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Title: Colored girls and boys' inspiring United States history
       and a heart to heart talk about white folks

Author: William Henry Harrison

Release Date: May 19, 2018 [EBook #57181]

Language: English

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“SERVICE OUR MISSION.”
(Graduating Class Motto)

WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON, Jr.,

As a hustling agent delivering his popular book, which (by making the saddest person laugh, the jolliest person cry and the most thoughtless person think), is selling itself like buckwheat cakes and sausage steaming-hot some frosty morn or cool refreshing ice cream when the sun is very warm.

C O L O R E D

GIRLS AND BOYS’
INSPIRING

U N I T E D   S T A T E S
H I S T O R Y
AND A

HEART   TO   HEART   TALK

ABOUT

W H I T E   F O L K S

BY

William Henry Harrison, Jr.

COPYRIGHT 1921
BY
WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON. Jr.
{1}

THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED

TO THOSE COLORED GIRLS AND BOYS

UPON WHOSE NOBLE EFFORTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
WILL REST THE FOUNDATIONS FOR
THE FUTURE SUCCESS OF

THE NEGRO RACE:

AND

TO ALL THOSE WHITE WOMEN AND MEN

WHOSE KIND ENCOURAGEMENT OF AND JUST
DEALINGS WITH ALL HUMANITY ARE BRINGING
ABOUT BETTER UNDERSTANDING AND GREATER
CO-OPERATIONS BETWEEN

WHITE AND COLORED PEOPLE.
{2}


COMPOSED—COMPILED—WRITTEN

ARRANGED—DESIGNED

AND

ORIGINAL DRAWINGS

MADE FROM ALONG

THE FAMOUS PICTURESQUE LEHIGH VALLEY

OF PENNSYLVANIA, U. S. A.

BY

WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON, Jr.
{3}

TABLE OF CONTENTS

{5}

AUTHOR’S PREFACE

Not to Boast but to Boost

TWENTY-FIVE years ago, when a lad fifteen years old attending the public schools of Pennsylvania, in which State I was born and reared, certain ideas and sentiments caused me to secretly resolve that some day, when I had gotten together the necessary data, I would write just such a book as is contained herein. At the time that resolution was formed, I was attending the Darlington School in Middletown District, Delaware County over which Prof. A. G. C. Smith was Superintendent. And I remember with much gratefulness my first and last public school teachers, Misses Carrie V. Hamilton and Rebecca R. Crumley and Prof. Smith for their kind and frequent words to me as encouragement to continue my education after graduating from the public schools.

My favorite study was the United States History, and even at the tender age of fifteen years, I was greatly surprised and Race pridely hurt not to find any history, except about slavery, in such books concerning the American Negro. I had such childish confidence in my school books and their authors that I felt sure if Negroes had fought and died in the several American wars; had become great poets, orators, artists, sculptors, etc., the histories I was studying would have mentioned such. I thought in doing that they would have been preserving United States valuable history more so than merely giving just credit to the Colored people who had made such history. I did not know that right then the attentions of many public school{6} children in far away Europe were often called to the histories of such distinguished Colored Americans as Phyllis Wheatley, the poetess; Frederick Douglas, the orator; Henry O. Tanner, the artist; Edmonia Lewis, the sculptoress—all of them having won recognition and fame in Europe as well as in America.

My youthful ignorance, regarding the achievements of my race, is easily explained when it is taken into consideration that I was a farmer boy living far from libraries I had never seen and Negro histories I had never heard about. And the United States histories then used in the public schools had nothing in them to enlighten me on that subject. They misled and kept me, along with thousands of other Colored school children, in absolute ignorance relative to the progress and attainments of the American Colored people. So whenever our history classes went up to recite and my white classmates proudly went through the lessons about General George Washington, Noah Webster, Benjamin Franklin, Eli Whitney, Longfellow, etc., while I knew and could just as easily recite such history, nevertheless, my feelings of crushed race pride and mortification were beyond expression because not one thing could I proudly recite from my lessons about great things my people had accomplished in America.

It is the same with the United States histories used in our public schools of today. They do not relate about Crispus Attucks, a Negro soldier and the first Colonist martyr to give his life for America in the Revolutionary War; nor about the Colored sailor, William Tillman, who received six thousand dollars from the Federal Government for recapturing a stolen schooner from the Rebels in the Civil War; nor about the Colored Registrars of the United States Treasury, B. K. Bruce, J. W. Lyons, W. T. Vernon and J. C. Napier, whose names, during different administrations covering a period of more than thirty years, appeared on all the United States paper money made and issued during that period; nor about Matthew A. Henson, who was with Commodore Peary when he (Peary) discovered the North Pole; nor about Booker T. Washington, one of the greatest orators America has ever produced and also{7} builder of one of the most famous institutions of learning not only in America but in the world.

As I said before, I knew nothing about such Negro history while I was a farmer’s boy, but I could never quite rid myself of a feeling that the Colored people in the United States did have a worthy history. I studied the white man’s U. S. History from cover to cover and learned all I could from it, but I got no more racial inspiration from it than a white boy would get from studying only a Negro history in which nothing was written about his own racial achievements. So I secretly resolved to immediately begin to quietly and patiently research for American Negro data in order to some day publish a book so that future Colored school children would not be kept in ignorance about their own race history. I felt it was perfectly right and necessary to study the white man’s history at the school desks, but if Colored children were not permitted to study the history of their own race at the same desks, it was perfectly right and necessary that Colored children learn about the achievements of their great men and women at their home firesides within their family circles.

