The Athenaeum. (Atlanta, GA) 1898-1925, February 01, 1925, Image 18
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THE ATHENAEUM
fronting the Negro youth and the part that education has played in
the past and must play in the future in their solution were the dom
inant features in the discussions and programs, scholarships, honor
ary degrees, and even in the pilgrimages. The “Go to High School-
Go to College” movement, the study of Negro Literature, foreign
Scholarships, business training for Negroes and development of
Negro business, programs of Social organizations and, vocational
guidance, all of which are sponsored by the different Fraternities and
Sororities, are not to be regarded lightly, but must be carefully re
viewed, because in no other organizations do we have such, well out
lined and well defined programs.
The issue of Fraternities and Sororities is gradually making its
way to the front—trampling under feet “would be failures”—and the
time is not far distant when present pessimists will be forced to lay
aside their “gats” and recognize Fraternities and Sororities as neces
sary factors to the education and enlightment of the Negro youth.
FISK—Conflicting reports have appeared in the white and color
ed press with regard to the happenings at Fisk during the first week
of February. The white press carried tales of a riot by students with
threats on the life of Dr. McKenzie- The Negro press emphatically
denies that there was either riot or threat. From sources that we ad
judge fair and authentic we present without comment the following
facts.
For the past few years there has been a growing feeling of unrest
among the students and dissatisfaction with the administration at
Fisk caused mainly by the ever-increasing restrictions placed by Pre
sident McRenize upon student activities. This dissatisfaction was
accentuated when on sundry occasions President McKenize caused
or permitted concerts to be given by Fisk students at places where
the colored audience was segregated. This unrest culminated when
an order was issued forbidding the appearance on campus or streets
of men and women walking together. At 11 P. M. February 4, a
group of students staged a noisy but non-violent demonstration mak
ing the following charges:
“That the students are allowed to do almost nothing of their own
initative. They can have no organizations except such as are not
supervised by the faculty, but with membership determined by the
faculty, with some member of the faculty sitting at every meeting
to listen.
“That Fisk University is not taking an honest position with re
gard to the Southern situation. It has deliberately embraced a pro
paganda which discredits all df the hard work which the forward
fighters for Negro freedom have been doing. It overpraises the
liberal white South and continually teaches its students and constitu
ency that the liberal white South is in the the ascendency and that
it is ruling, and the only thing required of the black men is aquie-
scence and submission.