After consultation with the citizens of Tuskegee, I set July 4, 1881,
as the day for the opening of the school in the little shanty and
church which had been secured for its accommodation. The white people,
as well as the coloured, were greatly interested in the starting of the
new school, and the opening day was looked forward to with much earnest
discussion. There were not a few white people in the vicinity of
Tuskegee who looked with some disfavour upon the project. They
questioned its value to the coloured people, and had a fear that it
might result in bringing about trouble between the races. Some had the
feeling that in proportion as the Negro received education, in the same
proportion would his value decrease as an economic factor in the State.
These people feared the result of education would be that the Negroes
would leave the farms, and that it would be difficult to secure them
for domestic service.
The white people who questioned the wisdom of starting this new school
had in their minds pictures of what was called an educated Negro, with
a high hat, imitation gold eye-glasses, a showy walking-stick, kid
gloves, fancy boots, and what not--in a word, a man who was determined
to live by his wits.
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