The Colorado statesman., 1920-11-13
(By VIM. Anthony Aery.)

TT AMPTON, VA. Community day
RI ut the Bettis Academy Minis
ters' Institute proved to be
"chicken day. in the sand-hill country
six or eight miles from Trenton, S. c.,
which is not far from the late Senator
Tillman's home.
Fifty outstanding, prosperous-looking
devoted colored women from the Mt.
Canaan Baptist church, which is Il
rural church with membership of
1,5OO, brought their long, low, wooden
baskets, richly laden with fried chick
en- and ham, pies, cakes, biscuits,
freshly-cooked vegetables = tomatoes,
cabbages, lima beans and cOrn-and
hominy to say nothing of watermelonS
and good Old-fashioned muSllmelonS
(not small, modern cantaloupes). They
fed at homemade tables the 100 Negro
rural preachers and forty-odd church
workers who had assembled to receive
valuable instruction from white and
colored teachers-from southerners and
northerners - from friends of strug-
Cling men and women.
DIR. James Hardy Dillard of Char
lotteSville, Va, former dean of Tulane
University in New Orleans and present
president of the Jeanes and Slater
BOnruS, WHICH aim " lllDiONC @NtSiO
rural elementary and secondary
schools, offered the blessing at this
preachers community-day feast.
Meanwhile the faithful, generous col
ored women, dressed neatly and listen
ing attentively, formed hollow hu-
man square about the delighted, hun
gr eXpectant ministers who had trav-
eled miles and miles over rough,
muddy, red-clay roads TO get new
ideas and fresh inspiration. Some
ministers had come $50 miles, others
200 miles, and one almost 300 miles.
DIR. billiard and a number of asso-
ciates came to Belts Academy Tor
their second ministers institute Inc
summer experience in 1919 had proved
the usefulness and feasibility OF DrlhS-
ing together for study those Negro
rural preachers who were ambitious to
give their congregations a fuller meas
ure of social and religious service.
DR.. billiard and his party received
on both occasions the cordial support
of Negroes for miles and miles about
this pioneer school, which has spread
unfailingly the gospel OF racial goou,
will Negro neighbors for days ana
days kept sending to Alfred w. Mich
olson. principal of Belts Academy,
dozens upon dozens of chickens OIL
FRYER size, bushels upon Dusnels Oh po
tatoes and beans, and small wagon
loads of cabbages and corn, as wei
as generous supplies of beef lamb ana
veal. Even kid was presented as
gift to feed the visiting instructors
These thrifty. ambitious, Isolated
Negroes of South Carolina, in spite OF
poor schools and deficient sociai
life have been steadily making money
and SLOWLY improving their homes,
; schools and churches. They SHOW SEE e
of new life and hope as the result VI
the coming of DR.. Dillard anu liS
. party.
New Educational Life.
PRINCIPAL Nicholson also conducts
summer school for ambitious coloreu
teochers. many of whom are struggling
bravely. not only to teach boys anu
girls the rudiments of education Dul
solso extend the school terms TO i've
and six months. .o,,
These South Carolina Negro teacl-
.ers were greatly encouraged by the re-
cent visit of the. state superintendent
of education, Hon. J. e. Swearingen OIL
Columbia. S. c., and ]. b. Feltoh'
state agent for colored schools III
South Carolina. Both of these While
educational officers expressed ueep IL
eterest in the work of Negro teachers
and ministers. Both men spoke sym
notheticaIly and encOuragingly on tile
yvaIue and need of sound pubic euuc"
tion. to the Negro ministers anu tne
100 teachers who We're attending tie