Newspapers / Africo-American Presbyterian (Wilmington, N.C.) / April 4, 1935, edition 1 / Page 1
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. VOL. LVI. By Dean R. W. Boulware, Harbison Institute. (A paper read at the Work ers’ Conference held in the University Church at Johnson C. Smith University, Feb. 5-8.) I am not quite sure that I shall be able to point out the particular contributions—grant ing that there are some—which the framers of this question had in mind. However, it is my purpose ftp state briefly—per haps conservatively—a few of my observations, as well as my own experiences, of some of the influence the boarding school has had, and is now having upon the life of the community in which the school is located, as well as upon the life of the communities to which the stu dents may go. It. is difficult—well-nigh im possible—evc^n to approximate the value of the average board ing school in a community, in this and other sections, in dol lars, in influence, in moral, re ligious and spiritual uplift. It is almost like trying to value the human soul, for, indeed, these hoarding schools have been almost the only salvation, light and life of the underprivileged1 classes for generations past; and if these classes are to func tion, or serve as God would have them, these schools must continue to be their guide and light for years to come. Many of the Christian lead ers of the nine or more million dependent people of our South land were trained in the board ing schools of the Presbyterian Church, U. S. A. I sincerely Hope th«fc*the i&*far in the future when the activities of these schools will, for any reas on, cease. There is little or no substitute for them. Their lead ers, for the most part, have been men and women of high Christian character and schol astic ability, as well as of marked personality. Not only have they been fully trusted by the boards of our Church—they have enjoyed the utmost, faith ,f and confidence of the makers of and leaders in their communi ties. They are often called upon ! to assist in solving many of the knotty problems of the com munity, and to share in many activities where the whole com munity is concerned. They have proved the wisdom and far sightedness of those who had to do with their appointment. In my'opinion, this subject may be limited to the contribu tion of the boarding school to the life of its immediate com munity. Your community may be defined as the place where you live, play, trade, go to school, attend church, improve living conditions, work and en joy life. Let us, then, point out • briefly, the share our schools are taking in the life of the home, the school, the city or town, the farm and the church where they are located. Each -■ of these is a working unit, i shall touch upbn a few of them. One of the most outstanding contributions is that given to the worthwhile life of the home. Many of our boys and girls ge their first knowledge of w real home life is only after tering our boarding sehocfis The deeper meaning of “Home, home, sweet. home”dawns upon them 'las never before. Our schools are the chief agencies in magnifying the home as the center of life that, is happy, useful and unselfish. It is said that the home is the soil in which spirit grows. Like chari ty, cooperation begins at home. A person can not'be selfish and domineering at. home, and un selfish and agreeable outside. An agreeable and contented family life is the foundation of success and happiness in any community. Very, very recently has home making come under the head of science. It is becoming more I and more scientific, artistic and businesslike year by year. Many modern high schools of fer courses in Home Economics for girls and manual training for boys, and there are similar but more advanced courses in many colleges. * <Jur school at irmo is offering these courses in a lim -ted way. Our boys are serving the community by assisting~m building, painting and repairing houses and chimneys. Our girls are taught that home making is an imporatnt business, and that the family is the most important of all bus iness institutions. How to man age it efficiently, intelligently and artistically is a problem faced by every home maker m avery community. At Harbison, our girls are taught, to cook and to sew. We realize that they are to be the managers, plan ners and erectors of the com munities’ homes, and tl.ai they will have to plan and supervise rhe operation, diet„ safety and the many activities ot tnest homes. They are to be and some now are, the purchasing agents for their families, and will have imposed upon them the tremendous responsibility of spending wisely about four fifths of the yearly income of their families. Some of these girls, whire^stlfflnTpchboI. earn" a part of their board and spend ing money by caring for chil dren and doing house work out side of their own homes, thus learning to do by doing. In our schools we sometimes influence worthy home member ship inadvertently. May I give you a bit of my personal expe rience? A few