The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1948-02-05
Higher Education For Negroes

Higher Education FOR negroes
The matter of higher education for negroes, particularly amay
education for the professions ions has gr been brought gaaet into 81 sharp sant fSern
governors is being planned in Florida to discuss the advisabihty
of making possible regional schools at which quallfied negro STU.
dents can study negro students from states which do not
maintain professional schools for negroes.
There are seventeen states and the District of Columbia
where separate school for white and coored children are main
tanned by law These are a,;. Aiaba% Ark Arhansa Ms ps.awsrei MISSOURI Fss6,ud'
North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas
negro race throughout the south is undisputed by every fairmno-
is shown in the mere fact that the matter is being discussed by
our governmental, leaders, something that would nave oee mofe
or less unheard of twenty years ago.
In the seventeen states and the District of Columbia where
separate schools for white and colored are maintained by law there
is only one negro doctor for every 4,4o9 negro population. For te
same area there is one white doctor to every S43 population o 1lve
times as many white doctors in proportion to white population aSno as
twice as many in Missouri to % times as many in Mississippi.
ton to T one white Ii e sen nfstG to as sSery e. s'7 sssT White as'i popS sG a pf four
times as many white dentists from over twice as many in the DIS
trict of Columbia to 13 times as many in this state.
There is one negro pharmacist to every 22,815 negro popu-
Iation in the above described Ho area as comp az dnn to one White are f from
twice as many in Delaware to five times as many In the MasnohaI
sg7 negro population in the 17state and D. c. area to one white
lawyer to every 7o2 white population, or 50 So times W@s a as many y wh a9e
times as many in Mississippi.
Social workers claim only one negro for every 1887 color
ed population whereas there is one social worker for every 1904
white population or four times as many. In this field the negro
Missouri, where there are 1.2s more negro social workers. In Mis-,
sissippi, however, there are forty times as many white social
workers.
In the field of engineering there is only one negro engineer
for every $780, TOO negro population and one white engineer for
every GA white population, or 202 times as many white engineers.
All of the above figures are taken from educational journals
and census reports. They are thoughtprovoking and will be a reve-
lation to many sincere southern citizens who have never glVep
much thought to professional education for negroes.
Here in the south where the white and colored man work
and live in such close proximity and in such nearly equal mum
bers we cannot help but realize that what affects one also af1ecJs
the other, particularly in matters that affect the physlca! We'll
being of either. Disease and germs know no color lines and mtehl
gent white citizens in the south recognizing this have come TO
the realization that health and physical weIlbeing for the negro
him to better his economic status and enjoy an improved standard
of living.
We know we cannot reasonably expect Mississippi to be a
the fullest extent when one-half of its population is negro ana
that half of the population is comparatively poorly eoucateu' i0'
clothed and housed.
greater educational opportunities and with cooperation on the part
of the negro himself we can elevate the living standards and I'M
prove the health of our colored friends then we will be improving
their security and happiness and making of them better citizens
in a better world. land, also important, we will at the same time
he pulling ourselves up by our own bootstraps, improving our own
living standards.
One of the best ways we can create more opportunities LOT
the negro race in Mississippi and the south is to educate members
Df their own race as leaders. The provision OF regional proIes-
sional schools by southern states to provide an equal and adequate
education for qualified negro students should be a step IN the right
direction.
That step should be welcomed by sincere leaders of the
negro race who honestly want professional education for members
of their race.