The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1961-06-16
Prince Edward
County Story
By Mrs. Helen Baker, Director
American Friends Service
Committee

~ NAiS' S1ebCw 0OACtS Ou0CtVk
American Friends Service
Committee
Carol is 8 years old. Last year
she attended no school, but this
year her parents have made ar
engagements for her to attend
school in Petersburg. Virginia
which is 65 miles away. Carol
lives with Great Aunt; leaves
home each Sunday afternoon and
returns to Farmville on Friday
evening. Today. while unpacking
Carols laundry bag. her mother
found tucked in a dress pocket
this carefully drawn first grade
note 1 want to go home now.
Mother love you SO much
want to go home. l want to go
home now" Carol is one of about
400 Negro children of all ages
who must leave their home in
Prince Edward County for a
week = month - a semester -
a year in order to attend school.
There may be as many white
children who do the same: do
not know.
These migrant school children
are about 0ne-fourth of the Negro
school population n,638) as was
recorded when the schools were
closed two years ago. Five hun
dred and seventy-three of these
children are now registered in
the Community Cehters in the
county. For educational purpose
the rest are lost" Many, of
course. will never again return
to school. With the exception OF
those who left the county, all Of
the children will be retarded by
two grades - enough to perman-
emily cripple and discourage
these young citizens for the rest
of their lives.
Christian Association Acts
The Prince Edward County
Christian Association which was
organized last year now operates
l6 Community Centers and the
children gather on each school
day from 1920 am. to 80 pm.
The Centers are located in such
inadequate and delapidated quar-
tiers that little more is possible
in them than a scant program of
reading. singing and discussion.
Last year the Centers were
stated largely by teachers who
were out of work because of the
closed schools. but practically all
of the teachers in the county have
gone elsewhere this year to Sc
cure employment. This year the
"a leaders in the Centers are pre-
dominantly mothers from the
community who are at least high
school graduates. Since October,
the Prince Edward County Chris
tian Association has been able to
give each leader $500. and the
assistant (if she has one) 5000.
Obviously. to date, this has in
most instances not even covered
cost of their transportation to the
Centers.
In response to newspaper arti-
Giles in NEWSDAY in Long Is
land. WASHINGTON POST and
DETROIT FREE PRESS the
CenterS have been able to secure
adequate supplies of books,
paper, pencils and etc., from in.
dividuals and groups in those
areas.
The Prince Edward County
Christian Association. since its
organization, has received the
bulk of its financial support
through the National Association
for the Advancement of Coloree
People tNAACP), the Nationa
Council of Negro Womer
tNCNW). the Virginia Council or
Human Relations and the Vir
GINA Christian Leadership Con
ference.
Very recently. PECCA ha.
opened office headquarters il
Farmville. Virginia at 625 So
Main Street and has appointed
Mrs. Dorothy J. Croner as its
Executive Secre tary. The