"By the same authority in proper
tion to population there is less Hitter
acy among the younger generation of
negroes living in the north than in
the same class of whites living in the
south. The throngs which come to
our great cities have great deal
more ignorance among the foreign
white element than among the ne
groes. 1t is plain, therefore, that ig-
norance and illiteracy are not the ne
gro problem, although many negroes
as we'll as whites are involved in the
general problem of ignorance. which
has no color whatever"