The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1938-10-21
BOARD OF EDUCATION
CONTINUES TO IGNORE
DeplOrable Conditions of Negro
Schools Throughout County
Of "Once Free State"
"RY EAITHv

l told our Negro leaders h
they would have to talk tur-
key" quickly and without any
partisan politics if they were
going to secure anything for
these thousands of little under
privilepld and forgotten Ne
groes of ours attending the $50
called public schools in this
county" / have been identif-
ed so long and in so many ways
with the different movements
required to obtain even the
crumbs" for my race that I
knew when one of our Demo-
cratic Negro leaders stated at
at the World War Memorial a
few Sundays ago, that he and
his committee were going to the
members of the Democratic
Board of Education and secure
relief for the inadequate condi-
tions existing in our Negro
schools that he and his commit
tee had better 'stcp on the
gas" as the white folks" who
hold he purse strings to educa-
tional funds had everything
cut and dried" for their chill
rem and they were not entertain
ing any thought about OURS.
| could have told the entire
membership Of that meeting the
fact at that very hour had car
ed to cause a riot" of protest
against what I would have said.
1t would have been hurledf from
the floor at me or any o t h e r
person t h t the Civic League
composed and organized by
Negro Democrats held the "key"
to the situation. But they found
out now that NO NEGRO Demo-
crat or Republican, holds any
such key. 1t will require every
Negro. MAN, WOMAN and
CHILD in this county to voice
their protest in one CORD of
UNISON as never before to
awaken this DEMOCRATIC
BOARD OF EDUCATION To
the INJUSTICES UNDER
WHICH UOR CHILDREN. and
THE TEACHERS ARE LABOR
ING. When the old delipidated
Underwater SCHOOL burned
every decent, respectable and
fair-minded citizen in this coun-
ty, regardless of race or color,
thought that it would be raplac-
ed with modern building. For
years this old fire-trap had been
a constant threat to the lives of
the hundreds of children at
tending it. In these modern times
no more disgraceful excuse for a
school building could be offered
any group than that which they
forced the little Negro children
to attend on that hin side too
steep for a mountain goat to
climb. The "out-houses" placed
on that NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
there to care for the physical
wants of the student body and
teachers were beyond magma
ton. l am not condemning the
Democratic party for the school
Las it existed at the time they
took over the school system in
Mcdowell county, I am holding
them responsible for not erect
ing a suitable building in itr
plate after the fire-trap had
burned that the Republicans
were too sorry to tear down and
rebuild according to the modern
trend of that time. The Republi-
cans always had some building
that had to be done for their chill
dren and although we prayed
for a spiritual fire" to destroy
the old EYE SORE during the
Republican regime without our
prayers being answered, we did
think that the delay was caused
by our praying to the wrong
gods, in fact the Democrats
told us so when the cold shell"
did 90 up in smoke and they
cautioned us to watch what a
beautiful structure would be
ereted for the Negroes of
Browns Creek district as a high
school with the present high
school being converted into the
Underwater graded shool.
Of course l am not disappoint-
ed. When I see how sadly my
good friends are who "ran-to-
the-Democrats," assisting them
to be elected to every office in
cole County of Mcdowell, " once
the Republican stronghold, he
lieving the vhad found a NEW
TYPE OF WHITE DEMOCRAT