Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1923-05-12
HERE IS A SOLUTION Of
NEGRO EXODUS
(By Frederick SulIens }

To raise an endowment of one mir
lion dollars for the Utica Normal and
Industrial Institute. an institution for
the vocational tr3ining OF Negroes, 10
Gated in the southern part of Kinds
county, is the plan adopted by the
board Of trustees at it's annual hiee.
ing yesterday.
Prof. w. III. HoltZclaw principal OF
the institution which is today a minia
ture Of the great Tuskegee Institute
founded by Booker T. Washington,
Was instructed to make plans to raise
at least 100000 OF the new endow-
ment within the next year.
This was the high light OF tn. al.
nua' commencement day exercises
held at the Utica Normal and Indus.
trial Institute yesterday, at the close
OF which diplomas and certificates
were presented to several score grad,i
ates from the academic and various vo
cat.onal training departments.
Members of the board of trustees
realize that they face big undertake.
ing, but at the same time they feel con
fident that citizens of Mississippi are
waking up to a realization of the fact
that the proper training of Negro boys
and girls for Industrial and vocat 'onal
pursuits is an important duty and
that it will be tire most certain and per
manent method of checking the exodus
of Negro labor from the South
USEFUL TRADES TAUGHT
In this connection it is significant
that of the 200 Negro boys and girls
who have received training at the Uti-
ca Normal and Industrial Institute
during the past twenty years, an over
whelming majority OF the number
have remained within the state ami
are now tilling the soil, or working at
useful trades.
1t was the privilege Of the write.
to visit the big school near Utica yes
terday in company with Hon. w. M e.
Buie, member of the board of trustees
and to deliver the commencement ad.
dress to an audience of fully 1000 Ne
groes assembled for the occasion. 1t
was pinch hitting" address. the con,
mencement orator. DR.. E. G.. Morris
of Norfolk. Va, having been unavoid-
ably detained and the writer was press
ed into service for the emergency
person who visits the Utica Nor
NAL and Industrial Institute for the
first time gets the surprise of his life
There are mighty few Jackson citizens
who realize the size of the institution,
or the scope of its work. 1t is n bit OF
jolt to learn that its enrolment is
larger than that of any college in Jack
son and compares favorabiy with ina,
of "ome Of the largest institutions in
the state. During the term just closed
there were 526 students enrolled, the
academic classes covering instructions
from the fifth to twelfth grades in
elusive, and all of the pupils are en-
rolled in some vocational course.
blacksmithing. carpentry. farming.
laundry work broom making. brics
manufacturing. dom este science. nurs
ing and many other useful occupations
More than 300 of the pupils are board
ers at the institution and they come
from all sections of the state for i'm
struction under faculty Of SURPRISING
efficiency.
CONCRETE DORMITORY
illustrative of the character of the
work being done in this school, the
neT dorm'tory for boys now nearing
completion was built with concrete
blocks made by the students. A small
brick plant. making bricks with
cement and sand. is now turning on,
bricks at the rate OF 5000 per day. IT,
he rSed in the construction of another
building. The new community house