Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1922-05-13
WHITE LADY DECLARES SEGltE-
CATION HAS GONE FAR
ENOUGH.
lRy Francis IL. WnrrCn.D

chial schools OF the City Of Detroit.
Tho lady who is responsible for this
information is Mrs. Is. RanSbOitOm,
chairman OF Il committee sent to
Investigate George Nurse, champion
sixth grade Spcller OF the Detroit
Public Schools and his family; by the
Public School Defense League OF the
City Of Detroit, it having appeared that
George had been cheated out OF the
city championship l. ythe Judges OF the
spelling contest
Mrs. Ransbottom declares that Ms.
Nurse. the mother of George. told her
that "shc tried to enter he rson in the
Roman CathOii2 parochinl schools
when she came TO Detroit but that she
WIS told they did not have Il school
now where they could enter him, hut
would have Il colOrcd parochial school
later.
1t was very gratifying TO note that
the Bishop objected to what he claim.
ell was false statement and to cite
several parOchial schools of his church
where there were Colorcd students in
attendance. But whether or not some
one below the Bishop did exclude
George from the Catholic schools
seems now to be a m0otcd question. rs
Mrs. RanShottom insists that the III
formation she transmitted is correct
just as 1t was given to her committee.
1t would have been much more graft
flying if Bishop Gallagher had dcnicl
the charge that the Roman Catholic
denomination intended to institute a
"colorCd paroclial school in the parish
OF st. Peter Clavcr Church, and that
all OF the ColOred students belonging
to the church in the City Of Detroit
will be expected TO attend that school,
This is a point that Bishop Gallagh
or does not deny nor does he touch it,
and is, after all; the big point we call
ed the attention of the public to in our
former article. The writer of this ar,i
Gle knows Of at least one graduate Of 4
cOlOrCh parOchial school who was hcnl-
cd admission to the Roman Catholic
high school in the city Of Chicago. abe.
cause they had no colorcd high school,
and he himself was refused admission
to the Detroit University, a Roman
Catholic institution when he attended
law school in the City Of Detroit.
That institution. I understand, has
opened its doors to cOlored students he
cause OF the splendid work done by
our late good Roman Catholic friend,
aire who was chief owner of the Mates
tic Building and he was investigating
the Chicago case at the time OF his
death.
It may be of interest to know that
there arc Mt least 2 colored Catholic
in Detroit who acknowledge that the
Roman Catholic church intends to
. erect here a colorel Catholic School.
On one occasion Mr.. Henry Sheppard
said that the school would be built"
and OH Sunday, April 16 our eminent
fellow-townsman; Detective Wallace
Williams said that "cvcry parish was
supposed to have II pardchial school
meaning by that, that one would be
built for st. Peter Claver parish.
1t will be remembered that when
this church was first opened as a Rom
an Catholic church ii was called "St.
Peter Claver Colored Catholic Church"
Someone painted over the word "color
ell with white paint and the siSl was
taken down and when.it was ra.urned
1t read, est. Peter Claver Roman
aCatholic Church.
The colored people Of Michigan and
many Of their white friends inc udlnS
Mrs. RansbOttom and the Public
School Defense League believe that
segregation Of the races by color has
gone as far ms 1t ought to so in this
supposedly democratic community.
Coming back to the George Nurse
affair. I append hereto the affidavit OF
Mrs. Ransbottom which explains itself.
I also talked with Mrs. Nurse, the
mother Of George, since the denial was
published and she said she told the
ladies "that when she came to Detroit
she was told that they did not accept
colored students in the Catholic
schools and that the ladies must have
misunderstood her. The affidavit Oh
Mrs. Ransbottom follows:
State Of Ohio,
County of Putnam, SIS.
BINA RANSBOTTOM, OF the City Of
Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan be.
ing first duly sworn. dcposes and says
that she is member Of the Public
School Defense League Of Michigan.
and Committee to visit Tire family Of
George Nurse, Champion Sixth Grade
Spcllcr Of the City Of Detroit.
Deponet further says that she had Il
long conversation with the mother Of
the lad who volunteered the informal
ton that they were members Of the
Roman Catholic Church and when they
came to Detroit they Sought to enter
George Nurse in the parochial schools
of that faith but were informed the
church had no schools where they
could attend now, but they would
soon have q cOlOred school where her
children could attend.
And further Deponent saith not.
(SigneD MRS. BINA HaANSBOTTOM.
Subscribed and sworn to before me
this 18th day Of April A. D. 1929.
(SigneD Frank Logan,
Notary Public. Putnam County. Ohio.
1t will be seen by the foregoing that
the affidavit was sworn to in Putnam
County. Ohio Mrs. Ransbottom was Wis
iting relatives in Columbus Grove. IN
that County at the time the affidavit
was signed. and in letter acc >mrany
ing the affidavit, she says: "I took
down notes Of different things she toll
me and before left I read them over
to her and she said thew were correct