1915 Training Sessions for Colored Farmers, Randolph, Alabama

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April 2004


COLORED FARMERS HOLD INSTITUTES
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   Roanoke, Ala., Sept. 15.—Under the provisions of the Smith-Lever bill, Thomas M. CAMPBELL, 
district agent; Harry SIMS, United States Demonstration agent for Wilcox county, and N. Juanita 
COLEMAN, instructor in domestic science, have just closed two successful movable schools for 
negro [sic] farmers in Randolph county, the first meeting being held at the Wehadkee colored 
Baptist church, seven miles from Roanoke, and attended by more than two hundred negro farmers, 
and the second in the court house at Wedowee.
   The meetings were planned by J. B. McPHERSON, the colored demonstration agent for Randolph 
county, and the large attendance at both meetings, the part the white people took in the 
program, showed the thoroughness of McPHERSON’s arrangements for the meetings.
   The negro farmers made a fine display of their products at the Baptist church. Harry SIMS 
spoke on soil building, and Juanita COLEMAN delivered a very helpful address on Health of the 
Family and How to Promote It. In the afternoon the farmers were invited to speak on bettering 
farming conditions in their communities. The feature of the afternoon session was the work of 
the boys’ corn club, the boys telling in their simple language how they increased their acreage 
of corn.
   This was followed by the women and girls who spoke of canning fruits and vegetables. These 
talks by the boys and girls gave the instructors of the movable school an opportunity to tell 
how methods could be improved.
   The meeting at the court house was largely attended and the sessions were interesting 
throughout. Among the white visitors were Judge J. T. HEFLIN, Sheriff Oscar ROBERTSON and 
Farmer J. M. McBURNETT. The principal address was delivered by Judge HEFLIN, who was listened 
to with intense interest by the negro farmers. Never before in the history of the movable school 
has the work received such high and helpful endorsement as it received from Judge HEFLIN’s 
address to the negro farmers. It was evident from the applause by the farmers that Judge 
HEFLIN has a warm place in their hearts.
   Judge HEFLIN’s address was followed by short speeches by Sheriff ROBERTSON and Mr. 
McBURNETT.
   The farmers expressed delight with the lessons learned from the movable school instructors 
and from the addresses by the white visitors, all of whom entered heartily into the work of 
instructing farmers to use improved methods in tilling the soil.
—[Originally published in the] Montgomery Advertiser.

[From The Roanoke Leader (Randolph County, Alabama), 22 September 1915, p.1]