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Memorandum submitted on behalf o
the National Association for the
Advancement of Golored People by
Archibald I~L Grimke, President of
the Washington D. G. Branchy in re
Equitable Provision for the Buildings
and Grounds of the Golored Public
Schools of the Capital of the Nation
in the Appropriation Bill for 1919.
THE current Estimates for the District of Columbia, as submitted
by the Board of Commissioners, do the schools of the
colored community a gross injustice.
Specifically, the Commissioners ask Congress to give the colored
community 10/' of the aggregate appropriation for Buildings and
Grounds instead of 30^, the proportion to which that community is
entitled.
The situation is the more serious because last year the Appro¬
priation Act for 1918 gave the colored schools Buildings and Grounds
only in the sum of $100,000, which was less than 14 of the aggre¬
gate appropriation under the caption, or less than half the just pro¬
portion.
Moreover, the item of Buildings and Grounds is fundamental.
It is vital to the welfare of future genarations of school children.
Now, the last census (1910) gave the population of the District
of Columbia as 331,069. If we exclude the Indian and Asiatic ele¬
ments, the population was 330,574 of which Americans of African
descent comprised 29%.' Since 1910 this population has grown ap¬
preciably. But, there is no reason to believe that the proportion of
Negroes is less. Indeed, it is probably more.
Thus, 32% of the total men of draft age registered in the Dis¬
trict of Columbia up to date are Negro. And of the men actually
sent to camp the Negro percentage is 41.
But, the basis for estimating the public school population for
1918-19 is, of course, the actual enrolment for the last school year,
1916-17. And the just published report of the Board of Education
shows that in 1916-17, 31fi of the total enrolment of pupils was col¬
ored. So, it is more than fair to conclude that in 1918-19 not less
than 30^ of the total enrolment will ba colored. On this ratio, esti¬
mates for buildings and grounds should be based.
Nevertheless, the Estimates submitted by the Board of Educa¬
tion itself assign to the colored schools less than 24^ of the nearly
iV-z millions requested. And the Estimates, as revised by the Board
of Commissioners, assign to these schools only 10^ out of a total of
over millions. Indeed, the President of the Board of Commis¬
sioners says frankly: 44 The Commissioners in making up the Esti¬
mates, did not attempt to proportion the amount of money requested
or the projects recommended on the basis of the ratio of colored pop¬
ulation to white population in the District of Columbia." (Letter
from Hon. Louis Brownlow to Archibald H. Grimke under date of
January 5, 1918). -
Now, most emphatically, the cojored public schools (which in
fact compare unfavorably as a whole with the white in respect of
buildings and grounds) are entitled to not less than 30^ of the ag¬
gregate submitted under this caption. In other words, it was the
duty of the Board of Education to assign (out of a total estimate of
$2,538,441) not $583,450 but $732,195 to the colored schools.
And it was the duty of the Board of Commissioners to assign (out
of a total estimate of $1,595,583,* not $159,600 but $438,717.
The more clearly to illustrate the injustice involved, let me cite
only three items. Each of these was contained in the Estimates
formulated by the Board of Education. And each was eliminated
by the Commissioners :
(1) $99,750 for land adfoining Dunbar High School.
If an athletic field and stadium is vital to the physical development
and moral discipline of the white students of Central High School,
are not similar facilities essential to the total efficiency of Dunbar ?
(2) $21,000 for completing the approaches to Miner
Normal School.
In 1916-17 tke white normal school enrolled 172 pupils and the
colored 160 or 48^. The white normal school building was com¬
pleted long ago. Why should the Miner Building go unfinished ?
(3) $157,500 for remodeling the old M Street High
School for vocational training.
In 1916-17 there were 146 white pupils in the vocational schools
and 310 colored or 68%. And who in the North or in the South
questions the fundamental importance of industrial training to colored
youth ? Yet the Board of Commissioners ask of Congress $105,-
000 for a new trade school for white students and not one penny for
the vocational training of colored students.
I say that profound injury will be done to the development of
the colored community unless Congress insists that the fair and
square thing be done for the colored schools in this fundamental item
of buildings and grounds. The rights and welfare not only of the
present generation of school children are at stake, but the rights and
welfare of future generations.
This Nation is today involved in the great world war; it is aim¬
ing to help make the world safe for democracy, This is the spirit in
which the Chief Executive of the Nation has spoken to all the peo¬
ples of the earth in impassioned and historic language again and
again.
Does it accord with this spirit for the Capital of the Nation to
do its colored community one whit less than justice in any vital mat¬
ter ? Popular education is surely the sine qua non of democracy.
And when a people gives freely of its sons to battle for the Nation
in its time of need, shall the nation make a niggardjy and unjust pro¬
vision for the education and traininjg of that people s children ?
Respectfully submitted,
ARCHIBALD H. GRIMKE, President,
District of Columbia Branch of the National Association
for the Advancementof Colored People.
January 25, 1918.
SUPPLEMENTAL DATA.
New Buildings and Grounds Needed by the Colored
Public Schools.
I. Items contained
SCHOOLS.
Burrville .
Smothers
Syphax .
in current estimates of the Board of
Commissioners :
SPECIFICATIONS.
.... Annex $ 12,600
. . . . To replace building .... 52,500
.... Addition 94,500
1L Items contained only in current estimates of the Board of
Education :
SCHOOLS. SPECIFICATIONS.
Armstrong Manual Training . . To enlarge site $ 19,000
To enlarge site 20,500
Banneker
Birney To enlarge site
Bruce . . . , , .
Deanwood ....
Douglass-Simmons
Dunbar High . . .
Logan
M Street
Miner Normal . .
2,100
To enlarge site 13,500
To enlarge site 4,000
To enlarge site 9,000
To enlarge site 99,750
To enlarge site 35,000
Tq remodel . 157,500
To complete approaches . . 21,000
Payne To enlarge site 7,000
Slater-Langston . To enlarge site 4,500
Stevens . To enlarge site 31,000
III. Additional items submitted by the National Association
for the Advancement of Colored People (Washington,
D. C., Branch).
SCHOOLS.
Armstrong Manual Training
Cardozo Manual Training .
Chain Bridge Road ....
Cook (John F.) . .
Dunbar High . . .
Eleventh Division
Fort Slocum . . .
Garnet-Patterson .
26,250
99,750
O Street Manual Training
Tenth Division
SPECIFICATIONS.
To erection of annex (on ad¬
ditional ground purchase of
which Board of Education re¬
quests) $250,000
To erection of 8-room annex 99,375
To replace present structure
by erection of 2-room extensi¬
ble building
To erection of 8-room annex,
including assembly hall and
gymnasium
To erection of stadium (on
ground recommended for pur¬
chase by Board of Education) 100,000
To purchase of site and erec¬
tion thereon of a manual arts
center 125,75
To replacement of present
structure and portable by e-
rection of 4-room building .
To enlargement of site and
erection thereon of 8-room ex¬
tensible annex
To erection of 8-room exten¬
sible annex
To purchase of site and erec¬
tion thereon of a manual arts
center 125,750
52,500
127,250
99,750