The Enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 192?-1930, 1928-07-12
Jim Grow" Schools

Continued from Page ~
Board of Trustees of Cheyney Nor
NAL and Technical Institute
be appointed by the Superintendent
of Public Instruction"
The fight was on. Men with
strong followings made special visits
to the capital to show that Bill eX-
pressed the wishes of the people.
Rev. W. A. Harrod, pastor OF one of
Philadelphia's big churches, was
among them. The fight was too
hard for them. they lost, Thus
ended another drama that was a
near-tragedy.
Twenty years ago, authority has
1t, that there was only one school
devoted wholly to Negro children,
now there are almost a score. Twen-
ty years ago there were no colored
teachers in the citys public schools,
now they are up in the hundreds.
The connection is clear.
In Philadelphia Negroes neither
teach white pupils nor are they al
lowed on the same faculty with
white teachers, however, large may
be the proportion of colored pupils.
Nor are there any race teachers
working in other than elementary
schools.
As in Richmond and Virginia, the
teachers themselves seem to be a
serious element in the whole prob
lem. They are either scared or sat
isfied. Also as at Richmond, parents
do not generally know enough about
present and future effects of evil
forces to get up any steam of indig-
nation. But unlike at Richmond
and other southern centers, blunt
the final say.
In no other place have | seen
such need for Hfearless, eonsecrated
leadership among Negroes, and from
no place have E.heard such plaintive
cries for help. The Mayor recently
announced his intention of working
to secure colored man on the
City School Board. Before the ech-
oes had died committees of "colored
leaders" were arranging conferences
with his honor, seeking to place
their men.
DR.. John Pr Turner, M. D., a
graduate of Shaw University, is get
ting some help from friends. Maybe
the Mayor will not become disgust
ed, he is said to be a pretty good
man.
Interested but uniformed par
ents, scared placid teachers, callous
politicians and snare-planting
whites; all working together some
how are creating separate schools at
a rapid rate.
1t is not strange that the Inter-
racial Commission should head up
in Atlanta, Georgia. Negroes and
whites live such separate lives in
those hideous wilds that each be-
comes to the other an object for
curious study. But where tall Johns
serve as captains of Safety Patrols
and are acclaimed as being one of
the best in the presence of their
white comrades and Jacks and
James playing for the enjoyment of
lovers of music and being called
back to play some more, then whites
and blacks know each other pretty
we'll in the common joy of working
and living together; then there is
no need for professional, high-paid
interracial diplomats, and incden-
tally no further need for kitchen
door calling, race-selling leaders.
The Jim Crow school in Philadel-
phia and Pennsylvania has gone just
far enough to serve as laboratory
specimen in establishing the proof
of the injury and injustice of the
evil. Yet, it will require only a
short while to bring the Quaker City
around to the position of Baltimore,
Richmond, Birmingham and New
Orleans, where Negroes neither have
intelligent school patrons with pow
er, nor equal facilities, nor true
leadership, nor individuals on the
inside of things, helping to shape
| policies and carry responsibilities
nor place among their fellows In
the field of general activity.