Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1923-03-03
LEARIMG CAPACITY OF
AFRICANS Is HIGH.
Messrs Eastz.er and Miller. Discuss
Congo Education Problems.

| SOuSO MS.
The learning capacity of Negroe,
native to Central Africa Is on u ,eve
with the average to be found anon.
| any other race including white, unUe.
the same conditions In fact. ii her:
| il any difference it Is in favor o. Tho
Central African folk who. in many in
stances equal American Negroes ana
| whites in natural capacity in spite OF
the woful lack of %, I.y U,nd. rncsa
are the conclusions OF the Reverend
Coleman G. Hartzier an: Reverend W.
A. Miller, missionaries under the
Board OF Foreign MisafHns OF IN.
Methodist Episcopal church to the
Congo Beige, and colleagues at the
mission station ut kabOng0 in the
heart of the Luha cannibal country.
ut is d mistaken idea to think that
these people lack the capacity Oh i2a.n
ing or are inferior in this resp.,..
said Mr.. Hartzler, who sails soon Tor
Capetown for another five years. SER
vice az missionary Considering the
lack Of background. the almost blank
environment OF the black children In
our schools, they are surprisingly apt
II must be- remembered that these lit
tie boys and girls have had absolutely
no trainiag: even OF the cpudest kind
to train tAeir minds or control tksir
attention. No home trssining, no e..
ample of their el6ers wosrh initial mig
JIM amy inte asctuar way:
"If any other race of people were
placed In this same position for tias'
same length Of time 1t is very douJt
full II their children would be anr
brighter than the pupils i'm our mis-.
sion school in the heart OF Darkest
Africa. Our task with them is to Begin
at the very bottom and builI up all
the fundamentals of civilization in
their minds wlrich children in Amerl-
ca get at home and from merely liv-
ing in the community. The idea of ex
actness in construction has never apa
peared necessary in their living. with
out some" of the sOphistfcation that is
the heritage Of civilized folk every
where. these people lack comprehen-
sion of virtues which are commonly
accepted by us because of the expert
ence of Others which comes to us
by reading, observation and commuri
/, ty practices Our hardest task is bull
ing these foundations of knowledge.
After that we will match them with
pupils anywhere.
I'VE are teaching them practical
things as we,Ias the elements of edu-
cation" continued Mr.: Hartzler. 1.-The
ivory carvers do work any American
scnool-bOy could well be proud Of Mat
making. basket-weaving. pottery and
SCIENTIFIC gardening are taught so that
the young men' and women will be
able to produce something of value
and earn a better living than Has
been the lot OF their people for gener-
ations Natives have been developed, ~
teach classes in these subjects, saw,
the gardening which Mr.: Hartzler' per
sonally handles. Carpentry and other
forms OF manual training as classified
in this country, are, taught. by Mr:
Miller"
We find substantially the same, sit
uation confronting us as stated by Mr.
HartZler said Mr.. Miller. 1.-THE tasn
OF 1mpreSsiDg the need OF exactnesB in,
fitting things together is difficult
one. In the making of their. axes, hoes
musical Instruments the building or
their simple huts of polls and mnd.
the native" folk have felt the necessity
OF exactness. But in progressing be-
yond their present stag. it must he
shown them as a fundamental. Aftt +
this point is passed they seem to- go
much faster in their Development in.
trades:
THE big point which. we are demon.
strating there is" said Mr.. Miller
with enthusiastic emphasis, "is that
these folk are undoubtedly capable OF
nigh grade work as craftsmen and of
high state of civilization, provided
they have the opportunity The nativ-
q themselves still have the idea that,
tecause they are not white men. tine,
cannot attain the Write mans stand
0!ds. When we urge a young native TO-
pay more attention and make greater
efforts to accomplish n certain thing.
he often replies why, I can't. an
only q black man. You are white" We
are always quick TO contradict this
and are gradually upr ooting the Idea
In the minds of the Negro folk Their.
with whom we come in contact"
Mr. Hartzfer has been in this corn-
try for the past year. Among his activ
tiles here he has been studying scfen.
tif1c play as means or further teach
ing his school boys and girls in the
Congo. Both he and Mr.. Miller declare
they have devoted their lives to the
education of the Negroes of the re.
mote African interior and both are en-
thusiastic about their work and it's
rewards in the development Of Negro
intelligence.