The northwestern bulletin., 1922-05-20
CONTEMPORARIES
IS THE NEGRO BETTER OFF IN THE SOUTH?
BY ]. Milton Sampson.
(For Associated Negro Press.)

Nice neat columns of figures don't mean anything at
average for the that there to be
no life them. 1t is only when somebody pulls the
string they begin the perform their astounding eafs
that one realizes that after all they be worth while
The figures teracy and connected subjects particular
ly fall under this classification So long they
poste their accustomed cities they merely
satisfy the curiosity of interested individuals but when
the themselves arranged according to the
figures. then some interesting results found even
though nothing that is really to the careful reader
may be discovered.
Not single northern or western state is among the
ten having the highest illiteracy rate and not
single state as ordinarily used is among the
twenty having the lowest rate If inquiry pushed still
further and applied to the Negro the result will
follow, southern state is among the twenty having
the lowest rate not northern western state among
the ten having the highest. careless student might
after all conclude that there is something peculiarly
fortunate southern atmosphere and something pecdfiar
ly fortunate in the northern and western.
According to article prepared by the Research
Department of the Chicago Urban League Iowa has the
lowest general iteracy of all the states 1) and
York has the lowest rate for Negroes (29 while
Louisiana has the doubtful distinction of having the
highest general rate (29 and the highest Negro rate
(Ss.5so). Some people may be surprised to find that
in New York. Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, there is
lower teracy rate among Negroes than the general
average and that in Connecticut the rate the for
both the general population and the Negro But in the
having the highest iiteracy each has
out of every five Negroes iliterate, and
out of every ten in the general population.
The next most natural thing to consider then would
the efforts made by these states to look after the edu
cation of their citizens Here again the South is true to
form In many neghborhoods there are not enough
seats to accommodate the pupils even on halftme The
school terms from less than months in the year
up to the customary months more and effort to
find of the number of children in school reveals the
fact that there is not single of the 10 southern
states having the highest eracy rate that has
as 900 of its chden between the of and 13 at
tending school, Confning the discussion from on to
the states referred to- Louisiana again shines with
the lowest percentage of school attendance (759%)
South Carolina the highest tS71eo Stated otherwise
of every 10 children is out of school for
another. The thought arise that the main reason
so many children of school is the absence of
education laws.
However each Of the states mentioned has a COM
pusory education law such it is 1t is in the admins
tration of this law that the southern educational machn
cry falls down If the terms such that it might
be effective. For instance Tennessee has law requiring
all children between the of and 16 to attend school
the full unless they have completed eiemen
tary The thing is substantially true of North
Carona but closer examination of the laws in these
ten states of highest iteracy will reveal many methods
schemes which furnish oop-hoes to the parent
child by which very necessary education be negec
ted. Three of them Arkansas, Florida and Louisiana
cognize poverty for excusing school attend
ance. Florida and South Carolina will it's child
if they live far from school to conveniently
Alabama compels it's children school unless they
legally employed; Mississippi, unless they have
physical mental deficiency. Georgia passes law re-
quring school attendance but in the law directs
that the board of education shall take into consideration
the need of agricultural labor in certain sections Msss
spp passes compulsory educational law which like the
local option in prohibition, allows various loca
districts reject the law in is accepta
BILE to them. Another way in which the effect of the
compulsory educational law lessened is by requiring
attendance at school during only part of the school
term as for instance in Arkansas where attendance is
required three-fourths of the term.