So for the benefit mostly of Colored youths, here are the crude results of my boyhood resolutions and manhood efforts after twenty-five years filled with trying discouragements, and bitter disappointments, but also just as full of unswerving determinations, constant hopefulness, upward climbs, ceaseless works and fervent prayers to God to succeed.

The author wishes to use this place and opportunity to express his deepest thanks to the more than one hundred prominent Colored men and women, living in as many large cities in all parts of the United States, who so friendly sent to him up-to-date information regarding the progress and success of Colored people in those cities.

For the unusual generosity and kindness in giving of their valuable time to personally and helpfully send to him exceptionally fitting and authentic Negro data, the writer most courteous{8}ly acknowledges and gratefully names the following distinguished Colored and white contributors;

But the full credit, due for most of the Negro data references contained in this book, the author takes great pleasure in justly acknowledging and gratefully extending, through the Negro Year Book, to its Editor, Prof. Monroe N. Work, Director, Department of Records and Research, Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, Tuskegee, Ala., whose personal consent was obtained by the writer to take extracts from the Negro Year Book.

William Henry Harrison, Jr.
{10}

FIRST AFRICANS VISIT VIRGINIA

Invited Guests Detained

OVER three hundred years ago (1619) Africans were first brought as “Negro Servants” (Ref. Prof. Monroe N. Work’s Negro Year Book; page 153, 1918-1919 edition) to the early colonies of the United States by the captain of a Dutch ship who sold twenty Negroes to white plantation owners at Jamestown, Virginia. As the results of those and many other native Africans being later captured and forcibly brought to America, real slavery was finally started and spread so rapidly that there were about four million slaves in the United States by January 1, 1863. At that time all the slaves in the Rebel states were set free by the Emancipation Proclamation of President Abraham Lincoln, who was later murdered for that Godly act by one of his own race. But today Abraham Lincoln is remembered in all civilized countries as one of the greatest among the greatest men the world has ever known; as the noblest president who has ever governed the United States and as the truest and most fair-minded white friend the Negro race has ever had. On December 18, 1865 the adoption of the 13th Amendment to The Constitution of the United States gave freedom to the remaining slaves who lived in the states that had not rebelled against the Union. Thus in these two legal ways, that were made possible by the Northern States winning the Civil War, were all the slaves in the United States of America set free.

When the few broad-minded white people in the early colonies stopped to realize that the first African people who arrived were not used to America’s new foods, unusual hard work, cold changeable climates and were without a knowledge of the white ma{11}n’s language, habits and religion; it is no great wonder why that small portion of justice thinking white people so readily saw unusual good qualities and latent talents in a group of supposed brainless heathens who so quickly, peacefully and profitably stepped from the narrow paths of African savagery into the broad avenues of American civilization. But the large numbers of narrow-minded people, who then (as now) tried so hard to make themselves and others believe that Negroes were inferior human beings to themselves, put forth the explanation that the remarkable and rapid adjustments of the slaves to American surroundings were due to their childlike dispositions to imitate actions, to humbly obey orders and their great physical strength to do all kinds of hard work at all times under all conditions. Such people were entirely wrong in such ideas, just as all ill-meaning prejudiced ideas keep their owners wrong, mean and in the lowest stages of human society. When men and women allow their minds to become poisoned with hateful, envious and jealous prejudice toward other people and refuse to have anything to do with them because they are Colored, they have and show just about as much greatness in good taste and good common-sense as if they were to refuse to puff on their favorite brand of Havana cigars or to nibble on one of Mr. Huyler’s famed chocolate bon-bons just because the cigar and bon-bon are of rich brown colors. Such narrow-minded actions do not make people great except in their own home-town little social circles. And when they leave home and go out into the world to mingle among well-cultured, highly educated and broad-minded people, prejudiced men and women soon find that their supposed greatness along side of, for instance, an Abraham Lincoln or a Harriet Beecher Stowe[A] is as large as a grain of sand is along side of a mountain. If President Lincoln had not preserved the Union and signed the Emancipation Proclamation, or if Mrs. Stowe had not written Uncle Tom’s Cabin,[A] but instead, both had turned{12} up their noses in disdain, tossed their heads in haughty proudness and snobbishly spurned well-behaved, well-dressed and intelligent people just because of their colors; the names of Lincoln and Stowe (in stead of now being enshrined in the Hall Of Fame and written in the world’s history ever to be remembered and beloved by all nations) would have been buried and forgotten a few years after their owners had died as is the case with the names of all race prejudiced people. But this point regarding the utter foolishness and ignorance of people showing race prejudice was much more ably and vividly brought out in one of Mr. McKay’s bull’s-eye-shot and soul-stirring pictures that appear in the Sunday issues of the New York American—one among several such big white journals from which the writer derives new inspiration and increased knowledge every Sunday. This picture and editorial in question, that described the “Namaqua” savage tribe of Negroes living in the African jungles, were printed in the March 6, 1921 issue of the New York American, and the following is an extract from that article titled “Shooting At The Storm.”

“The savages of Africa had first of all to fight and conquer the burning sun, hence the black skin that keeps off the deadly “actinic rays” that would quickly destroy any white race in their climate, and the thick woolly hair, saturated with grease, protecting the skull from the heat and the deadly effect of those same rays.{13}

“As we think of different kinds of human beings, let us judge them by the conditions under which they live, whether they be Eskimos near the North Pole or men like these Namaquas at the Equator.

“Self-satisfied ignorance is horrified at the Eskimo eating enormous quantities of rank, fat whale blubber. Any race transferred to the Arctic Circle would do that or die. Ignorance despises the black skin and woolly hair of the African. Any white race transferred to the African tropics would develop such skin and hair, or it would die.

