Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-04-20
DENIES COMMUNITY
CENTER ACTIVITIES
ARE MlSC0NDUCTED
Miss Cecil Norton Defends
Work Before School
Investigators.

Warmly defending the activities Of
I the community centers in the public
| schools. Miss Cecil Norton. secretary
| of the community centers. today re-
i piled to attacks upon dances held at
Dunbar High School by Principal
Wilkinson, before the Senate COM
mit,ee investigating the public
schools. :,
Miss Norton insisted that all the
dances held under the auspices ol the
community centers. both In DUNBAR
High School and In the other schools:
had Sbeen properly chaperoned ana
controlled. She resented. she said. the
criticism which has been made that
any of the dances were similar 10
those in public dance halls.
Miss Norton said that the value ana
ouality of dances could not De meas
ured by the price of admission.
Miss Norton insisted that Principal
WILKINSON in his testimony before the
committee had inisrepresented the
fact, regarding the Dunbar dances.
ynlue Lies in Acquaintance.
She explained the work of the com
munity centers in some detail. The
value of the community centers was
found. she said. in the acquaintahees
developed. in the educational 1eatures.
in the discussions, in entertainments
and in cooperation. She said there
are nineteen community centers oper-
atinp. ten white and nine colored.
.The only activities in the commu-
nity centers which has been dweit on
here at the hearings was the dancine'
said Miss Norton Ihere are very
MANY other activities of the commu- :
nity centers, and l should say that at
least so per cent are of educationai
value; would even say IS per cent.
Senator Walsh sa'd that what the
committee wanted TO know was mad
there been any abuses IN any OF tne
dances given under the auspices OF
the community center. that the COM
mittee had no doubt that many of the
activities Of the community centers
were admirable.
."There has never been dance under
the auspices of the community CEN
ters which was not chaperoned by the
adults Of the. community" replied
Miss Norton.
Vow Censor Advertisements.
Miss Norton, in reply to a question.
admitted that the advertisements of
m. "crushers dance at the dunbar
High School might have been a little
more carefully drawn. She said that
there now is a committee on censor
chin of advertisements at Dunbar
Senator Walsh asked IL Miss Nor-
ton believed that the letting OF school
buildings to outside organizations Is
proper function of the board Of
education.
Miss Norton replied that the so
called outside organizations have be-
come affiliated with the community
centers and that their entertainments
are given under the auspices OF the
community centers.
When war came on, she said, at the
request Of Commissioner Gardiner, the
community centers had let down the
bars considerably to provide enter
tainments for soldiers. sailors and war
workers. Now. she said. they are get
inc hack to normal.
The witness insisted that the COM
munity dances are a good thing for
the community.
You agree that dancing is not an
intellectual pursuit." asked Senator
YES" was the reply
"You think that it is all right for
dancing to be promoted by the board
of education!
yes"
.stsd s Senator walsh why not es-
tahIish restaurants and boxing ex-
hibitions and theatrical performances.
nnce YOU get out Of the field Of educa-
tion where can you stop?
Dance Halls Criticized.
Niss Norton said that both Commits
s,oner Rrownlow and ommissioner
Gardiner had criticised the public
dance halls of the District as not
being proper places for the young
nennIe. She said that the Commis.
s;nners had declared the community
oamter dances well conducted. ana
,hat commissioner Brownlow recentiv
had said that all dances should be in
nnmmunity centers il possible
inS iSfa ah hot
nnniIs attend dances upon school
nights that she did not think that anv
nnnclusion could properly be draw
hetween the dances and low scholar.
ships. as had been done by Principal,
The witness insisted that 60 tn *
ner cent of the dances are orRaniz
and conducted by the community cen.
ters themselves, and that the remain
der are given by affiliated organiza.
principal Wiikinson's letter. writ
tan to Assistant Superintendent Rr,c.
last December. Miss North said she
had replied to within a few daye She
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