Progress and Achievements of the Colored People: Containing the Story of the Wonderful Advancement of the Colored Americans—the Most Marvelous in the History of Nations—Their Past Accomplishments, Together With Their Present-day Opportunities and a Glimpse Into the Future for Further Developments—the Dawn of a Triumphant Era. A Handbook for Self-improvement Which Leads to Greater Success — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Progress and Achievements of the Colored People: Containing the Story of the Wonderful Advancement of the Colored Americans—the Most Marvelous in the History of Nations—Their Past Accomplishments, Together With Their Present-day Opportunities and a Glimpse Into the Future for Further Developments—the Dawn of a Triumphant Era. A Handbook for Self-improvement Which Leads to Greater Success
John Stuart Mill · en
Homemakers’ clubs have been formed in a number of Southern States. These
clubs are composed of colored girls who are taught the essentials of
rural homemaking, including the cultivation of a garden and the canning
of fruits and vegetables. The movement has been very successful in the
inculcation of sound ideas of sanitation, thrift and morality. Hundreds
of clubs have been formed under the general direction of the State
supervisors, and the more immediate care of the Jeanes fund county
teachers. Under the provisions of the Smith-Lever Act some Federal funds
are also being spent for this purpose.
The farm demonstration movement is undoubtedly the most important
educational effort which the General Education Board has encouraged for
the improvement of white and colored people. While the influence of the
movement has been primarily among white farmers, its future
possibilities for the colored people are so significant that a
description of the plan must be included herein. The purpose of the
movement is the increase of the productivity of the soil. The plan was
originated by Dr. Seaman A. Knapp about 1903, in order to enable the
farmers of Texas to combat the ravages of the bollweevil. The
fundamental element in the plan is Dr. Knapp’s principle that the most
effective way of teaching good farming is to prevail upon one farmer in
every neighborhood to cultivate an acre of his land according to
scientific methods of agriculture. The effect of such a plan has been
that the farmer with the demonstration acre extends the plan to the
remainder of his farm and the neighboring farms soon follow his example.
It has been shown that such an experimental plan is much more effective
than the distribution of printed matter or even explanations by
traveling lecturers.
When the remarkable possibilities of this simple method had been
demonstrated, the General Education Board entered into cooperation with
the United States Department of Agriculture to extend the movement
throughout the Southern States and especially in the section suffering
from the bollweevil. As a result of this cooperation, begun in 1906, the
board made increasing appropriations each year until the sum for
1913–1914 had become $252,000. In that year the Federal Government also
appropriated $375,000, and the States and counties gave approximately
$400,000. In 1915, further cooperation was prohibited by Congress, but
in recognition of the value of the work, the Federal appropriation was
considerably increased.
The economic and educational significance of the farm demonstration
movement is now gradually being understood. Committees have lifted
themselves out of poverty. Schools and churches and roads have been
built. The general average of community welfare has been elevated in
many rural districts. Schoolmen have been impressed with the value of
actual demonstration in instruction and school methods are requiring
that pupils shall “learn to do by doing.”