“UNDERSTAND what you are discussing, as far as possible, before discussing it. An eagle cannot understand a turtle, or a turtle an eagle. And a cow, mildly grazing, cannot understand either. Every human being that despises another, no matter what the other may be, simply represents the animal expression of prejudice based on ignorance.”

Now the real truth, as to how those strange and friendless slaves were able to so readily adapt themselves to this country and so aptly adopt the methods and customs of the colonists, is that from mere force of habits they put into their everyday lives their inherited qualities of open-friendliness, big-heartedness, broad-mindedness, trustworthiness, constant-loyalty, quick-alertness, unbounded-patience, everready-forgivefulness and undying hopefulness. These qualities (in which all civilized countries of today stand badly in need of a much broader growth and a higher culture) had been handed down to the American slaves by their African forefathers who had for centuries dwelt in the darkest and wildest torrid jungles without a knowledge of the white man’s civilization. And those black ancestors had passed to their suffering offsprings such full portions of the above named manhood and brotherhood principles that the slaves were able, as they pitifully and tearfully went back and forth to their body-torturing and spirit-crushing tasks, to shame, by their unspiteful and unrevengeful actions under such cruel treatments, just a little measure of their inherited virtues into the so-called civilized, educated and Christian white people who held them in bondage. It must be granted that their owners did teach the{14} slaves (whose foreparents had lived in a very hot country where little clothing was needed and food was plentiful without working for it) how to properly dress and how to regularly work. And although those enslaved people were taught those good habits only as means for their selfish and greedy owners to enable themselves to get richer, nevertheless, the Colored people of to-day are glad and thankful that they are now able to turn to their own personal and racial advantages the industrial habits learned by their people in slavery. On the other hand, Colored people will always be sorry and unthankful to those brute overseers and raping slave owners who so sinfully and beastfully forced upon and taught numerous and most harmful immoral vices to their slaves. And those soul-damning and life-sapping vices are still clinging to and leaving their marks on the rapidly advancing Colored people, just as the poison ivy clings to and mars the health and beauty of the young and tender acorn sprouts as they struggle upward to become future majestic oaks in the densely foliaged forests.

However, all of the white people in America at that time did not approve of or own slaves (just as all of the white people in the United States today do not approve of nor take part in discriminating against respectable Colored people) because they knew it was not right. They had the kind of Christianity that was real and pure enough to make their minds fully understand and their hearts to tenderly feel that slavery in its kindest manner is the worse sin against God and the greatest crime against humanity. And it was this class of God-serving and fellowman-loving white men and women who secretly and in great danger of being caught and punished (for the laws of the country forbid the educating of slaves) taught the otherwise friendless people in bondage their first knowledge of God and Jesus Christ. When it is remembered that those African people were just a few years out of a land where the practices of their tribes for centuries had been to worship in a different religion; it is easily seen that the slaves were an unusual reasoning, sensible and broad-minded group of uncivilized people to have so quickly found the mistake in and so suddenly thrown aside their old and false religion and so readily accepted in its place the new and true Faith.{15}

Answered Prayers

During the two hundred and forty-four years of their bitter servitude those shackled people had learned to place so much faith and trust in their newly found religion that they felt sure God in his own wisdom, time and manner would hear and answer their usually silent and always heart-rending prayers for deliverance from slavery.

So as Southern heats washed briny sweat into their sun-dazed eyes, or Northern colds checked frozen blood from flowing through their veins; the hopeful prayers of the slaves, that they and their children might some day become free, were constantly offered up from the tobacco plantations of Virginia; from the cotton belts of Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi; from the corn fields of Tennessee and Texas; from the rice swamps of South Carolina; from the orange groves of Florida; from the stone quarries of Connecticut, New York, and Pennsylvania; from the truck farms of Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey; from the turpentine forests of North Carolina; from the blue grass meadows of Kentucky; from the fishing banks of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island and from the cane-brakes of Louisiana.

Likewise, the Colored people of today, as they patiently and gradually draw themselves up and away from the slum and slime of slavery, are constantly sending up to Heaven from the east, the west, the north and the south points of this country their hopeful and earnest prayers that God in His mysterious way will convert and bring back to Christianity those prejudiced, heathenish and uncivilized members of the Caucasian race who persecute and discriminate against all darker races just on account of their progress. As living witnesses and proofs that such prayers are already being duly heard and daily answered by God, the author will tell on the following pages of this book (mainly for the inspiration of Colored boys and girls so that they will not lose confidence in themselves, trust in mankind and faith in God) just a little of the remarkable progress and success made by the American Colored people during their fifty-eight years of freedom.{16}

But the Negro youths who read these following pages should ever bear in mind that the members of their race who have climbed and mounted these rounds of success have only been able to do so through the guidance and care of God; through the unswerving determinations and ceaseless struggles on the part of themselves and through the hearty good-will and brotherhood helpfulness of the thousands of American white people who are today true and loyal friends of the American Colored people.

{17}

THE COLORED RACE IN THE WARS OF THE U. S.

