The Colorado statesman., 1916-04-08
AFRO-AMER|CAN CULL|NCS

Anyone hearing the word prepared
ness spoken these days Immediately
associates with it the training of ar,
mics and the building of battleships.
But to Mrs. Mary Mcleod Bethune.
who came to New York the other day
from Daytona, Fla, the term stands
for the preparedness of the Negro race
for true citizenship, preparedness con-
sisting of moral, spiritual. industrial.
and intellectual training.
Mrs. Bethune, Negro woman, is the
founder of the Industrial Training
School for Negro Girls at Daytona.
She understands the failings of her
people and is working hard to elimi
nate their undesirable habits. Herself
the daughter of parents who had been
under the scourge of slavery, she ap
preciates that vice and slothfulness
are largely due to an ignorance of the
laws of right living, and that the rem.
edy lies in proper education.
With this idea in mind, Mrs Bethune
set to work. Having made study of
the moral and industrial conditions of
the Negro, she went to Daytona in
October, 1911, and began her work.
With only $1.50 in her pocket but a
wealth of faith in my heart" as she
put it. she managed to rent a little
shanty. This she furnished with
benches made of old dry goods boxes
and other castoffs that the people had
offered her. Her pupils were five little
girls, whom she was going to inspire
with the idea of the dignity of labor"
But first she had to overcome preju-
dice. The white people of the district
felt that the school was going to teach
the Negroes that they were too good
to work; the Negro population. on the
other hand, thought chat the school
was going to force them into degrad-
ing service.
Aside from this, the problem of
money was the greatest. This Mrs.
Bethune overcame by interesting
James N. Gamble of the Proctor &
Gamble company. in her work. She
invited him and other sojourners OF
Daytona. which is a winter resort, to
her school. had them sit on her i'm
provised benches, and told them her
plans. When he left, Mr.. Gamble had
promised sufficient amount of money
to build a larger school and had
agreed to become trustee. The
scho6. was built and soon became pop
ular among the people, who realized
the value of the work. 1t now boasted
of seventy-eight pupils, who were be-
ing trained along industrial and aca-
demie lines. Among the subjects
taught were domestic science, sewing,
laundry work, and dressmaking. and.
of course. there were academic sub
jects. That was the beginning of Mrs.
Bethune's work. In going among the
people she discovered that there was
lack of home life and an absence of
pride in personal and property appear
ance. She spoke to the people,
showed them that they themselves
we're the cause of their poverty and
degradation. and almost Immediately
Fences were mended. houses white
washed. and gardens weeded. 1T has
been struggle and a sacrifice" Mrs.
Bethune went on. But | remember
the difficulties l myself have had.
was born in log cabin in the cotton
fields of South Carolina. We were
seventeen children. all cropping in the
darkness, but there was a deep long
ing in my heart for light. When
grew up longed to do something for
my race, especially for the girls and
women. for they are the keepers of
the home. believed that my peoples
starting mint must he relipion and in