The Social Problem of the South
Dublin Core
Title
The Social Problem of the South
Description
Truly the South has on her hands a real problem. This problem lies in the one question; namely, what shall we do with the negro or better still what shall we do for the negro. This question has been before the face of the humanitarians of the South ever since the emancipation. Many people have tried to do too much and only in a few intellectual centers has the happy medium have been adopted. Now there is no doubt that it is the duty of the South to do everything that she can for the negro and his race. How must she go about this problem? Who is to do the work?
For many many years both the white and the colored children have grown up with some kind of hatred for each other. What causes this is hard to say unless it is, that children are taught this early in life and when they grow older the hatred seems to be innate. Why they are taught in this manner is due to the lack of squareness of the superior race towards the inferior one. The colored race feels it and they have shown it pretty forcibly. The white race knows to some extent the inferiority of the colored race and they have taught their children not to associate with or to have anything whatsoever to do with the colored children. Hence the weaker and inferior have been walked and trampled down by the stronger and the superior. This spirit towards one race by the other has been handed down for generations. We, the people of the South cannot boast ourselves as knowing all about the negro and his race. There is an old proverb which says, that there is a little bit of good in every man. There is some good in the negro and and [sic] it can be put to some excellent good if it is properly nourished and cared for. The negro is beginning to see the value of education and he wants it. His race is not strong enough to put on foot an educational system sufficient to provide for the needs of the many useful colored children in the South.
The providing of an educational system for the negro is the duty of the white race of the South. How can we never make a real social being of the negro if we do not give to him those fundamentals essential to society. We proud Southerners have been a bit partial towards the negro. We feel that we are justified in this to a certain extent. Let us thow [throw] to the incinerator all these partialities. Let us look upon the negro as a brother in need of help mentally, physically and morally. Let us all deal with him from that point of view. We do not have to make the negro our social equal to do this. The white race can give to the negro what he needs, it can give him a fair deal and not elevate his race to our social equal.
Gentlemen of the South, the negro is a part of our civil make up. Let us all give to him freely what he needs and we will not be ashamed of the negro when we see the results. College men can help in solving this problem and it is earnestly hoped that William and Mary men will take some part in learning about this problem and putting it in practice.
For many many years both the white and the colored children have grown up with some kind of hatred for each other. What causes this is hard to say unless it is, that children are taught this early in life and when they grow older the hatred seems to be innate. Why they are taught in this manner is due to the lack of squareness of the superior race towards the inferior one. The colored race feels it and they have shown it pretty forcibly. The white race knows to some extent the inferiority of the colored race and they have taught their children not to associate with or to have anything whatsoever to do with the colored children. Hence the weaker and inferior have been walked and trampled down by the stronger and the superior. This spirit towards one race by the other has been handed down for generations. We, the people of the South cannot boast ourselves as knowing all about the negro and his race. There is an old proverb which says, that there is a little bit of good in every man. There is some good in the negro and and [sic] it can be put to some excellent good if it is properly nourished and cared for. The negro is beginning to see the value of education and he wants it. His race is not strong enough to put on foot an educational system sufficient to provide for the needs of the many useful colored children in the South.
The providing of an educational system for the negro is the duty of the white race of the South. How can we never make a real social being of the negro if we do not give to him those fundamentals essential to society. We proud Southerners have been a bit partial towards the negro. We feel that we are justified in this to a certain extent. Let us thow [throw] to the incinerator all these partialities. Let us look upon the negro as a brother in need of help mentally, physically and morally. Let us all deal with him from that point of view. We do not have to make the negro our social equal to do this. The white race can give to the negro what he needs, it can give him a fair deal and not elevate his race to our social equal.
Gentlemen of the South, the negro is a part of our civil make up. Let us all give to him freely what he needs and we will not be ashamed of the negro when we see the results. College men can help in solving this problem and it is earnestly hoped that William and Mary men will take some part in learning about this problem and putting it in practice.
Creator
Swem Special Collections
Source
March 6, 1918
The Flat Hat Vol. 7 No. 16
The Flat Hat Vol. 7 No. 16
Publisher
William and Mary Flat Hat
Date
March 6, 1918
Contributor
Dana Moore, metadata and transcription
Files
Citation
Swem Special Collections, “The Social Problem of the South,” The Lemon Project, accessed April 19, 2024, https://lemonlab.wm.edu/items/show/177.