The Tulsa star. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1913-1921, 1915-09-10
AFRO-AMER|CAN CULL|NCS

ignorance who claim tutorage. even to
have graduated at Booker Washing.
toms school. These have prejudiced
MS against an attempt to educate the
Negro
Again. We have members Of the
race living among Us giving good, In.
telligent. unpretentious service. striv.
Ing quietly for right, and working ca
pably in their line Of industry.
This Is because We do not know.
have not actually seen what is being
done for the Negro. with Alabama as
the working center
a week ago / left Birmingham for
Tuskegee. reaching there the after.
noon Of the same day. Arriving at the
depot az about two o'clock. I was driv-
en- through the quaint little town. with
its huge shade trees and colonial
homes. TO the Tuskegee Normal inst.
tute.
From the moment / entered the
grounds | saw the result Of a wonder
ful Industry small city laid OF in
streets. with parks. blooming plants
and grayeled driyeways The center,
the school plant and its workshops.
with a circular border oi well-kept
| homes, the homes OF the teachers.
/ At distance beautiful view OF grow.
Ing fields and meadows with stock
/ grazing leisureiy along. Amazed does
/ not express my impression at first. and
/ astOnishment never ceased In my
/ rounds. All OF the route from Mont.
/ gomery along the way / had noticed
/ the same old plantation shanty, the
/ wash pot and the half red dog. / could
never have imagined such transfer.
nation from existence to comfort. from
idleness TO work. could have taken
| place within so few miles OF one 10
| the other
The story reads like a fable. In
| 1851, "a years ago, there was a politi.
| cal campaign on in Macon county.
The Negro had a voice in the elections.
AS reward for political service
! promise was fulfilled to the leader OF
! the Negro yoters-"that a good teach.
er would be furnished to the Negroes
! Of Tuskegee.' Booker 7. Washington
was the tulhllment OF that promise
political product that has worked
well. He had been educated at Hamp.
ton. Va, and came in response to the
/ demand for teacher-thus the Ne
| gro race came to be in possession OF
a leader whose influence has been felt
over the world, and whose executive
a Lu.a I.1 rHH - D. NaH
out OF the barren fields in Macon coun-
| ty. Land was purchased at 81 an
acre; then that has price today. Grad.
ually the school property has .n-
creased in acreage until II numbers
1900 acres now, with 500 under cul.
tivation. Already there are IS hand.
some buildings Of brick dormitories.
study halls, dining hall, a Carnegie
library with a circulation OF 1000
books a hospital recently built and
| equipped al the cost OF $4,000: an
electric plant at a cost Of 100000 has
just been finished These bear the
names Of the philanthropists who have
made them possible. All Of the labor
has been done by the student body Of
the school-eyen the brick are made
on the premises. This is a wonderful
workshop from gateway to field. It
would take one a week 10 see the In.
dustry that is under process Of Gre
alton along all lines; and a book to
enumerate all thought and half that
saw.
The entire work Of shop and field Is
done by the student body. thus the ex.
pense OF procuring the advantages
offered by the school is very much re.
duced 20 the pupil.