Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 23, 1995 TAG: 9504240061
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: KENNETH SINGLETARY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
The famous 19th century black educator, who was born a slave in Franklin County and who served as an adviser for the institute, was asked if education could solve racial problems, Clifford said.
"I don't know," Washington said. But he added that he did know that "no problem was ever solved with ignorance."
That is the credo of Washington's Tuskeegee Institute in Alabama and on which the Christiansburg Institute, for a hundred years Southwest Virginia's only high school for blacks, was built.
Saturday's program, which included a keynote address by Clifford and panel discussions on a variety of issues, recognized the institute's heritage and past, yet was primarily about its future. Faculty and staff at Tech, and institute alumni, have recently organized to resurrect the remaining institute building. They hope to turn it into a distance learning and cultural center to serve minority students and other New River Valley residents.
Their campaign was given a boost Friday when Jack Via, a Christiansburg Town Council member who owns the now-vacant building, announced he would donate it and the surrounding 6 acres to the Christiansburg Institute Project. Lucinda Roy, a dean at Tech, said the gift is worth about $250,000 and will be helpful in securing other funding. She said the transaction will not be completed until the Virginia Tech Foundation reviews liability concerns.
Also unveiled were plans for the building by Robert Easter, a Richmond architect. The plans show a theater, exhibit and gallery space, computer interactive classrooms, and conference rooms. Project organizers say the price for their ideas may approach seven figures.
For years the institute was a landmark in Christiansburg and was known throughout the geography of black American education. The school opened in 1866; it closed in 1966 after integration. In between, the institute grew to encompass more than a dozen buildings and a working farm. It attracted students from the New River Valley and across the country.
Clifford's reminiscences about her grandfather offered a glimpse into the genesis of black American education. She said Washington's ideals became central to the Christiansburg Institute's success when school officials asked him for advice in 1895, when the institute's lack of coherent vision was causing it to flounder.
Washington suggested an emphasis on fundamental wage-earning skills, such as those in agriculture and industry. That approach had seen Washington turn Tuskeegee Institute into one of the nation's premier schools for blacks.
Clifford, 73, a retired eductor, said Washington tried to teach character as well as practical knowledge. He would not let students graduate until they demonstrated the personal qualities he thought they should have.
Washington stressed ownership of the land and businesses as a way for blacks to better themselves. He said no work was too menial if done honorably.
And, in what may be the most relevant lesson for organizers of the Christiansburg Institute Project, Washington emphasized teamwork as a way to get things done.
by CNB