The Denver star., 1913-09-06
STATE TO
BAR SLAVERY
NOT ANTAGoNISTIC TO RACE

W. mn bOO OOVIO ~ Y lihOI
Ohio has the honor of having th'
leading university in America for th'
higher education of the colored race
Wilberforce university, near Nenia. in
Greene county. which was established
before the civil war. and is not only
the greatest but the oldest institution
of learning of this character in the
country.
Ohio's attitude toward slavery and
the Negro race has been unique from
the beginning. 1t was the first state
admitted to the Union in which slav-
cry was prohibited before it was first
settled, and yet it is the only state i'll
the Union with a constitution that
says that a man must be white to have
the right to vote. and only last year
Ohio refused by majority vote to re-
move this joker. white" from its or
ganic law. Yet the state Is not antag-
onistic to the Negro. for 1t is one Of
the very few northern states that sup
port a state university exclusively for
colored students.
While there are numerous small col
leges. there are only about half doz-
en- great universities in America for
the higher education of the Negro race
Atlanta university, Fisk at Nash
Vile, Howard at Washington. Shaw
at Raleigh. Leland at New Orleans and
Wilberforce at Xenia. and Wilber-
force stands at the head Of the list
Behexipx thAt. the taxpeyers o. Olio
should know more about Wilberforce
university and the use 1t is making of
the money appropriated by the state.
representative of the auditor of states
office attended the recent commence
ment and inspected every department
of the institution, investigated the
financial affairs. economy of manage
ment and quality of instruction and
endeavored to find out whether its
work is real and permanent benefit
to the colored race.
1t was an agreeable surprise to find
an utter absence of caste and clannish-
ness at Wilberforce. There are no ar
tificial distinctions created by wealth.
There is no indulgence in social prodi-
gality, and the students are a homoge-
neous body. all enjoying the same priv
ileges and opportunities and the nee
eSSaTN iuuudl eAPeuSe Is 81 Siuaii tha@
one marvels how such economy is pos
sible
We hear so much about Negro illit-
eracy in America that few realize what
remarkable progress the race has
made, especially during the past score
of years. When we contemplate the
past condition of the Afro-American
and consider the blighdng effects men,
tally and morally of $50 years Of servi-
| tude, when we remember that slaves
were treated as animals and deprived
of all educational opportunities and
| that in most southern states it was
crime to teach a Negro his letters. and
even in the north they were excluded
from the public schools. 1t is truly re-
markabe the progress the race has
made.
But while the Negro was deprived
for many years of public school ad-
vsntages in Ohio he was not lacking in
desire to educate his children. and
the first private Negro school in Ohio
was opened In Cincinnati In 1920. but
soon failed 1t was re-opened in 1882
and was largely conducted by students
from the Lane seminary.
The seminary authorities prohloiteu
the teaching of Negro pupils by stu
dents of Lane, and fifty students
withdrew from the seminary and en-
tered Oberlin college. Through their
influence Oberlin was opened to Negro
students in 1885, and James Bradley. a
Negro of Cincinnati who entered Ober-
lin college soon after, was the first
Ohio colored college student In the his
tory OF the state. Oberlin has the
honor of having graduated more color
ed students than any other college for
whites In the north.
The first move to furnish seminary
of learning for the colored race In
Ohio originated with Daniel A. Payne.
self educated Negro Of Charleston.
8. c.. As result Of his efforts Union
seminary. near Columbus. was organ
lied In 1874 That Payne was one of
the great benefactors Of his race and
had rare foresight is shown by the
fact that the school was started on
the manual training plan. Union sem
mary by reason OF location and other
circumstances made slow growth. but
II was the pioneer and contributed
largely to the founding OF Wilberforce
university and was finally In iSf' con
| solidated with the latter Institution.