The educated Negro and his missionScarborough, W. S. (William Sanders)
General
The educated Negro and his mission
Scarborough, W. S. (William Sanders)
African Americans -- Education
The Negro scholar must not be so wrapped up in his own achievements that
he cannot see the possibilities in those about him. In this way also he
is to help keep the victories of the race at the fore. As a teacher he
has a fine opportunity to note and encourage talent, as a writer or
journalist he can give credit where credit is due. Petty jealousy is out
of place and fear of rivalry is but an evidence of mediocrity. As a
specialist in any line he will be able to stand where he can call this
talent to his aid and foster its growth.
There are other fields of activity that need the presence and kindly
penetrative interest of the educated ones of the race. The slums call
for this influence. The growing problems in our northern cities
especially call for work at the hands of the intelligent, scholarly men
and women. Vice must be checked in the race, and a transformation be
effected in the manner of life in the dark portions of the cities. Here
we have a problem of our own--to separate poverty from viciousness and
encourage the people to better morals and industrious, clean lives. No
one knows better than the thoughtful members of the race the
difficulties to be faced here where a people is segregated in certain
portions--where the good and the bad must perforce live elbow to elbow,
in constant contact and often consequent contamination. It needs
settlement work of the most earnest kind, and only those who have
standing and education will be able to do the desired good.
It is so often said to-day that the Negro should let politics alone that
many have come to the conclusion that this is a field to be entirely
abandoned. But the Negro has his public duties as a citizen to perform
unless he proposes to drop out of sight, and in this field he has a
duty. Here the man of education should do as it has seemed good for some
of the Anglo-Saxon race--lend his help toward purifying the corrupt
atmosphere, standing for what is upright and just. It is an
incontrovertible fact that the standing one gains demonstrates the
capabilities and worth of the race. To be clean-handed in all political
dealings, to guard both honor and responsibility in matters of
business--in short to quit oneself like a man in all things--must be
preached daily as of the utmost advantage to the race. The present
attitude of the outside world places the Negro scholar in a most
responsible position, for every movement on his part is noticed,
criticized, and if he falters or fails higher education receives another
blow. Not for one second can the educated Negro men and women afford to
be indifferent to an iota of their action or conduct.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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