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VOL. XLIX. CHARLOTTE, N. C. lY, MARCH 3, 1927 NO. 9. THE PUCE OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (A paper read at the Twelfth Annual Presbyterian Workers’ Con ference, held at Johnson C. Smith University, Jan. 25-28.) By Mrs. A. A. Jones It is said we travel through life in a circle. We start on the journey as a child and if we live long enough we will come back ; t&the starting place and become % a child again. Perhaps this is why old people love to talk of " the past. I hope the Program Committee had this in mind when they gave this subject to an old person and will allow me to give a bit of history before I read the few thoughts I have on the subject, “The Place of the Elementary School.” If you could see the figures on my ser vice pin you would note 1869 1926, which means that I taught my first school of this kind in ’ 1869, and I was still teaching the same kind of a school in 1926, and even up to this month, January, 1927, I am still in the same work. In 1868 my parents moved from South Carolina to Dalton, Ga., where we found a Presbyterian church. Up to that time there had been no school in 1 'us town for colored children. rfhe people persuaded my moth er to open a school in the Pres byterian church and let me teach the children what little I knew and she manage it. We did so and taught for three months, each child paying 75 cents a month. Some time af . ter we closed the minister gave me a check for $30.00 from this same Board we are now work ing under, though of a different name. If experience and obser vation mean anything I ought .^-wtot-be^ah authority onTthis sub ject, but I am not. The only thing I remember teaching in this school was sitting on the pulpit steps at recess reading Bible stories to the children which I had learned to read be fore I could pronounce the name, “Bible” correctly. During the 80 s I taught several sessions in these schools in amerent sec tion of Georgia, but for the last forty years I have taught con tinuously in one school, located near McConnellsvile, S. C. This little station is not on the map, and has no telephone of ’ telegraphic connections. When necessary for us to get a telegram our friends usually send to some one in the nearest town and have him bring the message. Yet from that little country school more than 60 boys and girls have gone to higher schools of our Church. Many have completed their edu cations and are filling positions of trust in the world. Before Robert Raikes em ployed two teachers at a few shillings a day to teach Sab bath school, the parochial school was already in existence. The teachers for these schools were employed by the benevo lent agencies of the various Churches of England for tne purpose of teaching the children reading, writing, Bible, etc. This was done long before there was any thought of edu cation at the public’s expense and thus the common people of England and other countries ac quired an education. The need for such schools still exists in the interest of small hamlets, country districts and even in many of our larger cities. Our Church saw this need at the very beginning of its work in the South and established paro chial schools along side of the church and in some instances the school was the forerunner of the church. Some think that the need no longer exists and that the parochial school should be abolished, because the State is doing more than in the past, and because other denomina tions are establishing schools for the colored youth. But I think that the need is just as great now as it was in the be ginning. While it is true that the State is doing more, this | more is only 3 and 4 months of school a year in some districts. If our Church is to hold its own and grow, we need parochial schools as feeders. One- place--that--the Elemen tary School is filling now is that of supplementing the home training. Modern civilization has had its effect on the home. The pulpit, the church papers, the secular papers, and judges of the courts are sounding the alarm, urging parents to, return to the good old way of our fore fathers, using the Bible, the family altar and even the rod of correction. Miss Nannie Burroughs, in a recent article in 'The Outlook says that “The Negro home is suffering from ‘the outs.’ Too many Negro mothers work out and too many trifling Ne groes hang out.” “In a physical and moral sense it can be truthfully said of two-thirds of our places of abode, there is nobody at home. “For various reasons and often without any good reason at all, Negro mothers are away from their children all day and a part of the night; as a result the race is teeming with ‘Topsies.’ The church school does the work left un done 1 V many parents in that it takes the children at five and six years of age, starts their feet in the right path, inspires them to be something and do something in life. The Cate chism. Bible stories and Scrip tufe learned in these schools go with them through life. Their minds are like wax to receive, like marble to retain. “To illustrate their ability to take these lessons in, a small five-year old boy, who went along to school with the others, was heard to say, Tm not go ing to serve the devil, for me and my house, we are going to serve the Lord.’ “So often when parents are in the home to train their chil dren the example is not what it should be. To illustrate this, a small boy who attended one of our Elementary Schools was heard cursing, and when his teacher remonstrated,’ and asked him what his grandfath er would say if he heard him curse like that, replied, “Oh, grandpa won’t care, he larn’t me what I know. He can cuss for more things than I can cuss for.” The teachers in the Parochial schools are usually consecrated men and women, who are inter ested in their pupils and aim not only to teach them their text books, but strive to develop their character, improve their morals and inspire them to live useful lives. Kelly Miller, who got his in spiration in a parochial school, says, “If modern methods of teaching do not inspire, they are failures.” The Elementary bchool nils a large place in the community. It not only stands for things up lifting, but is a source of infor mation and help to every one, irrespective of color or creed. The children are taught to be honest and industrious and re spectful and whenever they go to work they carry these traits of character with them and this makes for better racial feeling. One ot the girls that was taught in one of the schools to make her first loaf of bread and bake her first cake and who did not have an opportunity to at tend any other school, is now cooking for Mayor Kendricks, of Philadelphia, Pa., and not long since was given a gold medal by him for her efficiency. This lit tle illustration only serves to show that the Elementary School serves to instill into the hearts of the children the prin ciple that work is honorable and that no matter what the task, “Do it heartily, as unto the Lord." The Elementary School fills as important place in making leaders and recruits for the Church. Many boys and girls are sent from these schools to higher institutions of learning, it is the parochial school that furnishes us with the college presidents, teachers, preachers, and preachers’ wives. 'fhey not only find mid inspire1 leaders' for our own denomina tion, but they supply leaders for other churches as well. During the holidays I met a man who is a successful preacher ;an other denomination. If one is to measure success by appear ances, and we usually do, he was riding in a big, shiny automo bile, not a Ford, whether paid for I do not know, and he said, “I am making a success in my church work. I have one of^He largest churches in the associ ation. We have held the ban ner for some time for raising the most benevolence money. The only school that I ever at tended was that little parochial school back there in the coun try. The only teacher I have ever had was in that school. The Bible received as a reward for reciting the Catechism, the les sons and stories learned from it, the talks from my teacher have been the inspiration of my life* I have studied jCfoat Bible and applied the le^he ba, taught in that school, and' the aji’s help, I am what I am.” ^filing TO RESTORE WAK-iv e lir^ yhoop rv, as w. ^-'their he ^ned at home Members of the’ Church in the U. S. H». missed interested to know why they ought to share in the restora tion of the Old First Presbyte rian church at Alexandria, Va. When the Civil War broke out this church was under the pas torate of Rev. Elias Harrison, of Princeton Theological Seminary. When Virginia seceded from the Union Dr. Harrison refused to acknowledge the newly formed government and the Virginia authorities therefore announced that marriages performed by him would not be recognized as legal in Virginia. Nevertheless, Dr. Harrison continued his loy alty to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. and continued to keep his church open for such loyal adherents as did not go over to the South. Because of the war the old church fell into despair and effort is now being made by descendants of the ses ceding Southerners to restore it. This is one of the most his toric churches in the country. It was in this Old First Church that Masonic funeral honors were paid to George Washing ton. Under its church floor is buried Dr. James Muir, who officiated at Washington’s funeral as chaplain of the Al exandria Masons. Others bu ried there include several who lost their lives in fighting for the Revolution, also Dr. James Craik, an intimate personal friend of Washington, who fol lowed his fortunes from the be ginning of the Revolution to