按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
After consultation with the citizens of Tuskegee； I set July 4； 1881； as the day for the opening of the school in the little shanty and church which had been secured for its accommodation。 The white people； as well as the coloured； were greatly interested in the starting of the new school； and the opening day was looked forward to with much earnest discussion。 There were not a few white people in the vicinity of Tuskegee who looked with some disfavour upon the project。 They questioned its value to the coloured people； and had a fear that it might result in bringing about trouble between the races。 Some had the feeling that in proportion as the Negro received education； in the same proportion would his value decrease as an economic factor in the state。 These people feared the result of education would be that the Negroes would leave the farms； and that it would be difficult to secure them for domestic service。
The white people who questioned the wisdom of starting this new school had in their minds pictures of what was called an educated Negro； with a high hat； imitation gold eye…glasses； a showy walking…stick； kid gloves； fancy boots； and what notin a word； a man who was determined to live by his wits。 It was difficult for these people to see how education would produce any other kind of a coloured man。
In the midst of all the difficulties which I encountered in getting the little school started； and since then through a period of nineteen years； there are two men among all the many friends of the school in Tuskegee upon whom I have depended constantly for advice and guidance； and the success of the undertaking is largely due to these men； from whom I have never sought anything in vain。 I mention them simply as types。 One is a white man and an ex…slaveholder； Mr。 George W。 Campbell； the other is a black man and an ex…slave； Mr。 Lewis Adams。 These were the men who wrote to General Armstrong for a teacher。
Mr。 Campbell is a merchant and banker； and had had little experience in dealing with matters pertaining to education。 Mr。 Adams was a mechanic； and had learned the trades of shoemaking； harness…making； and tinsmithing during the days of slavery。 He had never been to school a day in his life； but in some way he had learned to read and write while a slave。 From the first； these two men saw clearly what my plan of education was； sympathized with me； and supported me in every effort。 In the days which were darkest financially for the school； Mr。 Campbell was never appealed to when he was not willing to extend all the aid in his power。 I do not know two men； one an ex…slaveholder； one an ex…slave； whose advice and judgment I would feel more like following in everything which concerns the life and development of the school at Tuskegee than those of these two men。
I have always felt that Mr。 Adams； in a large degree； derived his unusual power of mind from the training given his hands in the process of mastering well three trades during the days of slavery。 If one goes to…day into any Southern town； and asks for the leading and most reliable coloured man in the community； I believe that in five cases out of ten he will be directed to a Negro who learned a trade during the days of slavery。
On the morning that the school opened； thirty students reported for admission。 I was the only teacher。 The students were about equally divided between the sexes。 Most of them lived in Macon County； the county in which Tuskegee is situated； and of which it is the county…seat。 A great many more students wanted to enter the school； but it had been decided to receive only those who were above fifteen years of age； and who had previously received some education。 The greater part of the thirty were public…school teachers； and some of them were nearly forty years of age。 With the teachers came some of their former pupils； and when they were examined it was amusing to note that in several cases the pupil entered a higher class than did his former teacher。 It was also interesting to note how many big books some of them had studied； and how many high…sounding subjects some of them claimed to have mastered。 The bigger the book and the longer the name of the subject； the prouder they felt of their accomplishment。 Some had studied Latin； and one or two Greek。 This they thought entitled them to special distinction。
In fact； one of the saddest things I saw during the month of travel which I have described was a young man； who had attended some high school； sitting down in a one…room cabin； with grease on his clothing； filth all around him； and weeds in the yard and garden； engaged in studying a French grammar。
The students who came first seemed to be fond of memorizing long and complicated 〃rules〃 in grammar and mathematics； but had little thought or knowledge of applying these rules to their everyday affairs of their life。 One subject which they liked to talk about； and tell me that they had mastered； in arithmetic； was 〃banking and discount；〃 but I soon found out that neither they nor almost any one in the neighbourhood in which they had lived had ever had a bank account。 In registering the names of the students； I found that almost every one of them had one or more middle initials。 When I asked what the 〃J〃 stood for； in the name of John J。 Jones； it was explained to me that this was a part of his 〃entitles。〃 Most of the students wanted to get an education because they thought it would enable them to earn more money as school…teachers。
Notwithstanding what I have said about them in these respects； I have never seen a more earnest and willing company of young men and women than these students were。 They were all willing to learn the right thing as soon as it was shown them what was right。 I was determined to start them off on a solid and thorough foundation； so far as their books were concerned。 I soon learned that most of them had the merest smattering of the high…sounding things that they had studied。 While they could locate the Desert of Sahara or the capital of China on an artificial globe； I found out that the girls could not locate the proper places for the knives and forks on an actual dinner…table； or the places on which the bread and meat should be set。
I had to summon a good deal of courage to take a student who had been studying cube root and 〃banking and discount；〃 and explain to him that the wisest thing for him to do first was thoroughly master the multiplication table。
The number of pupils increased each week； until by the end of the first month there were nearly fifty。 Many of them； however； said that； as they could remain only for two or three months； they wanted to enter a high class and get a diploma the first year if possible。
At the end of the first six weeks a new and rare face entered the school as a co…teacher。 This was Miss Olivia A。 Davidson； who later became my wife。 Miss Davidson was born in Ohio； and received her preparatory education in the public schools of that state。 When little more than a girl； she heard of the need of teachers in the South。 She went to the state of Mississippi and began teaching there。 Later she taught in the city of Memphis。 While teaching in Mississippi； one of her pupils became