weeks ago I was conducting a study p«^d of a class of twenty or more boys and girls. Incidentally I turned the study period into a confer ence, which I opened by asking the questions: "Have any of you ever sought close friendship with ,{your lathers and jhiofh ers? Have you ever put your arms around them as your chums? Did you ever pet your father by combing and brushing his hair, whether or not it. was needed, when he came in tired from worK.' - Most ot tnese boys and girls stated frankly that, they felt their parents would stubbornly resist such familiiarity—such acts of inti macy. A few said they feared a sharp rebuke even if they at tempted such a thing. I asked them, to try my suggestion, on a small scale at first, just to see how things might turn out Some dubiously shook their heads. One week after I in quired if any had made the at tempt One girl, who stays with her grandmother, spoke out in an unusually cheerful voice: “1 tried it, and I have had the hap piest week I ever had in my home, and I have been there nine years. Grandmother was tickled to death.” This young girl got, for the first time, the meaning of the word “Home/' She told me that she would keep this up. The other young folks of the class said they would try some plan also. in this and in other ways, our schools are contributing to the life of the homes /in the com munity. ' / The boarding school mflvienc es good, faithful vitizenship. it aids in creating in the boys and girls a dpsire and willingness to do something daily to make the school, the community, State and nation, happier, clean or. quieter, more beautiful, and tetter governed. The schoo. snares in the principle of good government,—good government is composed of good citizens. The school plays its part m all of the health movements of the community, it, makes ics contributions in the buying and celling of Christmas seals, thus cooperating with the Tubercu losis Association in stamping out that dreaded disease which preys upon the life of my peo ple. Modern life demands relia ble strength and energy. Health means this to the life and ac tivities of the community — a sound mind in a sound body. If >ve are healthy we see the sun ny side of things; we feel like •loing great things; we feel like adventure; we get pleasure out, of accomplishments and do not axes jons so seriously, un me othef hand, poor health makes life blue; makes us tired and easily discouraged; indifferent 0 tiie nghts of others. The school is selling this idea to the community. The school is influencing the community more than we some rimes know. A few weeks ago ihe President of our institution accompanied me to a meeting 1 f the local school board (white) at which a member of the State Board of Education was pres ent. As we were modestly and judiciously pressing our claim for some consideration at their1 hands, the gentleman from thei State Board inquired of the lo cal board, “What about the standing of Harbison in this community?” The answer came full and Tree from the local board, “We consider Harbison, a real asset to the community; we hive nothing save words ojf. comirinedation.” The thing that interested me most was the re ply was so instantaneous and swered better myself. These im pressions are made on the life of the people as they are re flected from the lives of our students—the men and the wo men trained in our institutions. Here is an instance: one of the merchants in our little town said to me one day: “I can not understand how you all can make such great changes in the habits and conduct of our col ored children in this section. Since the coming of your school these children enter the store and ask for what they want as intelligently and businesslike as anybody, and when they get what they come for, they go.” Out boys and girls are trained to see that they are a part of the business life of the com munity; to see that they need to be intelligent consumers 01 goods and services. The boarding institutions are contributing to the yj vocational and. economic effectiveness ot the community life. By study ing, reading, observation and try-out courses, we help our community boys and girls to find and develop their talents. An untold wealth of opportuni ty is provided for every young man 'and young woman in our schools. Real life situations are carried on in these institutions, and the students learn to un derstand and meet conditions and situations they will encoun ter when they leave school. Thrift m money matters is encouraged. The principle, spend wisely less than you earn,” is emphasized. It goes farther—it enables them to be come thrifty in the use of time and materials. / Our boarding schools are helping to raise the standards of farming in the community. More and better live stock and improved farm implements are noticeably on the increase Many of our boys are beginning to (see that agriculture offers more opportunity on the lead ership level than any other field of business activity in America. I must admit there is room for imDrovemei_. on the