Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1922-03-25
COLORED STUDENT IS
CHAMPION De FACTO
SPELLER Of DETROIT
RANK IN SCHOOLS OF CITY
WITH EQUAL OPPORTUNITY.
(By Francis II. Warren. }


Are Southern methods of repression
creeping into the North to prevent Ne
groes in competition with white people
from securing even handed Justice?
This quest ion in thrust to the front
by the experiences OF George Nurse,
admitted champion spcllcr Of the sixth
grade in the Detroit Public Schools.
Tho Detroit News recently staged n
series Of spelling bees in the Detroit
Public Schools. of which there are one
hundred and fifty-eight and gave
copies Of WcbStcr's new dict :onary TO
each champion Of their respective
schools. Then these school champions
competed to see who were the best
grade spoilers In the city from the fifth
grade to the high schools Of the city
leaving four grade champions FROM
grades five to eight and one high
school champion.
George Nurse the sixth grade cham
pion or which grade he is a member III
the BarStow School, with four other
grade and high school champions were
left to contest for the honor Of being
champion Of the City of Detroit.
GREAT INTEREST SHOWN
IN CONTEST
The Majestic Theatre ono OF Dctroit':
largest plnylrouseS WAS the scene of tho
final struggle between these five stu.
dents to win the highest prize in tho
great contest and one by one the five
grade champions dropped out for mis-
spelling until there were left on tho
stage little George Nurse, Negro cham
MI Al
Pion or the sixth grade. aged nine. and
Justine Pcarsall. bright child Of
caucasian race or the eighth grade.
aged twelve. Word after word wns Civ
en- TO these two children and each spell
eo them correctly until the word
peace the opposite Of war was given
to Justine which is a single syllable
word.
But Justine spelled the word wrong
t"lce ana was given a third opportuni
~ 10 spell it correctly, and while she
was gwen worGs from the grade spell
lcr, Georges was given high school
words with several syllablcs vet he con
tlnued to spell them correctly and tho
excitement became most intense os il
was feared that Negro hoy of nine
years would out spell all of The other
students IN the city schools of our
great city.
DISCRIMINATION APPARENT
Finally George was given the word
"Hawaii". He began with capital al"
then he stopped and started over and
forgot to use the cADital I'll" when no
started tho second time hUi spelled 1l,,.
word Correctly. He was di%ur"lir'cl
for this without hcin% given three a..
N 10, ~, =,
rcrtly as he'd formerly h""n iun. with
Miss Penrsall, from all oi wh'rh il "".
pears that thcr" WAS ~ lr;l,t .:.n.r as
elimination in favor OF lililr Miss Pr.,..
san aud against tn" little negro hos.
George Nurse. for h%d ne hrn aiN"r
three oppOrtunit "S to correctly spoil
"Hawnii" he probably would have been
spelling with her until yet HS his priu
ciDal who WAS too i'll to attend tine flu
al match was confident that he Was tho
best Spcllcr IN the City OF Detroit AND
could not he spelled down
NEGRO STUDENTS STAND HIGH
1t is for the above reason that We
dcnomlnntc George Nurse champiCn
speilcr de facto of the City Of Detroit
while Miss Justine Pcarsall is champ.
ION spcller dc jurc. having been grant.
ed the first prize as champion spellrr
or Inc city for the reasons above stat
Ell. There is one thing however. that
stands out prominently in this spelling
contest and that IS that Negro stu.
dents take Their place along with stu
dents OF all other races and attain The
hlGheSt character Of mental develop.
mont where educated along with oth,:
students in the same schools. for in De
troit all children in q given district at
tend the same schools. There are no
such things as white schools or cOlorcd
schools in this city. Hence the chill
dren OF the race secure the same bcno-
fits from the curriculum and the teach
ing staff as the children Of all other
races.
There are rs previously stated, one
hundred and fiftycight champion spell.
lers Of their respective schools. Out OF
these champions one hundred and for
ty contestants for the grade champion
ships. Eight Negro students won the
!. school championship prize. the names
Of six Of which are as follows:
CONTINUED on Fourth Page)