Afro-American courier. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1926-19??, 1935-03-01
Educating the Southern Negro. "But
Noble Souls, Through Dust or Heat,
Rise from Disaster and Defeat
the Stronger"
LURLEAN B. GRIFFIN.

LURLEAN B. GRIFFIN
Can the Negro learn? was the first question asked
after he had been granted his freedom Today no
need doubt the fact that the Negro has satisfactorily
answered this question
The Southern States have done much for the educa-
tonal progress of the Negro Though at first bitterly
opposed to Negro education time has wrought change
this subject They laws against Negro education
before the Civil War; after for it. In states good
schools provided for coored children There are
deaf dumb, blind and insane asylums Some had normal
schools, universities, and training schools.
Many whites opposed Negro education ON the ground
that the whites pay wo-thirds of the We know
this not sound argument-the aborer and consumer
pay the taxes capital The Negro is the aboYer
the South and large consumer 1t is his toll his muscle
chat made the schoofund and of the inexhaustibe
storehouse of his labor does he draw his quota
appropriation for the schools High schools Semnares
Colleges and Professional schools established.
Prominent these early schools Livingston and
Bennett College, N. c. Morris Brown College, Ga, Tus-
kegee Normal and Industrial School, Ala, Wherefore
University Ohio, Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute
ad Shaw University Even at this early period facu
Ties were entirely colored.
Nine-tenths of the Negroes who secured education
at this time had to do against great odds There
no large estate to draw for school bills rich kns
to foot the bill and wait till after years
for settlement The colored youth has to make his
way.
the Negro in the most difficult circumstances is that of
Benjamin Banneka, Astronomer and mathematician. He
born slave in Maryan 1731-1S04. His early edu
cation secured in pay school," where coored
children admitted Though only having limited
education, he spent his time studying He could
the difficult problems put to him in mathematics
and became known genius. After noticing his abl-
es kind white friend allowed him the of his library
and astronomical instruments The results that
Banneka published in 1892 the first almanac in America
He also constructed splendid dock
Banneka the master of five different languages
He accompanied and assisted the commissioners who
veyed the District of Columbia There has been great
mind in the possession of any American citizen than
that of Benjamin Banneka stands out of those
characters whose achievements to be nothing short
of miraculous.
Many special funds have also helped to further Ne
gro education in the South
julius Rosenwald said, 81 am interested in the Negro
people because am also interested in white people. Ne
groes one-tenth of population If promote bet
ter citizenship among the Negroes not only they i'm
proved but entire citizenship is benefited
Man is fast finding that it is cheaper to provide
schools, and add much more happiness than such ex-
pensive penitentiaries and jails.
Much has been DONE but the task has Just begun he
cent statistics show that in counties OF the South
there is 10 cent Negro population expenditures
on white schools per capita $796 and on colored
schools 1923 AS the Negro percentage rises to about 70
per cent the population the per capita expenditure on
white schools is $2222 while that Negro schools IS
SITS We also find that out of 619l Howard University
graduates $3.50 employed AZ states and IN the DIS
trct of Columbia while 1872 scattered in jobs IN "a
foreign countries.
In the United States there 10000 business enter
prises of 1856 different classes conducted by Negroes
Through much we have already come, and up to the
present time the Negro has distinguished himself IN every
avenue of life Time yet to bring forth better Things
for the race We shall not by dragging others down.
but by encouraging those who are up TO extend oo" "
us the helping hand which we must quickly grasp anu
by it's help continue to lift ourselves up.
kNo,u passunrd-1h | & DC -1525-26