part of some of our schools in their contribution to rlie f man :ion i committee iUv cotton radac . in my pitaia,: observed among other thing? hat at least 75 per cent of the more than one hundred farm ers I visited owned their farms, t noticed, further, that as a nflq, t .ehe farm ^owners pro*? duced 50 per cent less tnah Aeir immediate neighbors of the other race. In many in stances, only a fence or a road li vide® their farms. There was an evident lafck off iiftelKgenlt supervision, a lack of scient Knowledge of stock raising, oi erop aid soil improvement ana of marketing methods. CL course, not many of our board jflg sQlibls are so situated ano eQuiPlip that they may help oetter * these conditions, but, vvhere this is possible, no means should* be spared which may ontri^ute t.o tha^eld. Th^ "boarding/school contri butes ftb the n*eprea/t<onai )(ife of the^ community. Playgrounds, gymnasiums, athletic instruc tors said coaches are provided. It is Realized that organized and constructive recreation and piay are necessary to relieve monot ony of routine work. T60 muck work; Ihay reduce our efficien-! cy—too much play may inter fere with our work. The prop-: er amount of each makes'a well rounded life. The problem of the school is to so balance lives and Budget time as to have am ple opportunity for both' work »nd play. We had a social once. Our boys and girls did not hail the invitation with much enthusi asm^ as they anticipated that therl would be no dancing or card: playing. However, they <*aip|. Members of thi faculty; well prepared program, Tvhtt| would use up all of the! allied time. After the pro ffiWi hflgim, llifcj,. : .went - from, one form of entertainment to another in such rapid succes sion that every one was rapt with enthusiasm. Fun was un restrained throughout the en tire evening. When it was ail over, the young folks expressed surprise at having enjoyed themselves so fully without the usual cance. Oh yes, it required skill," tact and downright, hard work on the part of the enter tainers, but they felt more than paid for the energy ex pended. Ine contribution/to the life of the community finds Its high est' expression in the work and life of the church. Whatever contributions the school has made to the home, to citizen ship, to vocational effectivencs or to worthy use of leisure, these are not to be compared to its contribution of character building as it is set forth by the Church of Jesus—the Institu tion founded by our Lord and JMaister. -On every outpost, in every thoroughfare and avenue of the school you may read “Search for the highest values, and build your life according tc • he best patterns.” Read afte: the lives of great men and wo men in whose lives Jesus Christ is supreme. The spiritual life of the community is the all-im portant life. The need today if not so much new college build ings, not so many expensive churches, as great as these needs are, but the spirit of the Christ. If we can develop in the community this essential ele ment, all the other things of | value will follow. Bank-robbing and kid-napping will cease, j Gangster and mob rule will nc longer menace the peace of the people. A father of four children said to me the other day, “There is something in the boarding school that is not. found in the cfEer schools. I am on the eve of sacrificing my property and moving into a community where my children can be trained in a boarding school.” This man knows that these schools contri bute to the higher life of the (Continued bn page 4) THE NEGRO AND THE By Dr. Kelly Miller The Jew is a born business) man. A larger proportion ot that race seems to be capable of conducting business affairs •more successfully than of any other variety of the human family. Jacob outwitted his xatner-m-iaw in a bargain *13 to the birth mark of striped lambs. Jewish servant women lorrawect earrings and Anger vmgs of their Egyptian mis presses, presumably to set up -heir; husbands in the jewelry ousiness. Whether inborn or ac quired, it is a plain fact ot ob servation that members of the Jewish race conduct a dispro portionate amount of business .iiroughbut the Gentile world. Indeed the Jew seems to aeem t his mission to cater to Chris tian heeds and n&ESsiues. They wax fat and profflfeer on Chris :ian holidays. They violate their own Sabbath, gathering in sneKeis to supply unnstians vith their requirements tor Sunday. Christmas and Easter furnish their superlative op portunity. When the Jews take x holiday, the Gentiles suffer for lack of their accustomed .supply of creature comforts. The Jewish mefcnant looks i topon theHNegro as an easy field I for exploitation. Wherever you find a segregatecTgroup of Ne-i grqes, there you will find the Jew in their midst with his grocery, notions “or clothing storey on every comer. In Le JDroit JPark, where I live, therj reside, perhaps, the argest number of Negroes ot education, wealth, position and social standing to be found in apy similar Section in the Unit 'd States, ’M)octdrSr lawyers, protessors, school