In the Colonial, French and Indian Wars

(1704-1759)

Even farther back than 1704 Colored freemen and slaves showed their braveness and fighting abilities by taking active parts in helping the white plantation owners to protect and preserve their homes from the justly aggrieved Indians. Around the above date and the period between the years 1708 and 1718 a series of Colonial and Indian wars took place. These conflicts stretched from little but dignified Rhode Island (Queen Anne’s War) through the Tuscarora Indian War down to the Yamassee Indian War that for a time threatened to wipe away the rice and indago colony of South Carolina. Included among these military operations were the French and Indian Wars in which many Negroes gave good accounts of themselves, foremost among them being Sam Jenkins and Israel Titus who showed unusual braveness under the commands of General Washington and Braddock.{18}

IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR


(1775-1783)

Crispus Attucks

ALTHOUGH such records cannot be found on the pages of the United States histories used in the American public schools, a trip to cultured Boston will enable one to read on the monuments in public squares and in the public libraries the name and facts about the glorious deeds of that pioneer Negro patriot, Crispus Attucks who fell as the first American martyr in the Boston Massacre of 1770. It is also in the Puritan records of New England where one may learn about Peter Salem, the Colored soldier who avenged the death of the first seven American martyrs at Lexington and Concord by slaying Major Pitcairn, the British officer who in company with his men charged against the Colonists at Bunker Hill. Among the hundreds of other men of color who took parts in those fierce skirmishes were Salem Poor, reported at the Commander’s office for extraordinary bravery at Bunker Hill, and “Black Prince” cited for unexcelled gallantry at Newport. It is understood that among those who received pensions at the close of the war were Cato Howe, A. Ames and T. Coburn.

Few know that it was a Colored man, Jordan Freeman, who timely and mortally received on his ready spear point the British officer, Major Montgomery as he daringly leaped, followed by his soldiers, over the walls of Griswold, an American fort. Later on in that same battle of 1781 the Colonists were over powered and compelled to surrender, whereupon the American leader, Ledyard, courteously handed his sword to the British officer in command. That unfair Englishman upon receiving the sword immediately thrust it up to the hilt through the body of Ledyard. A Colored soldier, Lambo Latham, who was standing near and saw the dastardly act, made one mighty pantherlike leap and{19} loyally avenged the death of his American commander by plunging his bayonet clear through the body of that ungallant Britisher. For that act of fidelity and patriotism, Lambo Latham received over thirty bayonet stabs from the enemy before he stopped fighting and gave his last breath for America and its white people who at that moment were denying their Colored slaves the same sweet freedom for which they were fighting to get from England.

Not only did “John Bull’s” subjects have to face human lions in the forms of fighting Colored men, but they also had to feel the pains and fear the death dealing blows of human tigeresses in the forms of Colored women fighters. And all Americans who are truely proud of their country and its real history should read and remember about one Molly Pitcher, who after her husband had been killed in the battle of Monmouth, bravely took his place at a cannon and nervely upheld America’s cause during the remainder of that fierce and bloody conflict. Then there was the undaunted and resourceful Deborah Gannet, who by assuming the name of “Bob Shurtliff” entered the American army and went through more than one year of actual battlefield fighting and camp life exposure. And during her entire service she successfully kept her moral purity by cleverly hiding from the officials and the soldiers the knowledge of her sex. This in other words read her war record on a pension certificate granted to her after her honorable discharge from the army. And there were doubtless many other unrecognized but noble Negro women who entered numerous conflicts and gave their last drop of blood and lives in order that the white colonists might enjoy the freedom that their Colored brothers and sisters then saw no signs of ever receiving.

In the War of 1812
(1812)

There are few people who know that one of the main causes of The War of 1812 was on account of the British forcibly taking and compelling three Americans (two Negroes and one Caucasian) to sail under the English flag. It was in that same war that a Colored soldier, Jefferys, on seeing a body of American troops{20} retreating under heavy fires from the enemy, dashed to their front, rallied them together, led their steps back and repelled the British soldiers who were about to break through a very important but weak point in General Jackson’s defense at Mobile. That general not only noted that leadership rally but gave full credit and praise where it was due. He also expressed gratefulness to the soldier of color whose ideas first suggested the successful use of bales of cotton for breastworks in fortifications. In the battles around New Orleans he looked with soldierly pride upon the splendid fighting of his black troops.

When American school children learn from their United States histories that clean-cut and famous naval battle report, “We have met the enemy and they are ours” ..., such histories do not also inform their readers that the personal pronouns “we” and “ours” so prominent in Commodore Perry’s above message includes the heroic deeds of Colored sailors as well as white. So when in reciting these stirring words their iron-charged bloods suddenly gallop through their veins; their chests expand wide with national pride; their heads jerk erect with proud fighting spirits and their eyes sparkle bright with slumbering fires, such patriotic emotions have been unknowingly and involuntarily aroused in true American youths because of the loss of Colored blood and lives as well as of white in those lake battles. And among those weather-beaten bronze “salts” were Jack Johnson (not our present ex-champion heavyweight prize fighter of the world) and John Davis who were both especially mentioned for distinguished service on the schooner, “George Thompson.” That world known message of 1812 also included many other Negro sailors who pitted their bravery and brawn against the British “tars” in order to help Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry to break the backbone of the War of 1812 by opening up a clear passage on the Great Lakes. It was through that same newly made water path that General William Henry Harrison (the hero of Tippicanoe, Log Cabin and Hard Cider) and his seasoned famed Indian fighters were conveyed in order to enter Canada where they completely defeated the artful Proctor and slew the cunning Tecumseh in that savagely fought{21} battle of The Thames. Thus Colored fighters helped to end the foxy and wolfish Proctor-Tecumseh partnership that had annoyed and tormented for so long the American settlers on the Northern frontiers.

In the Mexican War
(1845-1847)

If it were possible for General Santa Anna to bodily slip back to earth, personally mingle amid and chat with those of his soldier friends who are still living; it is more than likely that among the many things talked over they would seriously mention the fact of having caught many hasty glances of dark fighting faces under command of the American Generals Taylor and Scott who kept the Mexicans on a constant hop-step-and-a-jump around Vera Cruz, Buena Vista and other places in that section.

