Race Distinctions in American LawStephenson, Gilbert Thomas
History
Race Distinctions in American Law
Stephenson, Gilbert Thomas
African Americans -- Politics and government; Law -- United States -- History; United States -- Race relations
In 1890 an increase of the Federal appropriation[485] to schools was
accompanied with the following proviso: “That no money shall be paid out
under this act to any State or Territory for the support or maintenance
of a college where a distinction of race or color is made on the
admission of students, but the establishment and maintenance of such
colleges separately for white and colored students shall be held to be a
compliance with the provisions of the act, if the funds received in such
State or territory be equitably divided as hereinafter set forth.”
SEPARATION IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS
Thus far, except in the matter of Berea College, the separation of the
races in private schools only has been considered. Legislation as to
private schools is comparatively meagre. A statute[486] of Florida of
1895 makes it a penal offence to conduct a school of any grade—public,
private, or parochial—wherein white persons and Negroes are instructed
or boarded within the same building, or taught in the same class, or at
the same time by the same teacher. The punishment for violating the law
by patronizing or teaching in such a school is a fine of from one
hundred and fifty to five hundred dollars, or imprisonment from three to
six months. A statute[487] of Tennessee of 1901 makes it lawful for any
school, academy, or other place of learning to receive both white and
colored pupils at the same time. It is unlawful for any teacher to allow
them to attend the same school or to teach them together or to allow
them to be taught together, under a penalty of fifty dollars for each
offence and imprisonment from thirty days to six months. The most recent
statute on the subject of private schools is that of Oklahoma in 1908.
It is plainly modeled after the Kentucky law of 1904. Under the Oklahoma
statute,[488] it is unlawful for a person, corporation, or association
of persons to maintain or operate any college, school, or institution
where persons of the white and colored races are both received as pupils
for instruction. The person, corporation, or association that operates a
school in violation of the statute is guilty of a misdemeanor, and may
be fined not less than one hundred nor more than five hundred dollars.
Each day such a school is kept open is a separate offence. One who
teaches in such a school is guilty of a misdemeanor and may be fined
from ten to fifty dollars for each day. One who goes to such a school as
a pupil may be fined from five to twenty dollars for each day. It is not
unlawful, however, for a private school to maintain a separate and
distinct branch thereof “in a different locality.” The Kentucky statute,
it will be remembered, required the separate branch to be, at least,
twenty-five miles from the main school. The Oklahoma legislature
declared that it was necessary “for the immediate preservation of the
public peace, health, and safety” that this act take effect at once.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account