teachers, ministers, in short, the, upper level of what some humorist has called “big niggerdom” are centered in this favored section jf the National Capital. Not far away on- the North stand Howard University and the City Teachers’ Normal College. A tew blocks to the South are lo cated Dunbar High School and Armstrong Manual Training School. Tl^is was once a re served section for an exclusive white settlement but the Negro invasion has driven^ them out, all but to the last’ man and wo man. Throughout Le Droit Park Jew stores arq inter spersed on strategic corners, supplying the needs and neces sities of this fastidious colored population^ and incidentally, absorbing a large portion oi their income. There is scarcely a Negro store to be found with in the reservation. The Jewish dealers who cater to these “veiled aristocrats,” are un learned and almost unlettered. Their stated education would about cover the third or fourth grade, and yet the Negro pro fessional classes, the graduates of Howard University and ol the high schools, includ ing business high schools, are perfectly satisfied to be ca tered to by these Jewish mer chants and dealers. The stores on nearby 7th Street, running for fully a half mire Southward, are owned and operated by Jews, nine-tenths of whose cus tomers are Negroes. Running Westward for another half mile is U Street, the “JtJoulevard De-Negres,” which has been called the greatest business street among Negroes to be found anywhere in the United States. On this street are lo cated the theatres, banks, dance halls, eating houses anc private businesses and stores, ; yet if the Jew should withdraw | from U Street the subtrahend would be greater than the re mainder. This but typifies the relation of the Jew and the Ne [ gro throughout, the United ! States. It must be said, however, tjhat the Jew in business treats the Negro more kindly and more sympathetically than his wW SteS %&£ He never offends a possible cus tomer by brusque manners and racial arrogance, rie keeps in nis store cheap, shoddy goods which, by artistic arrangement and handling, he makes look attractive and appealing. n. shoddy Jew suit looks as well as any other until ife rains on it. The Jewish merchant always Adjusts his price range to the pocketbook of the Negro cus tomer. On the whole, I think it can be said that the Jewish merchant is a blessing rather than a bane to the gullible Ne gro purchaser. If he were with drawn the white Gentile dealer would exploit him no less ruth lessly and with much less gen iality. Whenever the Negro gets a dollar, all the Jew wants is his name and address. | We must also take into ac count that these Jewish dea’.ers are of the peasant type, reccru immigrants to this country. Their motftfe for going into business is immediate profit, however acquired. At the other end of the scale, the Jewish merchanjtwho ,has acquired fortune and attained position and culture, generally assumes a helpful and humanitarian at titude toward the Negro race. Julius Rosenwald, the Negro's greatest philanthropist, falls in this category. Up tjo now the Negro has con stituted Ithe exploited element in the business parcnersh%>. He has ndt been conscious of the manner in which he has been exploited; . - dawning upon him that he, somehow, should share in the profits of the business which he supports. If the race is not at present prepared to cater to its own business needs and ne cessities, the Knowing ones among them are at least begin ning to think that, they should receive large consideration from those who grow fat on their patronage. They are demanding that Negro clerks and sales la dies should be given a chance in those stores ■ which thrive mainly on Negro patronage. “Buy where you work" is a motto which has made consid erable headway in several of cur greatest cities. In Chicago it is interesting and refreshing , ' to see Negro clerks, salesmen and floorwalkers in large and attractive stores owned and operated by Jews. This came | about by the propaganda whose tocsin is, “buy where you work.” , If the Negro is ever to be come his own merchant and business man, controlling the bulk of the business which he supports, it will come about under Jewish tutelage. He can not look to the white Gentile for such intimate instructions. The secrets and methods must be learned, not from business schools, but from those wno have accumulated business experience and practical meth ods. > The Negro and the Jew in business must no longer contin ue a one-sided partnership, but must inure -to the mutual *»d ' aiitage of both. MOTiCE To Pastors and Church Ses sions: I am now available for evan gelistic Services and Bible Lec tures, and shall be pleased to serve city as well as rural churches and schools in Apy section of our great Church. Address: REV. A. A. HECTOR, 314 West Clay Street, Rich mond, Va,
Africo-American Presbyterian (Wilmington, N.C.)
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April 4, 1935, edition 1
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