Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1919-03-15
KING CALLS STATE
BAPTISTS TO ANNUAL CON-
VESTION.
Continued from First Page.)

d III this great war, while all men
physically Sit wore called to the colors
the iliitcrate man had to go with Il
pick, and only mon of schooling were
counted TT for the soldiery, and only
college men tit for officers.
Virginia contributed through the
draft, afty-oight thousand men
Census OF 1910 gives tho white pop
ulation Of Virginia, 1,390,516. This
white population contributed through
the draft thirty thousand mon, or
about two per cent. Tho same cen
sus gives the colorod population Of
Virginia as 67l,096. Out OF this
number, the colored people contri-
buted twcnty-oight thousand drafted
men, or about four per cont.
Virginia supports $50 high schools
b47 for the education Of whites and
5 for the education Of co'orcd. This
shows how large our contribution to
our state and country and how poor
hhd inadeEuate its provision is for
us. There arc several colleges In tho
state run for whites, on State money
and not college anywhere supported
Ivy the state OF Virginia in which Il
colored man may enroll as student
and TO aspire to q profcssorship is
ridiculous.
Out OF flvo high schools run for
colored, only one purportS TO give 4
fun high school course, and only one
Is presided over by q cOlored princi-
pal, tho others by white men, whose
very presence robs tho colorcd stu
dent OF the spirit OF aspiration. His
culture Is not assimilatcd by the
student, because Of tho volumes of
cold air between them, for he does
not enter into the moral and social
life Of those he instructs and cannot
therefore he an clcvating force among
them.
With these cold facts and hard
problems confronting us, is it not up
to us TO give our boys and girls Il
chance by building and operating at
least one institution in Virginia with
high school anu college grades, every
door OF which stands open to that
poor, oppressed and segregated col
ored American, standing with tears
in his eyes begging for chance, and
every Office and profcssOrship may
be occupied by black men OF worth
and efficiency, who can pronounce the
shibholoth OF such worthy principles?
While the oppressed races Of earth
are being emancipatcd by those
weary OF oppression, may we not
strike blow in our own behalf, not
to the injury OF anyone else, but for
the help Of ourselves? Is 1t not
possible that while one class OF
Americans are keeping us out OF
colleges which We cannot control, and
another moro sympathetic class holds
open the northern and western uni
versities to US and build and support
chain OF schools for us In that
territory whore colleges are closed to
us. our bensfactors may grow weary
Of waiting for US to learn to walk
and shoulder our own responsible
tissf
The eolored American hos demon
strated in this great world war that
ho fs n character OF great resource
fulnese. all things In common, he Is
hard to excel. In this supreme hour
OF reconstruction. may We not enlist
this great atrsngth In building insti-
tutions OF learning for tho uplift OF
mankind and play our part in great
world Movensnts3 We should not
give our school at Lynehburs q cent
less than s76,e0O.c0 q year directly
from tho churches, through the con-
vention.
This Is . church school and de-
ponds upon khe churches for It's bread
and butter. This fact should be
carefully borno in mind by every
colored Baptist church in sympathy
with a movement by colored Baptists
for colored Baptists. Colored folks
OF tho South whore tho masses Of lis
live arc dependent solely upon tho
churches for higher training Shall
We do our best to give it to them, or
ohan We nloep on In blindness and
ignorance?
Despite tho migratory movements
in the southland Indefinitely
and tho churches and leaders every
whore. are doing most for the race
when they help to build racial insti-
tutions In that territory where tho
great body OF our people reside
where the largest percentage OF illit-
eracv ts, where the school system for
colored is so inadequate, and where
the colleges are shut In our faces.
Men! Ye valiant men OF God called
to great work. let us tell Heaven
a great work, let us tell Heaven
about our deplorablo state, the
thousands OF iniusticcs we wcrr as
chains about our necks, the mvriads
OF restrictions tFae tcttcr us. and the
tons OF adverse SENTIMENT nodded to
our uctriment by those who owe us
a helping hand. Imploro the throne
above for strength and cooperation
and go after our task like men.
Let lis lift tho binding caps Of
prejudice from our eyes and zee each
other as fe'low-sufferers and victims
OF m unjust segregation and discrim-
nation. Let us forget any and every
unpleasant thought Of past msunder-
standings growing out OF difference
OF yiew-points, let us realize that IL
we would get upon the mountain top
whore tho air is filIed with the breath
OF the great and the noble, where
tho sky is clear and tho horizon ex-
tended. We must climb in our
strength and In the strength OF a
SuDr0mely mat God nv tho .waot re