Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1953-04-04
The Job Is Too Big For Them

The Mississippi Teachers Association, formerly the
Mississippi Association of Teachers In Coored Schools
the official organization representing the Negro Teach
of the State held it's 47th Annual meeting here this
week. and what has been always evident to the ntell
gent observer evident at the meeting last week
than at any other meeting time in the history of the
organization and that that the Negro teachers of the
state incapable Of and have neither the duty the
responsibility of shouderng the burden of the fight for
equalization of Negro Educational opportunities with
that of the White People of the state.
1t is conceded in the outset that the limit of the
responsibilities of the Negro Teachers and their organ-
Zaton is the effort to obtain equalization of salaries
tenure retirement and the most favorable contractua
and working conditions The matter of Equalization of
facilities, of equalization of school terms of the equa-
zation of curriculum study and teaching material the
most vital matter in real equalization of educational OPP
portunes for the Negro students of the state is the
paramount, absolute and most important duty and
sponsibty of the Negro Citizens of the state not con-
nected with the teaching profession who must send their
children to the schools.
The most important reason for the pitifuly
poor condition Of Negro Schools the state and the wide
disparity in the amounts of money spent Negro edu-
cation the various counties of the state revealed in
the recent figures published in the Commercial Appeal
in the article by Kenneth Toer, is the fact that the
Negro Citizens of the state who have the and the
intelligence both individuals, and in their collective
capacity in organizations outside the Teaching profess
sion with many thousands of dollars lying in their
treasures have not been willing to shoulder the burden
of the responsibility and leadership needed in this i'm
There are those in the class of Negro citizens of the
state mentioned above who likely to, if they have
not already done stand back and criticize the Negro
Teachers and their organization for the failure in their
meeting last week, to express themselves any of
the vital questions of Negro Education now being dis
cussed in the state especially the question of equa
cation of Teachers salaries which is should and ought
to be the sole and most important of the Negro
teachers themselves This is especially because of
the stand taken by the White Teachers of the state in
their meeting here during the previous week.
In the matter of equalization of Negro Education in
the SOUTH and in the rest of the nation for that matter
the greatest contribution has been made by the National
Association for the Advancement of Coored People, be-
cause of whose efforts notable gains have been
made, and aroused public opinion is now demanding
action In the matter of Negro education everywhere,
including Mississippi According to reports despite the
work of the NAACP the President of the State Teach
erS Association is being charged with saying that he did
not want the Teachers organization to have any thing
do with the NAACP during his Administration This re-
port Is pointed out here neither praise criticism
of the distinguished gentleman who now heads the
teachers organization but simply matter in support
of central theme which is that the job of fighting
for equalization of Negro Education in this state too
big for the Negro teacher both Individual and
an organized group.
Long before Myrda pointed out in his monumental
study an American Dilemma that Negro progress in
the south had been poor because they relying
people employed by the states and counties, and other
public jobs for their leadership rather than the Negroes
who had achieved independence, intelligent south
erners already that it is too much to ex-
pec of people in such positions school teachers and
other public employees, especially Negroes that they
will take chance of cutting off their bread and meat
and perhaps their careers in the face of the fact that
there are others in far better position to take up the
cudgel
Before crlticizing the Negro Teachers, and their
organization for their action failure to act we sug
gest to the leaders of of the oppuent Negro
organizations of the state, whose treasures bullying
with money to bury the dead, and among whose men,
bershp is composed of the most able and outstanding
Independent business men, professional men, and farm
ers that they appoint COMMITTEES Education make
recommendations equalization of Negro Education
without waiting to be called upon by anyone because in
order to obtain the beginning of better education
for Negroes of the state there must forth Negro
leaders who must tread where Negro teachers, have
right to be, and afraid to trod
The job of carrying the fight for equalization of
Negro Educational opportunities in the state is now and
always will be, too big for Negro Teachers and the con-
dtons will remain they are for long time until the
responsible Negro citizens of the state become willing to
take their share of the responsibility.