130 Negro Migration 



This ability of the village to serve the surrounding rural 

 areas better than they could possibly serve themselves is 

 clearly indicated by the development of two types of schools. 



(a) Negro Baptist Association Schools. — Throughout the 

 South the Negro Baptists are organized into associations 

 which embrace several counties. Many of the associations 

 operate schools. Most of these are small elementary schools 

 with a few high school pupils and rooms for boarders from 

 outlying sections of the association. Though they draw 

 many of their pupils from the country and send many 

 graduates to teach and preach in surrounding rmc?l schools 

 and churches, they are almost invariably located on the edge 

 of the largest town or village in the association. The few 

 that are in the open country, as a rule do not prosper with- 

 out outside aid, because they are not located in a place 

 central enough to hold the maximum interest of all the mem- 

 bers of the association ; because they lose the interest of the 

 most influential members, who live in town ; because country 

 boys would much prefer going to town to school; and be- 

 cause, being out of the current of ideas which flows froYu 

 city to small town, they are more likely to be unprogres- 

 sive. 



(b) County Teacher Training Schools. — Another striking 

 illustration of the superior ability of the small town to 

 develop institutions is in the County Teacher Training School 

 movement. The Negro rural schools are hampered by 

 poorly-paid, under-trained teachers. The low salary makes 

 it imperative to fill the schools with local talent. This means 

 that year after year, many rural schools are taught by young 

 girls who have had no training beyond that given in the 

 school in which they teach. In many cases this is not 

 even a full grammar school education. To meet this need 

 the Slater Fund desired to stimulate the growth of local 

 institutions which could take local pupils and give them 

 greater advantages than were offered by the one room rural 