Yorktown. The name of La fayette is also associated with this historic church. John B. Gordon, of Alexan dria, who is chairman of the Board of Deacons of the Sec ond Presbyterian church there, is chairman of the committee of Presbyterians in charge of the appeal to the Presbyterians of the United States. He and oth er Virginia Presbyterians ear nestly request that contribu tions to the restoration fund for the Old First Presbyterian church should be sent to Wil liam A. Moore, Jr., treasurer, Westminster Building, Alexan dria, Va. Mr. Moore is also treasurer of the Second Presby terian church of Alexandria. Washington, D. C.,—Monday, ruary fourteenth, 1927. glass Day marked a brand !W epoch in the history of the di&red race in America. For on day prominent representa es of five racial organizations five religious denomina visited the White House, the United States Senate and tpe United States House of Re isentatives and presented pe ons regarding segregation, hing, peonage, disfranchise nt and the Houston soldier ners. These delegations^ nt out under the auspices of National Lincoln-Douglass >jiferenee, which was perfect ly Thomas H. R. Clarke and es L. Neill, of Washington, ., and William Monroe Trot officers of the National al Rights League. Officers Elected IS PETITION ERAL GOVERN MENT Program and Press. Lincoln Night Saturday evening, February 12th, Lincoln Service was held in the 12th Street Branch of the Y. M. C. A., Mr. T. H. R. Clarke, presiding. Rev. Dr. J. Milton Waldron delivered a thoughtful address upon “Some Vital As pects of the Race Question." Three delegation committees to draft petitions were appointed, one to thePresident, one to the House and one to the Senate. At Homestead February 13th, Sunday after noon, the delegation visited the Douglass Homestead at Cedar Hill, Anacostia, where a session was conducted by the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs, Mrs. Julia West Hamil ton presiding. Rev. Alice Win ton! Vice-President of the Phil adelphia Branch of the Equal Rights League, offered prayer. Reminiscences on Frederick Douglass were given by Mrs. Mary Church Terrell, Honorary President of the National Asso ciation of Colored Women’s Clubs, and Thoms H. R. Clarke, President of the Lincoln-Doug las Conference, both personal friends of Douglass. Mr. Wil liam Monroe Trotter, of the Equal Rights League, delivered a tribute to Douglass as one of the great Americans, and a lib erator of his race. Monday Session On Monday morning the Con ference assembled in the Metro politan Baptist church on R St. After prayer by Rev. H. B. Tay lor of the Presbyterian Church, President Clarke put Rev. W, H. Jernagin, President of the National Race Congress, in the chair. The minutes were read by the Secretary, James L, Neill, Esq., of the Equal Rights League, and adopted. The twc petitions were read and adopt ed and with all procedure ar ranged M. W. Spencer led the delegation to the White House, arriving exactly at 11:45. At White House M. W. . Spencer, as program3 chairman, was Master of Cere monies, introducing the 40 dele gates to the President, the Lin coln-Douglass Race Conference, representing the Equal Rights League, the National Race Con gress, the N. A. A. C. P., the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs, the National Political Study Club, and prom inent Methodist, Baptist, Pres byterian, Episcopalian and Afri can Orthodox clergymen assem bled. He then presented Rev. George Frazier Miller, President of the Equal Rights League, as chairman-spokesman. He ex plained that the delegates .came in the names of Lincoln and Douglass, emancipator and black race liberator, to ask redress; that they personally were not segregated but they felt the sting, the stigma, the humilia tion, becuase it was aimed at the whole 12,000,000 colored people, that the matter was of great importance. He then presented A. S. Pinkett, Secre tary of the local N. A. A. C. P., as Secretary of the Conference, who read the Lincoln-Douglass petition, asking abolition of seg regation by Executive order; that the President send to Con gress a special message for the Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill and have the Attorney General in vestigate suffrage conditions in the South. President Miller then intro duced Rev. Thomas S. Harten, National Organizer and Soldier Pardon Drive Director of the Equal #N*hts League, the sol dier-sp(L ..lan, who presented a petition with 20,000 signa tures from 30 States for the par don of the remaining 20 soldier prisoners of the Houston Riot. He made a most eloquent plea for the soldiers, citing the valor of colored soldiers ever. Among other things he said: “We are the only group ever sent 3,000 miles to fight for democracy and then to be denied it on returning home.” He said: “We were told to get education, property, mon ey, character. We did