The Denver star., 1914-12-12
STEADY ADVANCE
IN EDUCATION
Success Of High School Ia
Birmingham, Ala.
BEGAN IN HUMBLE QUARTERS

Practical Results Obtained Through
Many Agencies For the intellectual
and Moral Bstterment of Our People
In Great Southern Metropolis-Dr. J.
n. Phillips True Friend.
Birmingham. Ala.-With an enroll
ment of nearly 400 students. with prac-
tical departments in kitchen and laun-
dry work. manual training. shoe re-
pairing. umbrella mending. pressing.
dyeing. sewing. tailoring. basketry and
other vocations. the high school. here Is
proceeding along the right lines, in just
the way that will most help the young
people of the Negro race. says Ethel
Armes, in the Birmingham News.
Many of them can work their own way
throughout the four years course,
make sufficient money for their books.
clothing and food and at the same time
acquire a trade which Will equip them
for earning their livelihood at, once
upon graduation.
The whole scheme is new to Birming-
ham. and comparatively little is known
outside of the board of education of
the practical results gained by this
high school. Given encouragement.
more space. more equipment, this
school will in time take its place along
side the big TuskeSec institute and
stand representative in this section of
Ala baIna for perhaps the best achieve
ment of the Negro race in this locality.
With the juvenile court work done
here for and by the colored people. the
Acipco COlored Y. NJ. G. A. and the 7.
c. l. educational work for the race. the
high school is one of the strong regen-
erative forces for good in the Birming-
ham district.
The high school is located in the East
Birmingham neighborhood, in Lanes
Vile 1t is Il heavy barn of building.
stolid. ugly. queer looking and patched
all over, looming sheer up from the
sidewalk like the huge battered hulk OF
an old wooden ship. 1t was built orig
inally for Il theater and dance hall by
one "Wahouma Lane" an Indian doc
tor from the black belt who, having
made sum of money. came to this
city in the early days with the idea of
building an adjoining city-the city"
OF Lanesville. He started with the
Hotel Emma" and this Lane Audi
torium.'
"Having more money than sense" A.
H. Parker. superintendent Of the high
i school, says. las Lanes carpenters
soon found out. Lane was persuaded to
keep adding more stories to this audi
torium. His carpenters used plenty of
lumber and built everything solid
Then on the top they added the thea
ter. BY that time Wahouma's funds.
gave out. and he disappeared"
Since the school was established the
entire neighborhood has changed. Ev
erybody takes an interest in its prog
ress and keeps a personal watch over
the school property. A. II. Parker has
been teaching in the public schools of
this town for twenty seven years. He
was born in Ohio, attended Oberliu
university for one year. then came
here, where he started to teach in the
graded schools. The high school for
colored youths was started fourteen
years ago by Superintendent Parker in
single room in the old Cameron build
ing. The first class comprised eighteen
other class and another teacher We're
added. BY 1914 three rooms were EN-
ployed and there were four teachers.
Today they are using an entire three
story building and three outlying cot
tages and have twelve teachers and an
enrolment of 3S1 students.
Four years ago the industrial feature
was added which makes the school so
unique. SO effective and so practical an
institution From the very beginning
Or. ]. Fl. Phillips. superintendent of
city schools. gave every effort In his
power to aid in the evolution of this in-
dustrial high school, He understood
the special needs Of the colored race in
Birmingham. and, backed by the board
of education. he has worked indefat
igably and sometimes against heavy
odds to plant the school on solid foun-
dations in this community. Superin-
teudent Parker speaks with enthusi-
asm OF the constant aid and co-opera-
ton and suggestive ideas given by DR..
Phillips
He has assigned to us the very best
teachers II Is possible to get in Bir.
mingham. We have II strong faculty
some remarkable men and women
teachers When one sees these teach
ers one Is not surprised at the good
results that have been accomplished.
Superintendent Parker says The thir-
teen classes that have graduated so
far contained In nll seventy boys and
cishty-flve girls. a total Of 1856.
What are they doing? The question
may well be asked. for the maintenance
of this school represents considerable
money invested by the city. 1t repre-
sents also the sacrifice of the service
these young colored people might have
rcndared In their homes and the WAGES