The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1919-09-13
NATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR
TIE EDUCATION Of THE NEGRO.

AcDIlutCu lNOili INC A1uuNotAOhoA Nv
view, VOL S., No. !. June, 1919.
The Fourteenth Amendment to the
Constitution made the Negro citi-
zen Of the United States. BY fiat Of
law the status of the chattel was
suddenly transformed into that Of
the citizen. The National Govern
ment is wholly responsible for the
creation Of Negro citizenship, a re-
sponsibility which involves the obli-
gaton to prepare him for his new
function in the government Car
ried away by the heat and hysteria
OF war, the craftsmanship Of that
period did not consider all Of the
consequences growing out Of this
momentous act. II was deemed sufii-
Gent to invest the newly emancipated
slave with garb Of citizenship, with
out preparing him to wear the unac-
customed garb becomingly. His edu-
cation was left to the afflicted states,
which had recently been disrupted
and disorganized by the ruinous raw
ages OF war. The Inflated Freedmen's
Bureau undertook in some slight
measure to fulfill THE national obli-
CATION But for the most part the
freedman was left to shift for him
self in his upward struggle from lg-
norance to enlightenment. II was
hoped that his enfranchisement might
enable him to exert the requisite in
fiuence on the policy Of the several
states, leading to the establishment
of adequate educational provision.
Amidst all the inperfections and mis-
deeds of reconstruction, actual or al
legged, there stands out In bold relief
one clear redeeming feature. Actual
ed by the purpose Of qualifying the
Negro for the proper exercise Of his
citizenship function, the reconstruc-
tion governments established the pub
lie school system in the several
southern states. One searches In
vain for any record of southern
craftsmanship, before or since the
Civil War, fraught with greater bene-
fits to both races than the public
provision for the education Of all
citizens, established by the much
maligned reconstruction governments.
But actual experience soon demon
strated what prudent provision should
have foreseen, namely, that the re-.
Gently impoverished and distracted
southern states were not, OF them
selves, able to maintain adequate
school system for the efficient educa-
ton OF both races. There heroic
efforts must be supplemented by ma
tional provision, or else the South
for many generations must lag be-
hind other sections of the nation.
and the efficiency of the nation. as
a whole, will be seriously impaired.
We are apt to be misled by statis-
tics of illiteracy showing the re-
markable rapidity with which the Ne
gro is acquiring the use Of letters,
Beginning practically at the zero
point of literacy, at the time Of his
emancipation. the rate Of literacy had
arisen to 70.6 per cent In 1910. The
rapidity with which the Negro race
has been literalized. has been consid-
cred the most marvellous attainment
az the past century. In the the
period OF fifty years a considerable
majority OF It's members has learned
the use OF letters This is much
larger per cent than is shown by
many OF the historic races Of the
old world.
The mere technical acquisition NJ
letters, however, Is a matter of very
simple attainment. A few months
schooling is sufficient 10 communicate
to the Individual the oral and phone
etic symbols of knowledge, and the
method OF combining them into writ
ten and spoken speech The letter.
n the alphabet constitute a key with
twenty six notches. which unlocks the
accumulated storehouse OF the wis
dom ana experience Of mankind Brit
the mere possession OF this mystic
key is Of little value unless the WELD
er has previous appreciation Of
the wealth of wisdom which the
storehouse contains The Red In
dian or any other savage peoples
might ACQUIRE the ability to read and
write with a single generation but
II thev stu cling to their ancestori-
al and traditional ways. without the
curiosity OF incentive to understand
the secret and method of civilization,
would be OF little more value than
curious intellectual gymnastic. AL
tho 70 per cent Of the Negro race
can read and write. comparatively a
small fraction of that number actual
" do make an efficient use OF their
attachments. In the states which re-
duire llteracy test for the exercise
of franchise. the great bulk of Negroes
es are excluded because of their ir-
ability to meet this simple test; al
belt the statistics Of such states show
a high average Of Negro literacy. OF
course It would be unbecoming to
intimate that a sovereign state would
be guilty of the deep dishonor OF de-
priving its citizens of fundamental
rights by cunning device or tricky
contrivance. Statistics Of illiteracy
are misleading because the individ-
ual's pride which indisposes him to
have his ignorance acknowledged and
recorded, often leads him TO render
misleading answer to the query of
the enumeration.
At Camp DODGE. where there were
5000 Negro conscripts from Alabama,
III OnG VI WAOtAAf unOCi inC| wi MS vi
conscription. was over 81 years OF
age. the Young Mems Christian AS
sociation found that over rs per cent
Of them were unable to read or write
effectively, notwithstanding the fact
that the rate of Negro illiteracy in
Alabama, according to the federal
statistics. is only 40.1 per cent. There
is one conspicuous outstanding fact
that the great majority OF the Negro
race are not able to make use Of
literary knowledge to improve their
efficiency, or measure up the stand
ard OF an enlightened citizenship.
When we considered the woeful in
adequacy OF provision made for Ne
gro education. there is left no room
to marvel because of this alarming
result. According to reports just is
sued by the Bureau Of Education. the
State Of Alabama expends $1.7S per