Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1921-09-10
EDUCATION OF THE
NEGRO IN THE
NORTH
(KELLY MILLlGR.)

cannot earn It," is one Of Booker r..
WashingtonS most feHcitous phrases.
This was an apt and accurate dcScr!p-
ton at the time of its uttcrnnce. But
social uphcavalS Illustrate the wisdom
or our profoundcst philosophers. The
"aryrobbca t.l- o&nt,ntiouS assertion
or IFS crstwhilc truth and oppositcucSs.
VT Ire great educator had scarcely been
Y dead Il single year, when Negroes by
The tens Of thousands were rushing
into tho'North to fill the vacuum in
the labor lkCt. The scale of wages
seemed fabulous to the Negro work.
man, accustomed to the mcagCr COM
penSationS in the South. The Opror
tunity 10 earn and to spend were avail
ed of with equal avi0ity. AS result
'of this labor demand, fully Il half mil
lion Negroes were transferred from
the South to the North.
Economic opportunity constitutes
tho prevailing motive in the move.
ment of human population. Human
greed Is too hW.'ty for immediate c)n
crete results to calculate the far reach
ing social consequences that follow in
tho train of the introduction of strange
population for purposes Of industrial
-ncr in America, the Negro in tho
South, and the Japanese in Hawaii
and on the west coast were introduc.
oil to fulfill urgent labor demands,
but their permanent social adjust
ments constitute the grvo4t problems
OF our national experience.
Fred Douglass used to say that
wherever the Negro goes lie takes him
Wit l, At,
of half million Negroes into the
north will tend TO make the question
OF race adjustment a national, rather
-ithan a sectional problem. The various
features Of the prob!c", vii. Gain new
meaning and emphasis BECAUSE OF It's
lekwidespread relationships. The eGucn-
Ytional significance Of this northern
movement Of the Negro has hitherto
received 9ittse or no attention, and
! yet 1T Is calculated to be Of tho great.
est Significance in the educational life
OF tho entire Negro race, and to influ.
? ence the attitude Of the whole nation.
According to reports Of the Census
Office, In 1920 there were ! $50. 1854 No
gross In the North, giving II dccennIal
increase, of 472.41S over the census Of
1910. Tho great bulk Of Negroes III
the North arc found IN the cities. The
number OF rural Negroes in tire north
crn states has been gradually dimin-
isning for the past three decades. The
northern Negro creates an urban rath
or than n rural problem.
Twelve of the cities show an
increase OF 329,430 or IL growth OF 20
per cent. Willie this rapid growth was
due 10 special causes of limited con-
tinuance, yet the numbers are not
likely to diminish, but will show sub.
stantial increase with tho coming de-
cndes.
There are six cities In the u. S.
with more than 100000 Negroes
all or which with the single exception
or Now Orleans are to be found north
of the Potomac River. The border
cities, Washington. Baltimore, St.
Louis, and Kansas City have separata
co.ored schools, following the policy
or tire southern states. In the other
cities on the list there is no legal
scholastic separation Of races. The
city Is the center Of the educational
life OF the nation. The great systems
or education us we'll as the great seats
or learning are to be found mainly in
the centers OF population. A million
and half Negroes constituting Is per
cent or the race, arc thus brought in
10 intimate contact with the best adu.
catlona! Facilities to he found any.
where in the world. In the South the
negroes arc found mainly in the rur-
al districts, where school facilities
are menger and inadequate and even
III the large cities Of this section the
provisions for co.ored schools fall woa
ruliy short OF the up-to-date standards
OF Wefl ordered system. In speak
ing or the education Of the Negro, we
should always keep in mind the wide
ly contrasted educational ADVANTAGES
OF these two groups.
Negroes in the North generally arc
admitted to all educational facilities
provided for the general community,
whether supported by public funds or
based upon private foundation. Tho
people OF the North have deyose,
much or their RESOURCES and phila,l.
thropic energy to the education Of
THO Negro in the South, while giving
i!tIle or no consideration to the con-
I,iseht OF tn" race within their midst.
i. 'Ahoi'ihu4i mas Dpcn gwen an
equal chance in the genera. education
al provisions and has been expected
TO rise or fall according 10 the mea,
urc or his own merit. The raridly ".
creasing numbers focusing in the
large centers OF population will incyi.
taply call attention to the special needs
Vi thls growing group separated in
many ways from the life of the com.
munity of which they form a part.
me colored children have not seem.
ea overeager to avail themselves o;
Inc advantages provided for them.
Ihey nave not felt the necessity Of
thorough educational equipment for
the life tasks that lay within their
rcach. Being confined to the mental
modes Of service they have not in largo
Wumbers been inspired to enter upon
the higher reaches Of education demand
va in the more cXacting lines or SER
AYice. The eagerncss of the southern
II negro for knowledge in the midst or