On account of Negroes at that period being greatly removed from the United States Army and State Militias, because of racial questions, it is not likely that many Colored fighters had a chance to get busy in that one and a half year backyard quarrel and fight. There was published in a Western paper a few years ago an account of a Mexican War Colored veteran known as Captain Jackson who died in Chicago, Ill., in 1894. And in order to have received that military title, officially or unofficially he surely must have used some brain power as well as much brawn force in helping to establish America’s boundary line on the Southern frontier.{22}

THROUGH THE “UNDERGROUND RAILROAD”

Every Local Was a Special

MANY years before the Civil War there was organized among the Northern white and Christian people, mostly Quakers, a secret society to help runaway slaves to escape from the South into the free states and Canada. This society, on account of its hidden, winding and rapid ways of carrying its fleeing and hunted passengers into places of freedom and safety, was known as the “Underground Railroad”.

“As early as 1786, there are evidences of an underground road. A letter of George Washington, written in that year, speaks of a slave escaping from Virginia to Philadelphia, and being there aided by a society of Quakers formed for the purpose of assisting in liberating slaves. It was not, however, until after the War of 1812, that escaped slaves began to find their way by the underground roads in considerable numbers to Canada.”

“From Maine to Kansas, all the northern States were dotted with the underground stations and covered with a network of the underground roads. It is estimated that between 1830 and 1860 over 9,000 slaves were aided to escape by way of Philadelphia. During this same period in Ohio, 40,000 fugitives are said to have escaped by way of the underground railroad.”

Reference (Work’s Negro Year Book; page 167, 1918-1919 edition).

Without doubt, among the greatest workers in that society and truest white friends to the freedom seeking slaves were; Cal{23}vin Fairbanks who was arrested and kept for over fifteen years in Southern jails where he was daily whipped until blood flowed from his back, just because he helped human beings to get their freedom; Thomas Garrett who was jailed and had to sell all his personal property and real estate to pay the fines imposed upon him by the Southerners for doing the works of Jesus Christ by aiding the weak and comforting the suffering. And when penniless Thomas Garrett got out of jail he continued to help runaway slaves to find their freedom; Samuel May whose Christianity helped thousands of Colored people to enjoy the freedom due all human beings instead of suffering yokes and chains belonging to dumb beasts of burden; and Levi Coffin, who was recognized as the central electrical force that so powerfully and silently drove on, and the chief consulting engineer who so watchfully kept in motion the ever welloiled and frictionless machinery of the underground railroad systems.

The following names are those of some of the leading free Colored people who in every way possible were foremost in helping to liberate from slavery their less fortunate race brothers and sisters in the South:

To the Colored boys and girls who desire to learn more about such mysterious underground railroad trains, that with their nervy and plucky passengers holding on with all their might, were constantly diving into and running under rivers as well as climbing upon and rolling down mountain sides without ever being wrecked or seldom losing a passenger, the writer begs to offer the following suggestion:

Any evening when such boys and girls suddenly get a burning thirst to visit the “movies” and drink in the red-blooded and heroic screen capers of a Wm. S. Hart, a Pearl White or a Douglass Fairbanks; let those boys and girls go to the nearest library instead, secure a copy of William Still’s “Underground Railroad Records”, and return home with it. In its stories they will find just as hair-raising adventures and exciting escapes as are to be{25} found in any of Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes detective cases; between its leaves they will find the same kind of serious wit and humor that smile up from a Walt Mason newspaper article; from cover to cover they will find the same kind of heart-rending and flesh-suffering word pictures that Longfellow and other authors have so vividly painted in telling of the expulsions and wanderings of the doomed Arcadians; but, last and most important of all they will find every one of its pages to contain as true and valuable American history as ever appeared in the writings of a Bancroft, a Fiske, a Higginson, a Prescott or a Ridpath.

{26}

IN THE CIVIL WAR

(1861-1865)

Abraham Lincoln

IF Colored men and women in the previous wars could become such wonderful fighters and loyal Americans with no knowledge and little hope of ever receiving freedom from their unnumbered slave sufferings and sacrifices; then, how much braver and more patriotic would they be when fighting with a new hope and full knowledge that their future freedom depended upon the success of the side on which they were fighting? It is needless to say that out of the more than one hundred forty thousand Colored people who took active parts in the Civil War, there were countless numbers of gallant and self-sacrificing deeds performed by them that were only seen and noted by God. And those acts of valor and heroism that were witnessed and recorded here on earth by mankind are so numerous that space herein will not allow but the mention of a very few.

Captain Andre Cailloux was one of the bravest soldiers to fall in the Union charge on Fort Hudson. It is said that his Company charged that fort six times looking point-blank into the red-flaming, fire-spitting, bullet-biting and smoke-breathing mouths of the enemy’s cannons, with a heavy loss among his men in each charge. Feeling sure he was going to his certain death, yet never flynching, a Colored soldier, Anselmas Plancianocis, who was a color sergeant, uttered the following words to his commander before departing to his post of duty within gun range and full view to the enemy; “Colonel, I will bring back these colors in honor, or report to God the reason why.” He never brought back the colors. At another time during the noted{27} battle at Fort Wagner, it was William Carney who upon seeing the colors about to trail on the ground as they slipped from the relaxing grasp of a dying comrade, quickly leaped to his side grabbed the flag staff and planted it on the breastworks. When he in turn was severely wounded and carried to the rear, he had just strength and breath enough to whisper, “Boys, the Old flag never touched the ground.” Both artists and poets have often come forth to paint and sing of the fierce fighting and brave stand made by that famous 54th Massachusetts Colored Regiment and its fearless and beloved white commander, Col. Robert Gould Shaw. He fell in the thickest of the battle surrounded by hundreds of his wounded and dying Colored troops whom he had watched over as a loving father and always led as a fighting officer. Although Col. Shaw and his men were greatly outnumbered by the enemy who repulsed their attack at Fort Wagner, the Colored soldiers, who had marched continually a day and a night without stopping and then pitched right into fighting without rest or food, proved to both the North and South that they were among the bravest of brave soldiers.

