Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1924-07-19

CBy I. G. X. Wells, President A. F.
of N. S.-Negro Youth Movement
Distributed by Preston News)
Are the best colleges Fisk and
Lincoln or a Harvard or Michigan?
Or is it the college stressing the con-
cepts of Empredocles, the Ant1monles
of Kant. the dogmas Of Newton, the
precepts of Christ combined with the
athletics of Olympia? Or, perchance'
dos it be the college opposing the
principles of Sir Marc Garvey?
In my travels as we'll as my ex-
periences have heard and sometimes
have been asked this troublesome
question. 1t is difficult question,
which prudent men would likely e.
wade answering. For il one were to
prescribe any college or group OF
them by even failing to name them
he would wilfully precipitate an
avalanche Of thunder upon his own
head. :.
Unlike Marco Polo, the celebrated
traveller, l visited two groups of col
leges, our own and the mixed or
white ones Of them the question
asked is, which is the desirable one?
The best or desirable college de-
ponds upon several factors. Every
one, of course, prefers the college
with good equipment which includes
curricula, faculty and material re-
sources. Many families pick certain
colleges so that their youth may
literally float like an island in a
lake of prestige. Some choose col
leges because of the colleges ideals.
Then there are colleges which really
develop personality, and turn out
virile youth Some of the non.
coeducational institutions, like More
house, will do much to make color
less young fellow a distinct and de-
finite somebody with y wish and will
Of his own.
There are, too, what some call the
society colleges, fortunately very few
in the race at present. The general
question Of health, location, college
atmosphere, access to work during
vacation, and of greatest Importance
the cost are items to be considered.
The market value of desirable col
leges seems to be rated according to
the ideals, equipment, prestige, per-
sonality, college atmosphere and ex.
penses to be found or derived by at
tendance at them Immediately the
thoughtful mind, like the modern
chemist searching for the corner
stone atom Of the molecule, hunts
for the test,
Judging from some colleges l have
visited, had l friend or a relative
to send to college, would study the
catalog, but would give credence,
with reservations to the curricula
pasted in them. They are much like
time tables of our Jim Grow rail-
roads. In some cases you can rely
upon the time when the trains ar
rive and leave, but the rest of the
accommodations are not likely to be
had. In "our" colleges most of our
curriculum manufacturers can fix up
a catalog better than shrewd truck
farmer Gan camOuf1age sick crate
of Strawberries. On the other hand
one who realizes and appreciates the
struggles and sacrifices made to build
such institutions as we have must
not be ungracious with flaw-finding.
THE PRODUCT IS THE TEST.
Perhaps the best and most prac-
teal manner to determine the worth
of our colleges is to study their men
and women Study both their grad
yates and undergraduate The for
mer give a distinct and better view
of the college, and the latter, the
present trend, ideals, and present
policy Of the educational institution.
Pope was profound uttering the
words, ''The proper study of man
kind is man" A good knife is
known by the cutting it does; a good
college by it's products.
AS q rule then, who is more sue
cessful-products of Negro colleges
or of white ones? Is the Meharry
or Howard doctor as successful as
the Michigan or Harvard doctor, who
NNANA IVhctNSlS III lliS petSI are lICu
fallen from Juggling around tons of
prestige?
HOW DO PRODUCTS COMPARE?
How does Talledega, Wilberforce,
Morehouse, and Virginia Union Uni
yersity products, for example, COM
pare with those OF Yale, Chicago,
Pennsylvania and their kind?
Watch where our own professors,
bishops, bankers, and leaders send
their sons and daughters. A study
of the catalogs of colleges will re
veal this. AS have seen it, the pre-
vailing trend among our group es-
pecially among youth is to go to
race colleges for collegiate training
and to mixed colleges for profession"
al training wherever and whenever
possible.
DOES COLLEGE UNFIT MEN FOR
USEFULNESS?
Friend Bob Ingersoll, better known