Page:The National Cyclopedia of the Colored Race (1919).djvu/26



HEN you go to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on school matters, the County Superintendent, the bankers and other people will tell you to "see Jeremiah Barnes". Mr. Barnes is principal of the Negro Public Schools of Tuscaloosa, and is most likely the oldest Negro School man today engaged in active service. He began his career as a school teacher back in 1874, when a Negro school master was in deed a rare person. From that date scarcely a day has passed during the school session without finding the veteran at his post. Indeed, he goes to school whether he teaches or not ; for he keeps the keys of the Tuscaloosa High School and almost daily, even in summer, you will find him about the school going over the grounds, attending the school garden, inspecting the rooms inside.

The veteran school master of Tuscaloosa was reared a slave, on the farm of Judge Washington Wood, eight miles west of Tuscaloosa. Here he learned to read and write and found some opportunity to improve himself generally. He was a brick mason back in the 60's. Ten years later he was running a variety store, at which time he became alderman of Tuscaloosa, grand juror of the county and a teacher in the public schools. In 1874 the same year that he began his school work, Mr. Barnes became a Master Mason and later was made Worshipful Grandmaster for three terms. Since that time he has been made Secretary of foreign correspondence for his Grand Lodge, a position which he held for fourteen years. He was one time grand patron of the Alabama Order Eastern Star and is a charter member of the Oak City Lodge No. 1785, Grand United Order of Odd Fellows. He twice served his own district rgand lodge as deputy grand master.

All this wealth of life experience along with constant study of books Mr. Barnes brought to the school room. For years he was a teacher, being promoted step by step until he reached the highest post in the Negro schools of his native city. In his work as teacher he has taken rightful pride in the graduates he has turned out. Some have gone to college, some to industrial schools, some settled to trades, some to school teaching after leaving him. Wherever they have gone they have made their mark as very useful hightoned citizens.

In his school curriculum Prof. Barnes balances his courses pretty well between class room work and industrial work. His courses run into studies in Algebra, Geometry and Latin; out under the window you will see a flourishing school garden, and a place for cooking in the basement. He teach es the children by deed as well as by word, that work is honorable and intellectual, just as solving a problem in Algebra or constructing a verb in English or Latin.

To this, too, he adds a most needed phase of education, that of beautifying one's surroundings. The Negro High School building of Tuscaloosa happens to be in a rather unhappy section of the city. A railroad yard is nearby, so also is the city refuse pile and the city stables. Yet by setting out trees, constructing fences and laying out walks, the veteran educator has managed to shut out pretty nearly these obnoxious features of his school environment, thus showing the pupils that their own lives within need not be disturbed by the lives with out.

Along with helping the students of his school, Prof. Barnes has reared and educated several children of his own. His son, Benjamin, is the strong assistant of his father in the Tuscaloosa school work, is the great Negro Baptist Young People's Union leader of Alabama, church organist, and business man. The other son is the treasurer of the Snow Hill Normal and Industrial School of Snow Hill, Alabama.

How long Prof. Barnes will remain in the school work none but a higher power can tell. So far he shows no signs of retreat. He is vigorous, active, both in body and in mind. Best of all as a school teacher he is very cheerful and very optimistic for himself and his people.