Civil War veterans now living, and when meeting each other usually become so excited when tongue fighting their battles over again that they forget for the time being all about their rheumatics and, throw away their canes as they hop about trying to imitate their former military actions in battles. Those who were there take delight in telling how Gen. Fitzhugh Lee and his prancing Old Dominion well trained white soldiers met their “Waterloo” in Fort Powhatan at the hands of the belittled and untrained slave troops. It was at Fort Harrison in Virginia that the Southerners on seeing Negro troops charging on the fort, taunted them with, “Come on darkies, we want your muskets.” Eye witnesses say that the so-called “darkies” being so used to obeying orders really did take the guns to the fort, but several hours afterwards when the smoke had cleared away it was seen that those Rebels who had remained to accept the muskets had received the bayonet ends through their bodies instead of the trigger ends into their hands. Gen. B. F. Butler’s records show that his ten regiments of ex-slave soldiers brought victory and fame all along their fighting lines.{28}

Aside from the chief motive to help free themselves, without doubt one of the main things that spurred the Negro men to fight so valiantly was their constant memory of Fort Pillow. At that fort were stationed 292 Northern white soldiers and 262 Colored troops, all under the command of Major L. F. Booth. On the twelfth of April 1864 that place was surrounded by a much larger Confederate force under Generals Chalmers and Forest and ordered to surrender. Upon the fort refusing to do so, the Rebels closed in with their usual battle cry, “No Quarter”. And then as they broke in the fort and overpowered the handful of Union men, there began a scene of unmentioned butchering and slaughtering of Northern white soldiers and Colored ex-slave men, women and children that far surpassed in horribleness the massacre of Custer and his faithful little band by the Sioux chief, Sitting Bull and his merciless Indian warriors. So after that whenever Colored men entered battles their answer to the Rebel’s “No Quarter” was a challenge “Remember Fort Pillow,” and times too numerous to mention did Negro soldiers fully avenge that awful massacre of their comrades on that April day in Fort Pillow.

By reading the battlefield records of Gen. Thomas at Miliken’s Bend; Gen. Morgan at Nashville; Gen. Blount at Henry Springs; Gen. Smith at Petersburg; Generals S. C. Armstrong, B. F. Butler and O. O. Howard at other vital places, as well as the fighting records made in Virginia at Wilson Wharf, Deep Bottom, Fair Oaks, Hatchers Run and Farmville; full proofs can be found regarding the Colored soldiers’ supreme brave fights made for a twofold purpose—the saving of the Union and the freedom of themselves.

In summing up this part of this very important topic, the writer can think of no better way of strengthening the truth of foregoing assertions relative to Negro battlefield valour and loyalty in the Civil War than by quoting the following: “When the battle test came these regiments justified the hopes entertained by their sanguine friends.” This just and high tribute was paid to Colored Civil War fighters by Comrade John McElroy, a white editor of Washington, D.C., in the editorial cor{29}respondence of his National Tribune published April 7, 1921. He had written about General Rufus Saxton of Massachusetts taking military command of St. Helena Island, S. C. and forming the thousands of idle Negro men into regiments during the early stages of the Civil War.

On the Sea

In the month of June, 1861, the Union schooner, “S. J. Waring” was captured by the Confederate privateer, “Jeff Davis”. All the crew of the schooner, with the exception of a Colored man, William Tillman and two white men, were taken from the ship and replaced by Rebel sailors. At an opportune moment Tillman killed the Rebel captain and mate, drove all the other Rebels at the point of a gun below deck and took full charge of the ship. After ploughing through a terrific storm, during which time the Rebel sailors were brought up and forced to help man the wave-tossed ship, the Colored sailor safely guided the recaptured “S. J. Waring” into the harbor of New York. For that nervy and patriotic act he received from the Federal Government prize money amounting to six thousand dollars.

It was through the cool-headedness, gamesness and shrewd planning of Robert Small, a man of color, that the Confederate gunboat, “The Planter” was stolen out of Charleston Harbor, running the gauntlet of the Rebel’s watchful forts and barking cannons and safely delivered into the hands of a Northern squadron. In payment for this naval strategy Robert Small was made captain of the gunboat he captured and during his service continued to show marked fearlessness as a fighting sailor and unusual executive ability as a commanding officer.

When the Civil War was finally ended by General Ulysses S. Grant of the Union Army compelling General Robert E. Lee of the Rebel Army to surrender at Appomattox Court House, Va., on April 9, 1865, the Colored soldiers and sailors laid aside their warfare weapons with proud and thankful feelings that they had been given such great chances to help fight for and secure their own freedom.{30}

ON THE PLANTATIONS

Broad-Mindedness

THE slaves who went into the battles of the Civil War came up to all the standards of loyalty and bravery that had been set for them as fighting soldiers. But it was left to the millions of Colored men who staid on the plantations during the war to come up to and go far beyond the standards of moral self-control and human just treatment set by their owners. The Colored men who were in the war were really enjoying a temporary freedom while they were fighting for a permanent freedom. But it was quite different with the shackled men who staid on the plantations during the war. They were then slaves not only one way but in three ways. First, they were still slaves to their owners as they were yet under their control; secondly, they were slaves to themselves inasmuch as they were their own bosses and overseers to plant, cultivate and reap the crops in the absence of the white men; thirdly and most important of all, they were slaves to the trust and honor under which they had been left with the care and protection of the white women and children on the plantations. And no records in history have been found to show where those thousands of white wives, daughters, mothers and sisters made complaints to their returned husbands, sons, fathers and brothers about having forced upon them insulting and raping attentions from those millions of slave men under whose whole care those white women had been freely left and safely kept during the Civil War.

