St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1946-06-14
BY ROBERT DURR

Scattered throughout the Soutl
are hundreds of small industrial
and junior colleges which, like tn,
United Negro College Fund affih
ates, are seeking funds and meek
increasing contributions from
whites and blacks all over the coun.
try so that they, the salt Of educa.
ton in the deep South, may con-
tinue the important work they are
doing to preserve the democratic
way of life against the onslaught
Of communism, fascism and other
alien ideologies.
A white missionary, with whom
! recently lunched at Piney Woods
Country Life School, at Piney
Woods, deep in the heart of be-
nighted Mississippi, told me that
il is very difficult to raise money to
keep such schools going; that
philanthrOpists are more inclined
to give money for child welfare and
health projects than for the educa-
ton Of INDECENT Negro youths in the
South.
For many, many years to come
there will be great need for schools
in the deep South, such as Piney
Woods School. for poor Negro boys
and girls who have nothing but am
bition and a willingness to work
as their capital to invest in an
opportunity for education.
Take the case of Piney Woods
School. II is the only semblance of
high school in a four-county area,
within a radius of thirty miles, ad-
jacent to Jackson, Mississippi.
A great number of boys and girls
will work all summer at this school
in order that they may attend
school next winter. Others will
work days in order to have an OPP
portunity to attend night school.
They want an education just that
much. Let ambition like that die
for lack Of opportunity and men
and women will migrate to all sec
tons of the nation and carry with
them social problems which will
plague the rest of the nation and
the world.
| told the missionary that | am
sure the American people are not
aware of the serious lack of educa-
tional opportunity for so many
people especially in the South to-
day. and of the woeful effect this
deficiency will have upon the ma
ton for years and years to come;
that II is the responsibility of all
who disseminate information to
make America understand that we
are digging the graves of our
democratic way Of life when we
permit selfish politicians and UNI
enlightened forces in our society
to cheat those dependent upon the
state for an education out Of a
chance to get ut least a good high
school learning, in public or pri-
vate schools, in all sections Of the
United States.
The forces bent on tearing this
country to pieces today are for the
most part ignorant men and women
who do not have the ability to
think constructively for themselves
and hence are prey of predatory
leaders. When the white and black
youths in the deep South grow TO
manhood and find themselves out
stripped by men and women who
have had $l20 per term high school
education In the North, while they
were getting a $3.50 and SIP per
year high school charlottesville
and black, respectively,-they are
going TO be bitter and ripe soil in
which to plant the seeds Of foreign
ideologies. Their ignorance may
cause the wreck Of our democratic
system which failed to provide ade-
quate and equal educational facili-
ties for all the people Of this ma
ton.
We can remedy this inequity Just