Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1944-08-26
About Professional Education For Negroes
In Mississippi

I'm in Nashville Tennessee the other week the state
officials charged with the responsibility OF shaping the
policy and program Negro education in Southern States
which, of course included these officials OF MISSISSIPPI
discuss their problems of the most I'M
porant items of discussion being that of providing ways
and by which those Negro students who desired
professional education those states to enable them to OBJ
tain professional education in the schools of other states
1t is very hopeful sign, generally speaking Tor Negro
Education in the SOUTH that such meeting was called
and its accomplishments towards the end Tor
which it was called may we'll be counted progressive
step towards the solution of of the more important
phases of the Negro problem in the south
With respects to State of Mississippi it is at
the hoe, especially of those who view with sincere
concern future progress and development of the state
that meeting did not fail to impress upon the Mississippi
Officials attending the meeting the seriousness of the stu
which all but disgracefu regarding this phase OF
Negro Educational opportunity IN MISSISSIPPI
With virtually all of its Negro high schools subsand
ard with only two states supported institutions OF Higher
Learning Negroes, neither of which, accredited &C
cordno to national and southern Standards the being
true of the struggling privately supported and denomina
ona institutions for Negroes in the state. is readily
seen that there is not single school in Mississippi ade-
quatey prepared give the Negro student the basic pre-
paration for pre- professional education itself
The situation with respects the future opportunity
for the Negro Student of Mississippi to obtain profess
sona education becomes Immediately more dscourgeng
when looking at the Developments at Acon College
where if not within the letter of the law creating Land
Grant colleges certainly within the spirit of the aw some
progress towards providing the type of crrcuar which
would lend encouragement to students seeking the oppor
untv to prepare themselves for professional education
seemed at least hopeful Now however the whole program
at Acorn College being changed because has hereto
fore been much directed to the Liberal Arts The Liberal
Arts of course being the only basis for subsequent pro-
feSSonal education.
Indeed the situation regarding the opportunity tor
Mississippi Negro Students to obtain professional education
becomes alarming when considering only the fields of
medicine and dentistry, and the low state of health OF
its more than 100000 Negroes, with only forty seven
Negro doctors and thirty three Negro dentists engaged III
active practice in the state when hopeful Negro students
must look with despair at the opportunities at
forded them for training in these fields.
The Negro citizens of Mississippi, because they are
voeess are responsible for the lack of oppor
unty the Negro student of the state to prepare
themselves for receive professional education IN the
schools and colleges of the state but is none the less con-
cerned what appears to be leading towards making
worse bad situation circumstance which should cause
having the power to vote and who are concerned
with the present and future progress and development OF
the state as well those officials attending the Nashville
meeting to make honest effort to provide more ana
better opportunities for Mississippi Negro Students de
string professional education if for other reason Tor
enlightened self interest of the State of Mississippi