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Higher Education For NegroesThe matter of higher education for negroes, particularly education for the professions, has been brought into sharp focus within the past few months. Currently a meeting of southern governors is being planned in Florida to discuss the advisability of making possible regional schools at which qualified negro students can study . . . negro students from states which do not maintain professional schools for negroes.There are seventeen states and the District of Columbia where separate school for white and colored children are maintained by law. These are Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Virginia.The need for more professional men and women among the negro race throughout the south is undisputed by every fair-minded southern citizen. That we are trying to improve the situation is shown in the mere fact that the matter is being discussed by our governmental leaders, something that would have been more or less unheard of twenty years ago.In the seventeen states and the District of Columbia where separate schools for white and colored are maintained by law there is only one negro doctor for every 4,409 negro population. For the same area there is one white doctor to every 843 population or five times as many white doctors in proportion to white population as negro doctors in proportion to negro population or from almost twice as many in Missouri to 22 times as many in Mississippi.There is one negro dentist to every 12,101 colored population to one white dentist, to every 2,795 white population, or four times as many white dentists from over twice as many in the District of Columbia to 13 times as many in this state.There is one negro pharmacist to every 22,815 negro population in the above described area as compared to one white pharmacist to every 1,714 white population or 13 times as many, from twice as many in Delaware to five times as many in the Magnolia State.In the field of law there is one negro lawyer for every 24,997 negro population in the 17-state and D. C. area to one white lawyer to every 702 white population, or 35 times as many white lawyers ranging from five times as many in West Virginia to 420 times as many in Mississippi.Social workers claim only one negro for every 11,537 colored population whereas there is one social worker for every 2,654 white population or four times as many. In this field the negro workers outnumber the whites in one of the seventeen states, Missouri, where'there are 1.28 more negro social workers. Tn Mis- ( sissippi, however, there are forty times a? many white social workers.In the field of engineering there is only one negro engineer ^ for every 130,700 negro population and one white engineer for , every 644 white population, or 202 times as many white engineers.All of the above figures are taken from educational journals and census reports. They are thought-provoking and will be a revelation to many sincere southern citizens who have never given much thought to professional education for negroes.Here in the south where the white and colored man work and live in such close proximity and in such nearly equal numbers we cannot help but realize that what affects one also affects the other, particularly in matters that affect the physical wellbeing of either. Disease and germs know no color lines and intelligent white citizens in the south recognizing this have come to the realization that health and physical well-being for the negro race can only come through better educational facilities enabling him to better his economic status and enjoy an improved standard of living.We know we cannot reasonably expect Mississippi to be a ricfy and powerful state and take advantage of all its resources to the fullest extent when one-half of its population is negro and that half of the population is comparatively poorly educated, fed, clothed and housed.We know that if by dent of wise planning and providing greater educational opportunities and with cooperation on the part of the negro himself we can elevate the living standards and improve the health of our colored friends then we will be improving their security and happiness and making of them better citizens in a better world. . .and, also important, we will at the same time be pulling ourselves up by our own bootstraps, improving our own living standards.One of the best ways we can create more opportunities for the negro race in Mississippi and the south is to educate members of their own race as leaders. The provision of regional professional schools by southern states to provide an equal and adequate education for qualified negro students should be a step in the right direction.That, step should be welcomed by sincere leaders of the negro race who honestly want professional education for members of their race.
Newspaper Details
Durant News
Durant, Mississippi, US
Thu, Feb 05, 1948
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Lily L.
NY, USA 08 Mar 2021
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