seeselfblack:The founding of America’s first “Negro Boy Scout” troop, July 31, 1911 The Scout Oath:
seeselfblack:The founding of America’s first “Negro Boy Scout” troop, July 31, 1911 The Scout Oath: “On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.” This date celebrates the founding of America’s first “Negro Boy Scout” troop in 1911. Initially started in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, opposition was encountered immediately, but troops continued to meet in increasing numbers. In 1916, the first official Boy Scout Council-promoted Negro Troop 75 began in Louisville, KY. By the next year, there were four official black troops in the area. By 1926, there were 248 all-black troops, with 4,923 black scouts and within ten years, there was only one Council in the entire South that refused to accept any black troops. During this time as more troops started up, the Inter-racial Committee was established in January of 1927, with Stanley Harris as its leader. Also as part of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Inter-racial Service was “Program Outreach,” a program that combined racial minorities with rural, poor, and handicapped boys. These programs were often ineffective, especially with immigrants who feared the BSA as a means to recruit for the Army. Another problem with Program Outreach was that it often didn’t distinguish between the boys it viewed as “less chance” and those who were simply not white. For example, the program’s reports categorize some scouts as “Feeble-minded, Delinquency Areas, Orphanages, and Settlements.“ Many of the scouts in “Delinquent Areas” were blacks, who were measured as “Special Troops.” Instead of embracing black Scouting, the BSA systematically categorized blacks, bringing a literal meaning to “racial handicap” as the color of their skin was why they were considered “special.” Scouting for minorities wasn’t just confined to cities, Scouting in rural areas were also common. One of these programs was called “railroad scouting,” where employees of the BSA would ride trains throughout the rural South, stopping at every town on the way to distribute information and encourage the formation of troops. This policy originated to cut down on railroad vandalism, and the BSA realized it was a great way to promote its organization. Native Americans were also a large portion of the minority Scouts, and lived in settlements in rural areas. With the help of these programs, the two Southern Regions, Region V in Memphis and Region VI in Atlanta, had growth rates of 28.2% and 47.9%, respectively. In 1937, 57.9% of black Scouts were from these two regions. By the 1960s, with the industrialization of the South, the BSA shifted more towards urban expansion and improvement. In 1961, the Inter-Racial Service turned into the Urban Relationship Service and added inner-city children of all races. William Murray, author of “History of the Boy Scouts,” wrote, “Negro lads in the South and in the northern industrial centers were somewhat out of the stream of American boy life and needed special aid.” The Inner-City Rural Program was also developed to expose rural Scouts to the city and vice versa, but was small in scope. Programs targeting gangs were unexpectedly successful, and in many cities as many as 25% of boys living in housing projects were enrolled in the Scouts, many former gang members. In the South, with the “separate but equal” mindset of the times, black troops were not treated equally. They were often not allowed to wear scout uniforms, and had far smaller budgets and insufficient facilities to work with. The BSA on a national level was often defensive about its stance on segregation. “The Boy Scouts of America] never drew the color line, but the movement stayed in step with the prevailing mores….“ Read FULL article HERE————— First African American Girl Scout Troop, ca. late 1930s -- source link