If those Colored men had wanted to copy the spiteful, revengeful and immoral actions of most of their white owners, they could easily have mistreated or destroyed all of those helpless white women and children in revenge for the two hundred and forty-four years of unspeakable crimes committed against their Colored womanhood by the Southern white slave owners and overseers. Or the slaves could have run away, joined the{31} Union Army in a mass and left alone those destitute white women and children to starve on the untilled plantations. But those men of the Negro race, not then three hundred years from the underbrush of Africa, had under their dark skins too much inborn manhood and brotherhood qualities to stoop down to such beastily acts. They naturally grasped that grand and big opportunity to show to the Southern white people and the rest of the watchful world (that helplessly looked on in silence but with pitiful and admiring glances) that they had in their characters and dispositions and knew when and how to use them, the sterling principles of open-fairness, loyal friendliness, tender feelings, human considerations, moral self-control and Christlike mercy.

It is undeniably true that as early as 1860 there were in the United States over five hundred eighty-eight thousand Mulattoes. (Ref. Work’s Negro Year Book, page 432, 1918-1919 edition). Among that large number many thousands were beautiful and innocent girls who were either retained as their white owners’ immoral mistresses on Southern plantations or sold hither and thither from the Potomac River to the Gulf of Mexico to be forced into shameful and degraded lives a thousand-fold more friendless, unhappy and unprotected than Longfellow’s wandering Evangeline.

As the Civil War did not begin until 1861, it is readily seen that those one half million and more Mulattoes were not the results of slave men forcing immoral attentions upon the white women and girls left under their personal cares during the four years of the Civil War. But those half-Colored, half white people were the undeniable results of the brutal rapings of white plantation owners and overseers upon their helpless and unprotected black slave women for over two hundred years. So is it strange that fair and pure minded white people throughout the world, knowing and seeing all around them today the increased results of those first beastily actions by immoral members of their own race, listen without interest but with shame and impatience whenever, through sheer politeness, they are compelled to remain as audiences before certain classes of{32} Southern men who for centuries (including today) have been talking through mouth and press about keeping their Southern white blood untainted and unstained? Colored boys and girls, therefore, should not become down-hearted and discouraged when they read in newspapers or hear from platforms such Southern white men writing or making such “Jekel-Hyde” talks; because close-observing, sound-reasoning and fair-judging white people in the South, in the North and throughout the world fully understand the whole situation and do not in the least take such Southern false utterances seriously. In fact they usually cannot keep from laughing at the funny side of the whole thing and say among themselves, “How absurd.”

No one but God knows the number of deceived Southern white married women who during slavery days secretly worried themselves sick, slowly pined away and silently died of broken hearts in their richly furnished colonial mansions, because of the ever haunting, taunting and stinging knowledge that their unfaithful, disloyal and immoral husbands as well as being the fathers of their white wives’ children were also the fathers of their slave mistresses’ Mulatto offsprings. So is it surprising that clean-living, clean-thinking and justice-loving white people always exchange knowing winks with their friends and hurriedly put handkerchiefs up to their mouths in order to hide disgusted features and weary yawns whenever they find themselves in places where they have to listen to certain classes of Southern white men who for centuries (including today) have been boasting from platform and press about their unsurpassed and unexcelled fidelity and chivalry to their Southern white womanhood? Instead of losing their ambitions and hopes when hearing and reading such blaspheming words against their race and progress, Colored boys and girls should take on new hope and redouble their efforts in striving to become even more devout Christians, higher learned students, better skilled industrial workers and fuller law-abiding citizens. In reference to the inferiority of their colors, Colored youths should remember that the prettiest thing in the world (the rainbow) is Colored, and yet, no one is able to resist the fascinations of its archful beauty or forget the{33} consolations of its floodless promise, just because Nature with splashing rain drops and flashing sun rays oft ribbons the sky with rainbow hues.

No one but God knows the number of black slave women who moaned their heart strings loose and died of broken spirits either in their one-roomed log cabins or out in fence-cornered fields, because of the ever torturing knowledge that the virtues and womanhoods of themselves and the chaste maidenhoods of their immatured and innocent daughters had been repeatedly and forcibly taken or sold by their white owners and overseers. Yet, not one of those white rapists was lynched, tortured and burned at the stake by Negroes, not even at the close of the Civil War when there were thousands of ex-slave holders living in some Southern districts where the Colored people outnumbered the white people five to one. And surely, after gallantly fighting through the thickest and hottest battles of the war, it was not fear nor cowardice that held those Colored men from avenging the unprintable immoral wrongs forcibly done for over two hundred years to their unprotected and helpless Colored women. But, it was the living up to and the carrying out of a certain high civic principle of their African tribal laws that they had inherited and which prevented the ex-slaves from striking such a revengeful blow upon the Southern whites. For among savage tribes in Africa the universal punishment for raping was certain death; different tribes having different methods of dealing out that penalty. But that punishment was never dealt out by a mob. Those tribes so respected and obeyed the laws under which they lived and were governed that as savage as they appeared to be, they always had enough self-control over their tempers and passions to leave the captures, trials, convictions and executions of such offenders to be carried out by their chiefs and their assistants who had been put in their offices for such purposes. And since America had made laws and appointed officers who should have caught, tried, convicted and punished those Southern white men who raped enough black women to cause the birth of over a half million Mulattoes, the ex-slave men felt that even if those laws had not been enforced by people who had been selected to do so,{34} it was not their rights to take the laws into their own hands by forming themselves into lynching mobs. They felt that just as raping of either black or white women is a most damnable crime; so is lynching either by black or white mobs a most hellish sin. In making comparisons between the ancient laws of Nippur and the modern laws of the United States, relative to slaves, the world-famed journalist, Arthur Brisbane, in the June 22, 1920 issue of the New York American, under the title, “Today”, wrote in part as follows:

“Five thousand years ago some laws were better than those of our day.

