The Dayton forum. [volume] (Dayton, Ohio) 1913-1949, 1938-12-23

ddtoly were eastlHg ABOUT THIS Weeis
for ways and means of shiftingt tsfeil
entire educational plans.asasFlowing
the U, S. supreme cqAas cision last
Monday in the. Lloyd Gaines
of st. Loais Vast the University
Of MissoS liking it mandatory fol-
provide graduate instruc-
tioY Ror Negro students within its
lders.
This decision is expected to have
a more far reaching effect than the
supreme court decision in the SCOTS
boro case making it illegal for Ne
groes to be barred from trial and
grand jury panels on the basis of
color or race. The South's chief ob-
lection to changing this discrin,-
lnatory custom was based mainly on
the issue of race prejudice; read
Justing present educational policies
will be felt in the pocketbook where
the effect will be more concrete.
South Already Poor
The South, called the nations No.
1 economic problem by President
Roosevelt, is recognized as financial
ly the poorest section Of the nation.
Dixie lacks tax income making pos
sible per capita expenditures for
education comparable with that Of
Northern states. Since the segre-
gated education system exists, it
means that what money is available
must be spent to provide some sort
of facilities for both races.
AS a result, money is wasted
according to Northern standards for
where a building and teaching staff
in the Weather North would accom-
odate students Of both races, two
buildings mustlbe used in the poorer
South thus calling for double ex-
penditures for upkeep, etc. While it
is true that comparatively little
money is spent on Negro education
in rural areas, this overlapping ex-
pense runs into big money in the
larger urban centers.
Sensible Solution
The sensible solution would be the
admission Of Negroes into he
South's state supported white col
leges and universities. In fact,
President John Hugh Reynolds,
white, Of Hendrix college IN Con-
way, Ark, last week suggested that
very thing.
There probably would be trouble
at first--some hot headed Southern
boy might bash Negroes nose--but
in year or two we would get used
to it, he said,
1t is a matter Of record that a suit
a year or two ago similar to that
filed by Gaines in Missouri resulted
in the admission of a Negro to the
University of Maryland law school
which he attended and finished with
out untoward incident. This fall
Negro attended classes at the Uni
versity of Texas for some time and
encountered little trouble with his
white fellow Students. 1t is no long
erma novelty for colored leaders to
address student bodies in white
southern colleges or for students to
engage in interracial seminars with
Negro students. Last year at an in
terracial conference on Southern
education held at the University Of
North Carolina, certain Of the
South's most distinguished educators
advocated the throwing open Of
graduate schools in white univers-
tiles to colored students. 1t is be-
lieved that when the time is consid-
cred ripe to break current traditions
and open university doors to Me-
groes, the first institution to do so
will be North Carolina.
Won's Happen Soon
However, such a drastic change is
not likely to occur for some years.
Dixie states have laws prohibiting
educating both races together. They
would have, to be revised--and prob
ably will after Southern taxpayers
see the folly of wasting money sup
porting two universities purely be-
cause of race prejudice when one
might do. And each Southern state
will have to make serious attempt
at establishing d genuine Negro uni
yersity or admitting colored students
TO white institutions il the supreme
court mandate is to be obeyed.
Many states thought they had
solved the problem when they estab-
lished scholarship funds for educa-
tion Of Negroes outside the state.
Maryland did it after colored stu
dent got into the law school; Ten
nessee followed suit after William
Redmond sued unsuccessfully to en-
ter the state university; Kentucky
has established similar policy; Vir-
ginia did 50 ii 1886, and both Mis-
souri, and North Carolina, among
others, have had scholarship funds
for many years. But most Of the
states have made no attempt to pro-