Oakland sunshine., 1915-06-12
sAcn.svs,,snt q .ao AssooIsfissI.

OF the Negro Teachers Association Of
Virginia. Under his direction this or
ganization has become a vital force In
the educational aEairs Of the state
among coIored people. Through the
associations activities and its aflliated
organizations the colored peopse have
been inspired TO put over $100s,O0 into
their public schools since 1914, when
President Long was elected hesd or tie
association IL speaking a&out this
good showing prominent educator has
the following to say Of President Long:
"A moving force In this good showing
for Improvement in Virginia Is the as.
sociation's president. Professor d. A.
Long. principal Of the Christiansburg
Industrial institute. Cambria. Va. Pro
fessor Long took the leadership OF tine
association at a time when it neeSad
strong hand to guide 1t. and within the
past four years he has organized It into
vital. active force for carrying for
ward the work of educational efficiency
and social uplift throughout the state"
President Longs Annual Address.
! In his annual address President Long
said in part:
\ 1t is significant that just fifty years age
another army captured Richmond Mid
the din of battle and the clash of arms
they came into your city. With stream
Ing banner and shrieking flfe they parad-
ed your streets. and the drums beat
which to some was the note Of victory,
.wvn~ u. 49, -
which died here. was buried at Apo
mattox and which win rise no more. The
death OF slavery meant the resurrection
Of the slaves. Today. after the lapse of
half century. new army which has
been fighting that men might have life
and have II more abundantly comes up
Ito Richmond. Those who fought and bled
and died for the country's honor Scd. thus
lighting. freed the body of this people de-
serve our gratitude and will have their
names carved In marble and bronze which
must crumble with the lapse Of years. but
\ those who fight In the army for the eman-
\ eipation of mems souls, my friends, viii
have their names written In the hearts
\ Of grateful people as well as inscribed
\ In that haIl OF fame in the city with
foundations whose builder and maker Is
God
| The state association lays no claim to
ifforts to create better school conditions
| It furnishes. however. means for an ex.
change OF experiences which always
iproves helpful There is engendered
friendly rivalry between teachers which
helps nightly in the spread of profes
sional zeal We do collect what has been
done by the teachers under their various
agencies and thus keep somewhat of a
record of the progress made from year to
i year The first year, 1912. of which we
have any authentic record, the sum of
$15. sS3 was raised through the various
|! school leagues, in 1913 1883 was raised.
and in 1914 s42.923 was raised. This year.
when the records are all In. we believe II
will be over $4,000. Not counting thE
year. however, more than $4,000 has been
put into the public schools by the Negro
people of Virginia These figures do not
include work of which no reports were
made to this organization. These splendid
results have been made possible largely
by the supervising teachers under the di-
rection of our own Mr.. jackson Davis,
who represents the most progressive spir-
/ 1t of the new south.
1t is we'll to be proud of what has been
accomplished, but II is better to remember
what is yet to be done. According to the
last figures for 1928 there were 26.Aa
children out OF school The summarized
reports of the division superintendents
show that the capacity Of the Negro
schoolhouses IS 1oss5s- The records show.
however, that there were 117.017 children
enrolled In the schools. This means thu;
there were 1864 more children enrolled.
than could be seated in the schools Let
us not forget that there were &,fll chill
dren who were not enrolled 1t means
that Just ons-fourth Of the Negro children
In the Virginia schools cannot be accom-
H. nz1xzN I. ~
ent time Here is a situation, my fellow
teachers. that calls for your thoughtful
consideration. II we cannot induce the
school authorities to build schoolhouses
for our children let US go down into our
pockets and build them ourselves. Some
Of the buildings in which Negro children
20 to school are not fit for COW stables
We are able to build magnificent churcl
edifces in which to parade our hypocla~
and show off our fine clothes and seiiG
our children to junk house to imbibt
character. They get 1t. too. of the kind
that fills the Richmond penitentiary with
youthful offenders.
Effect of Environment on Character.
When we learn to properly appreciate
the effect which environment has upon
the formation of character we are going
to take some Of the money used In these
fine churches and put 1t into the building
of better schools. How about that.
Brother Preacher? Perhaps you don't
like this kind OF talk, but want to say
here that the time has come when you
ministers Of the Gospel have got to preach
less about mansions in the skies and more
about better schoolhouses In Virginia. If
you don't some OF those same mansions
are going to have the For Rent" sign
hung on them for lack Of tenants NEXT
in Importance te getting place for the
children to go to school is the question Of
keeping the schools open long enough to
make them really effective.
II means this. that IL you win raise
money to extend the school one month
the state will put up enough to extend II
one month: II you viii extend 1t a half
month the state will extend It another
half With this opportunity before us
every Negro school In the state ought to
be brought up to an average Of at least
seven months And It can be II you
teachers will take hold of the matter In
earnest Conference with some OF the
officers OF the department Of public In
struction has convinced me that they are
anxious to have our schools get their pro-
portion of this fund. Surely we cannot
be SO negligent as to allow II to go by
default because we do not rise to our
opportunities as was the case with the
graded school fund / am told that Q
part of this fund which was set aside
for Negro schools was never used because
no demand was made for 1t. 1t Is time.
my fellow teachers. that we were waking
up and claiming our own. We have stood
back too long, scared to present our needs
because OF being afraid of losing our jobs
IL we ask for what is due us. Let US stand
up and plead our cause. not in anger not
In bitterness. neither by cringing nor
fawning. but respectfully and firmly a.
men who ask mems rights.