this and had the patience even of Job, only to see the hand-cuffs of prejudice the more tightly fas tened upon us.” When the President had asked the number of prisoners at present and said he would take up the matter with the Secretary of War, Rev. Miller resumed speaking against seg regation. The President asked about the matter of colored em ployees, named a big figure and was told only one-tenth were in Washington and then asked how many complained. President Miller told him in classic lan guage they did so inwardy but not outwardly for fear of losing their jobs. Then T. H. R. Clarke, the President of the Lincoln-Douglass Conference, James T- Neill, Recording Sec retary of the Equal Rights League; Neval Thomas, Presi dent of the Washington Branch of the N. AV A. C. P., Rev. W. H. Jernagin, President of the National Race Congress, and Mrs. Mary Church Terrell, pre sented fac& regarding segrega tion, also W. M. Trotter of 10 clerks even in the Department of Justice The House Then the delegates divided in two groups and visited Con gress. William Monroe Trotter, the chairman, and Rev. J. V. King, the Secretary, led the del egation which presented the pe tition to Congressman George Holden Tinkham, of the House of Representatives. The Senate Rev. W. H. Jernagin, the President of the National Race Congress, Mrs. Mary Church Terrell and Prof. George A. Parker, the Secretary, led the delegation, which presented the petition to Senator Frederick Huntington Gillett and inter viewed Vice-President Dawes his private office. The Petition The petition to the House of Representatives and The' Sen* ate closed as follows: '--'?• To those ends and in honor of the memories of Abraham Lin coln and Frederick Douglass at the natal anniversaries of these noble servants of the Republic, we do petition Congress for leg islation. * 1 H*>; 5F (a) To reduce State repre sentation in the Federal House in proprVon to adult disfran chisemeh (b) To . >rbid denial of ac commodation or segregation, by or for race or color, in interstate carriers and in all public places and facilities in federal property or in other federal domain?. (c) To more quickly detect and more adequately punish the crime of peonage. (d) To make mob mUrder and lynchings a federal crime and, finally (e) To refuse to seat those elected under conditions of dis franchisement because of race or color. A splendiu meeting waS held at the Metropolitan Baptist Church on the evening of Feb ruary 14th, 1927, under the aus pices of the National Lincoln Douglass Conference, as a part of the program staged in the observance of the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Federal Petition Commission On motion of Mr. Trotter, re solving the meeting into an Equal Rights League one Mr. Clarke was elected Chairman of the Petition Commission of Equal Rights League/ Members of the Presidential Delegation. The following members of the Lincoln Douglass Conference vis ited the White House: Dr. — George F. Miller, Chairman, New York; A. S. Pinkett, Sec retary; Rev. W. H. Jernagin, Prof. Nevel Thomas, Wm. Mon roe Trotter, Mass.; N. W. Spen cer, Rev. T. S. Harten, New York; T. H. R. Clarke, James L. Neill, Mrs. Mary Church Ter rell Dr. W. W. Ray, Rev. J. U. 0. King, Prof. W. H. Ferris, Rev. H. B. Taylor, Mrs. Katie Jen kins, Rev. C. C. Somerville Rev. Joseph L. Lee, Mrs, Julia Chris tian Collier, Rev. fi. T. Medford, Rev. Alive V. J. Winston, Penn., Rev. K. A. Taylor, Rev. John B. Pharr, Conn., Mrs. M. D. Butler, Miss Henrietta Neely, Mrs. John Saunders, Mrs. Peachie Colbert, Rev. J. L. S. Holloman, Miss Bertha Kelley, Miss Irene F. Davis, Rev. F. A. Young, Rev. S. A. Young, Prof. George A. Parker, Rev. W. R. Morehead, Rev. R. Alvin Fair ley, Rev. Canon C. S. A. Dreckes, New York, R. G. Bar row, New York, Rev. S. S. Rob inson. Senate Delegation Rev. W. H. Jemagin, Chair man; Prof. George A. Parker, Secretary; Mrs. Mary Church Terrell, Rev. T. S. Harten, New New York, Rev. H. T. Medford, York Dr. George Frazier Miller, Rev. J. L. S. Holloman, Rev. Al: ice Winston, Penn., Rev. C. .C. Williams Rev. F. T. A. You^k House of Representatives Dele gation. W. Monroe Trotter, Chairman, Mass.; Rev. J. U. King, Secre tary; Rev. C. C. Somerville, Mass.; Mrs. Katie Jackson, Mrs. Julia C. Collier, Mrs. Melis sa Saunders, Bishop Reginald Barrows, New York; Rev. George S. A. Brookes, New York ; Rev. Hartin D. V. Stew art, Mrs. Marion Butler, Miss Henrietta Keely, Mrs. Peachy Colbert, T. H. R. Clarke, Mau rice W. Spencer, Prof. W. H. Fer ris, A. M. HAYES RECEIVES $3200 PER NIGHT. Washington, Feb. 21—Fig ures based upon guarantees for one-night paid concert artists in cities around 300,000 population, as published by “Variety,” the organ of the stage and screen, i (Continued on Page 4)
Africo-American Presbyterian (Wilmington, N.C.)
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