Oakland sunshine., 1915-06-26
Aonssve,sn nj ot h, AssosIatiSyI,


the educational asSairs of the state
among colored people Through the
associations activities and its affiliated
organizations the colored people have
been inspired to put over S1O0s900 into
their public schools since 191i,. when
President Long was elected hex d of tie
association. lie speaking about tbs
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 e. A.
Long, principal of the Chrfstlansburg
Industrial institute. Cambria, Va. Pro
fessor Long took the leadership OF the
association at time when 1t neeSed a
strong hand to guide 1t, and within the
past four years he has organized il into
a 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 ags
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 fife they parad-
ed your streets and the drums beat,
which to some was the note OF victory,
was TO us the funeral march of slavery,
which died here, was buried at Appo-
mattox and which will rise no more The
death of slavery meant the resurrection
| of the slaves. Today, after the lapse of
half a century, new army which has
been fighting that men might have life
and have it more abundantly comes up
Ito Richmond. Those who fought and bled
and died for the country's honor AID, thus
lighting, freed the body of this people, de-
serve our gratitude and will have their
names carved In marble and bronze which
must erumble with the lapse of years, but
| those who fight In the army for the eman-
| eipaton of mems souls. my friends. will
have their names written ir the hearts
| Of a grateful people as well as inscribed
| In that hall of fame in the city with
foundations whose builder and maker is
God -
| The state association lays no claim to
| iirecting the work of the teachers in their
| lfforts to create better school conditions
| 1t furnishes. however, a means for an ex
change of experiences which always
proves helpful There is engendered a
| 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
year The first year. 1872. of which we
have any authentic record, the sum of
s15,3S3 was raised through the various
! school leagues, in 1913 $24,s93 was raised,
and in 1914 s42.923 was raised This year.
when the records are ali In, we believe II
will be over $4,000 Not counting this
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
Iby the supervising teachers under the di-
rection of our own Mr.. Jackson Davis,
who represents the most progressive sp!r-
II of the new south
1t is we'll to be proud of what has been
accomplished, but il is better to remember
what is yet to be done. According to the
VAST figures for 1928 there were rs, Al
lhildren out of school. The summarized
reports of the division superintendents
show that the capacity of the Negro
schoolhouses is l03,953, The records show,
however, that there were uI01I children
enr oiled in the schools This means that
there were 1864 more children enrolled
than could be seated in the schools. Let
us not forget that there were 26i Ill chill
Gren who were not enrolled, 1t means
that just one-fourth Of the Negro children
In The Virginia schools cannot be accom-
modated in her schoolhouses at the pres
ent time Here Is situation, my fellow
teachers that calls for your thoughtful
consideration If we cannot induce the
school authorities to build schoolhouses
for our children let us go down into cur
pockets ard build them ourselves. Some
Of the buildings in which Negro children
go to school are not fit for COW stables
We are able to build magnificent churc'
edifices in which to parade our hypooiS
and show off our fine clothes and sen
our children to a junk house to imblbt
character. They get il, 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 it into the building
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. II
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 to getting a place for the
children to go to school is the question of
keeping the schools open long enough to
make them really effective.
1t means this, that IL you will raise
money to extend the school one month
the state will put up enough to extend IL
one month; If you will extend 1t half
month the state will extend II 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 1t can be IL 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 1t to go by
default because we do not rise to our
opportunities, as was the case with the
graded school fund. I am told that a
part of this fund which was set aside
for Negro schools was never used because
no demand was made for 1t. II 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
If 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 as
men who ask mems rights.
Nine Local Business Leagues Formed.
Local Negro business leagues have
been organized recently in Camden. II
j.; Cleburne. Tex: Springfield Mo-.
A Q ~