Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1954-07-24
TEXT OF SPEECH BY Kenneth TE QUOTING EDITORIAL FROM THE JACKSON ADVOCATE
LED AT THE 9Th ANNUAL EDUCATION conference AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI

steps. Here is what we admitted
in an official report by the legis-
lative school study committee as
Of 1852:
1.-THE condition Of Mississippi's
schools for Negroes in rural areas
is pathetic and in some cases it is
inexcusable.
Hundreds Of children Of the
Negro race are compelled to at
tend school-if they attend at all
in implanted, unheated and un-
lighted buildings that are not fit
for human habitation and should
have been condemned many years
ago."
That was one of the most serious
indictments ever leveled at our dual
system. And, it didn't come from
so-called northern agitators." 1t
was of our own admission.
That report didn't stop there.
1t continued, and / quote:
There are very few rural schools
for Negroes in Mississippi that
have sanitary drinking water ia
cilities or sanitary toilet facilities.
Because of the rarity Of a tax
levy for support or maintenance Of
Negro schools, many Negro school
buildings which once were credit
able structures have deteriorated
beyond repair for lack of main
tenance."
And he crux of the report con-
tanned these words:
According to the report of the
State Auditor, in many counties
money specifically appropriated for
equalizing the pay of Negro teach
ers which was sent to the counties
for that purpose never got to the
Negro teachers. For that matter"
the report added, ut has never
been returned to the state treasury,
either. The committee does not
know for what purpose the money
was spent"
AS you recall, the committee
turned that matter over to Attor-
hey General ]. P. Coleman and
about 26 counties returned the
money to the treasury. Some had
reasons for not spending the money
as it was supposed to have been
spent-and as voted by the legis-
! lature-and others didn't.
It's bad enough for the legisla-
ture not to vote enough money for
schools, but when it does and it is
not spent according to law, then
that shows how lax we have been
in trying to safeguard our segre-
gated system through some pre-
tense of equality.
In that same officially document
ed report, the recess committee for
the first time revealed the dollars
and cents disparities in the dual
system. 1t said the revelation
will shock some people," And it
did.
1t had to do with, and quote.
"the great difference in the per
pupil cost for the two races in
Mississippi"
In a county with 81 percent of
its population Negroes, the expend-
iture per white pupil was $27O.69,
against $21.36 for Negroes. One
school district in delta county
with 1000 whites and $4,000 Ne
groes, expenditures per white pupil
were shown at 469.49, and only
$13.71 for Negroes.
A central sector county with a
population ratio of $4,000 Negroes
to 5000 whites, $3OO.33 was spent
per white student, against $46.2O
for each Negro.
Yet, in those counties as we'll as
others where disparity was the
practice, as we'll as the rule, the
state funds sent to them were
based on a "head count" of the
educable children without regard
to race.
Is there any wonder that only
one colored child in 40 who enrolls
in school graduates That's a.
gainst one white out of every four,
Or why more than half of the
4,O31 school buildings in Mississippi
are one and two teacher affairs.
Little wonder that of the 1857
Negro children who entered the
first grade in 1862, that 4O,1ss
dropped out before reaching the
second. That compares with the
loss of 8,743 Of the 1910 whites
who entered the first grade com.
pared to the second grade enroll.
ment.
Of those 71,437 Negro children
who entered the first grade, thei,
number had dwindled to 1929 by
the time they reached the eighth
down to 1882 in the 9th grade
with 3,671 winding up as gradu-
ates.
OF the initial white enrollmen,
of 1910, total of 21,941 reached
the eighth, with the ninth regis.
tering 1864 and graduation com.
ing to 12,045.
The statistics, taken from the
state department Of education's re.
port, show that the level of educa-
ton for most Of the Negroes goes
to the 5th grade.
The percentage Of whites going
through the IL grades in the 1852
SO session was 25.9 percent, against
SO for Negroes.