Evening star., 1933-10-30
NEGRO EDUCATORS
| OPEN CONFERENCE
Speakers Outline Principles
for Teaching CoIored Pu-
pills of U. S.

Outstanding educators and sociolo-
gists of the Negro race in America
gathered here yesterday for the OPEN
ing Of the annual meeting Of the Asso-
ciation for the Study of Negro Life
and History Speakers sought to out
line general principles for teaching
Negro children, and today the dele
gates were conducted through the
local public schools to observe methods
here.
The visitors met this morning at
the Garnet-Patterson Junior High
School and set out on the tour con-
Quoted by H. H. Long assistant super
intendent of Washington public
schools.
Yesterday afternoon, at a meeting
in Lincoln Temple, Eleventh and r
streets. Dr. Arthur D. Wright Of the
John F. Slater Fund, Washingtonian,
Bishop College, Marshall, Tex, empha-
sized education of the Negro child
along lines disregarding as much as
possible racial barriers and developing
his initiative and self-respect.
Attacks Discrimination.
Il consider it nothing but downright
silly" said DR.. Wright, Ito think of
one race, as a race, needing one kind
of education and another race needing
another kind Of education"
There should be differentiation in
education, however. he said, but it
should be based upon occupational and
environmental conditions and not upon
racial differences.
AT least" he added, until such
time as when some scientist OF the
herently and inescapably differences of
mental ability strictly correlated with
| differences of skin pigment At present
we have no scientific studies indi-
eating the existence of such differ
| enceS."
Although the Negro child should
not be given a different education
because of his race, DR.. Wright de-
| clared that does not mean there are
F., not some things which should be
taught him that are not now taught.
Many of these things, 1t was said con-
Germ the Negroes historical and cul-
| tural background. The speaker said
similar emphasis is laid on back
ground in the education of children of
! other races.
Would Teach Background.
I'VE should teach the Negro child
as much as We profltably can about
the background from which his race
has come" Dr. Wright said. For
example, in teaching geography in
| Negro schools, there should be pc
culiar quickening Of pride and en-
thusiasm on the part of the teacher
and the class when we come to the
study of the African continent.
Surely there is nothing to be
ashamed of in having had ancestors
whose original abode was in Africa.
There is much about Africa that is
well worth knowing: the contribution
OF Africa to society has been and still
Is most important, and as the original
fatherland of the millions of Negroes
III this and other countries it always
should be place Of peculiar pride and
interest. Its geography, its history and
It's commerce are all matters Of pecu-
liar concern to your boys and girls and
on them special emphasis should be
J placed"
| To do this, DR.. Wright said, it is not
necessary to establish courses of Afri-
can history, geography or commerce,
but rather will the understanding
Negro teacher of the future emphasize
those particular things while teaching
Negro children"
/ Urges Facts Be Taught.
| Having taught the child of the home
land OF his people. DR.. Wright contin-
ued, he should next be taught of his
coming to this country, the period of
quent que enancipation and deveiopment.
| DR.. Wright asked whether the un-
fairness which has been done the Negro
race or the many considerations and
kindnesses shown the race by those Of
other races, should be emphasized He
answered by advocating that the finer
qualities OF good be stressed.
"The case OF the Negro boy and girl
! is no whit difference from that of the
other boys and girls of our country
Dr. Wright asserted I'VE must admit
to them those conditions peculiarly
| affecting them, but which are not as
they should be and at the same time
, point out the many blessings for which
they should be duly thankful, and hope
that through our teaching we may be
/ making a contribution to the lessening
of the evils and the increasing of the
| blessings"
After learning the early history of the
Negro. Dr. Wright said the child should
then be taught Of the achievement Of
| his race as an inspiration to him.
Cites Booker T. Washington.
IT challenge any one to say" he as
serted. that there is less of value to
/ be secured from a study of Booker T.
Washington's up From Slavery than
! from Benjamin Franklins 'Autobiog-
raphy' That statement might we'll be
true for any child in the United States,
but it is doubly true for every Negro
boy and girl who has attained an age
that would make the study of such
books profitable"
The answer to the whole problem
of the education of the Negro child
lies in the hands Of his teachers and
those who train the teacher, the speaker
| declared.
DR.. Rhoads set down two principles
for the education of the Negro child
The first was to have him view all
mankind as one race and the second
| was to secure the liberation of his mino
and heart.
Il have attempted to point out" DR.
Rhoads said, that the Negro child
should be taught the truth about race
and about himself; that he is human
personality, with all Of the distinctively
human potentialities; that his early
education should be concerned primar.
lily with those common human interests
that will serve to integrate the whole
| peOplc IdIllcT tlldu W ulllcIcllCldtt
them; and that this training should
begin with the child in his simple loca
physical and social environment and
gradually widen to the larger currents
Of the life Of mankind, Negro culture
occupying its rightful place in the civil.
iZation under review.
Stresses Common Sense.
"The second general principle has tt
do with the liberation Of the mind ant
heart of the Negro child through or
ganized common sense"
This was to be accomplished by
training in problem solving; In culti'
vation of passion for excellence ano