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•
The Montgomery Industria.l
School. Montgomery. Ala..
Miss Alice L. White and Miss H. Margaret
Beard, Principals
THE Montgomery Industrial School was organized in 1886
by Alice L. White and H. Margaret Beard. The present
valuation of the property is $9,500, the approximate annual
expenses between $5,000 and $6,000. The money needed
is secured through tuition and gifts from Northern friends.
This is a school for girls only. A thorough insight into both
the school and the home life of the Negro race led to a fuller
realization of the truth of the words, " No race can rise higher
than its women and its home life." A great need was seen of
training the teachers how to live, how to do woman's work intelligently,
practically. This need could be better met in a
school where Negroes could be taught by themselves.
The purpose of the school is to train girls to be true gentlewomen
in manners and thoughts, to be faithful mothers and
homemakers" and, above all, to be earnest Christians. The desire
also is to prepare them to earn a livelihood, to make them
capable and efficient in some one industry, that will be of service
to themselves, their families, and the community in which they
live.
Soon after opening, the school was full, and has been crowded
GRADUATING CLASS, 1909, MONTGOMERY INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL
THREE COOKING CLASSES, MONTGOMERY INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL
to its limit ever since, although it ha enlarged its quarters three
times. The present buildings con ist of a main hall, three recitation
rooms, a kindergarten, library, sewing room, kitchen,
The course of instruction includes the kindergarten, primary,
and grammer grades, Bible study, mu ie, and the industrial
department, in which is taught cooking, sewing, hou ework,
simple nursing, and raffia work. A true foundation is laid by
beginning with the kindergarten, where some of the children are
as youn<Y as four years, and are being taught practical facts, and
the" why" of them.
Most of the pupils come from the city of 40,000 inhabitants
and surrounding districts, although a few each year come from
the country, and a few from other states. So many young children
in the poorer home have to help with the home work that
'it is here con idered important to give such, as well as older one,
the indu trial trainin<Y. Girls ten to twelve year.' of age learn
how to wa h dishes, erub, clean window, polish tins and tove .
The younger children are taught to patch, darn, and do all kinds
of mending; the older one, having lcarJwd to mend, make garments
of all kinds. cutting Ihem oul hy pattern. and makinIT a
dress for themseh'es when in the <Yraduating class,
Sinee 1886, many hundred of pupils have becn under the care
of the school. :Man)' of the graduales arc married. and their
homes, how a marked improvement over those from whieh they
came. Others have continued stud.,- in sehools of higher instruction.
Still others are 'upporling themscl\'Cs as seamstresses
and nurses, being employed by the white people_ A fe'" ha"e
•
