Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1915-04-04


 liens, which were adopted, read as follows:
 AN APPEAL.
 To the white ministers, the Cham Der of Commerce, the School Board and all Christian citizens of Pine Bluff and jeffers0n county:
 The undersigned ministers of the cclcred churches of Pine Bluff desire to call the attention of the white citizens of the city and county, both Gentile and Jew to the unfortunate and deplcrable condition that exists with reference to the Branch Normal college, the only exclusively state supported school for the higher edu. cation of the negro race in Arkansas.
 As is we'll known to our white fei- low-citizens, the college which in past years accomplished a great work in educating the youth of our race along both literary and in dustrial lines. has been closed since March 15, following a walkout of the students of the freshman class, be- cause of the indignity suffered by one of it's female members al the hands of the superintendent of the college.
 We do not deem it necessary to go into detail concerning the unfortu- bearing upon the guilt or innocence jof the accused Superintendent as de- !veloped before a committee of the trustee sof the state university and a local committee on which three mem- bers of our race were placed without any power to take part in the eXami- nation of witnesses or in the findings Or report of the committee.
 The, fact that the alleged inyestiga- tion of the trouble leading to me withdrawal of large number of the students of the Branch Normal col lege was held behind closed doors and that only two witnesses were ex- amined besides the accuser and the accused, shows on it's fact how in complete and partial this alleged in-, vestigation was.
 We are informed that the members of the state university board who con- ducted the investigation at Little Rock the next day made it's Bindings, viz. "that the alleged grievance of the student body was not Sufficient to justify their action in leaving the school and that the college would therefore be ordered re-opened.'
 If this report has been made to any member Of the faculty of the Branch Normal college or been published in the city papers. it has not been called to our attention and many of Yne undersigned being naturally greatly interested in all things pertaining to the educational and material ad- vancement of the youth of Our race, have endeayored to secure copies of this report.
 The object of this appeal to Our fellow citizens of Pine Bluff and Jef- ferson county is not to arouse bad feeling in this matter or to criticise the committee for whatever finding it may have made, or 10 say anything in condemnation of the accused.
 We desire merely in that spirit ot Christian charity and meeknesS that best become the spiritual representa- tives of weak and lowly race when appealing for justice to the represen- tatives of a stronger and dominant race, to call attention to the condi- tions confronting our people because of this unfortunate affair and slml- lar affairs connected with the history of the Branch Normal college under it's present management. to which It is perhaps best for us not to reYer. < As it now stands the Branch Norm al college in which the negro youth and their parents of this section of tho state at least, have in former years taken great and pardonable nride. is now closed-and through no fault, as we see it of any member of our race connected with either the faculty or the student body.
 That the college has done great and uplifting work for the members of our race in Arkansas and has been great asset in developing the com mercial and industrial growth of Pine Bluff and Jefferson and contiguous counties we are led to believe by what we have been told by many of our good white friends, who agree with us that this as a negro educa- tional institute has contributed more largely to the educational and moral advancement of our race when under the management of an educated ana christian negro superintendent, as | was the late Prof. J.-C. Corbln, than under any subsequent management | This being 8 school established over thirty years ago for the benefl' of the negro citizenship of Arkansas: and it's history showing it to be more prosperous and beneficial to ths youth of our race when conducted and managed exclusively by eaucsi' ed Christian negro instructors. we humbly appeal to our white friends of all religious or political views, !, assist us in re-opening and restorlhl this negro college to the race foi | whose benefit it was established anf l L.r ,,riaoa,. if for m III :,