“For instance, in those ancient laws, if a slave woman had a child, the father being her owner, the mother and the child were set free. In magnificent America, in Lincoln’s day, thousands of slave children, with slave owners for fathers, were sold in the public markets.”

Now, not for one moment do intelligent and law-abiding Colored citizens uphold or make excuses for the brutish crimes committed by the degenerate members (and there are many) of their own race. For they fully realize that it means a faster and higher progress of all their people to have Colored criminals punished to the fullest extent of the law, after they have been given the same fair trials, convictions and sentences that are handed out to the thousands of white criminals who commit the same kind of crimes. And just as Colored degenerates are disgusting and shameful to up-right living white people, so are white degenerates disgusting and shameful to up-right living Colored people. Thus the broad-minded and law-abiding Colored and white citizens now mutually know that it is for the greater advancement of both races and a closer brotherhood combining of all Americans for them to see to it, as far as possible, that all criminals be rightly protected when arrested, given fair trials, safely guarded after sentenced and fully punished in a confinement where they cannot further morally lower themselves nor longer dilute the purity of human society.{35}

And in thus far carrying out their Christian duties for the elevation of humanity, good Colored and white people are contented in knowing that for those criminals of both races who are shrewd enough to escape the detection and punishment of earthly laws, there is a Heavenly law that never fails to punish them at the proper time. And even while on their death beds those evil doers are twisting and turning in mental and bodily sufferings, they will not on account of their torturing pains be able to truthfully and peacefully chant such consoling lines that are found in Tennyson’s poem “Crossing The Bar”, nor will their names be written in that “Book of Gold” where it is said Abou Ben Adhem had his name inscribed above all of those who loved the Lord, because he (Abou Ben Adhem) loved all his fellowmen.

{36}

FOLK-LORE SONGS OF THE AMERICAN NEGRO

Different Emotions

Prayer

Work

Song

Play

“THE only American music”. This is the terse, sincere and high comment made quite a number of years ago by Edward Everett Hale, author of “A Man Without a Country”, in relation to the rightful recognition and value of the American Negro melodies sung on the Southern plantations during slavery. Since then, well-read, well-bred and music loving people of both races have come to fully recognize, acknowledge and appreciate the truthfulness of the above compliment.

For many years after their freedom great number of ex-slaves harbored bitter dislikes toward these songs because they so clearly and painfully reminded them of their past ill-treatment and sufferings during slave days. Most of their children caught this feeling direct from their parents or indirectly through their own vivid imaginations formed from what they had heard about slavery. But quick and deep understanding people of both races soon found in these crude tuneful words something far more interesting and touching than mere memories of slavery sins and sufferings—they saw and felt in such weird and original{37} chants the most beautiful and truest life pictures of the true soul that it is possible for human being to paint with colorful and verbal expressions of tear moistened sorrows and smile dried joys. Thus music lovers and masters began at once to value this music as among the most precious finds to be added to their treasuries of folk-lore songs.

World recognized Negro music transposers and composers are today taking these rough, crude and half-savage chants and, without destroying their originalities of construction or pureness of quality, lifting them from the lowest depths of ignorant fun-making burlesquers to the highest level of intelligent and serious-minded music admirers. And throughout the musical world today celebrated chorus leaders, conductors, etc., of both races in giving even operatic recitals indicate by their programs rendered that they consider no first-class recital complete unless one or more of its numbers are expressions of Negro folk-lore music as Burleigh, Dett, Diton, Work and others have so classically elevated them. These broad-minded and just manifestations are gradually causing the general public to become more interested in, give more serious thought to, and show more appreciation of the true dignity and value of these melodies. They are also rapidly educating the American Colored people as a mass not to hate and cast aside but to love and preserve this music as a race pride heritage so costly purchased and handed down by their fore-parents and as one of the most valuable and rare features of American history.

Among the foremost composers, singers and lecturers in the Negro race who are giving tremendous aid and are largely responsible for the development of the above favorable sentiments are Cleveland G. Allen, New York, N. Y., Harry Burleigh, New York, N. Y., R. Nathaniel Dett, Hampton, Va., Carl Ditson, Phila., Pa., E. Azalia Hackley, Detroit, Mich., Kathleen P. Howard, Birmingham, Ala., J. Wesley Jones, Chicago, Ill., Jennie C. Lee, Tuskegee, Ala., Nellie M. Mundy, New York, N. Y., Jas. A. Mundy, Chicago, Ill., F. J. and J. W. Work.{38}

THROUGH RECONSTRUCTION DAYS

Frederick Douglass

IN taking a swift but careful glance back to that historical and red-letter year of 1863, it will be noted that there was born at that time into these United States a form of whole liberty that had been fathered and nourished by the world-beloved Abraham Lincoln. Before the above date this country had existed under only a one-sided liberty that had been won from the English for the white Americans by the illustrious George Washington. But it was left for Abraham Lincoln to win for the United States a two-sided liberty by cutting the chains of slavery from the wrists and ankles of the black Americans and also refreeing the white Americans by unchaining from their souls the slave-holding temptations they had become too weak-minded to resist and too selfish to give up of their own accord.

As soon as the Colored people had passed out from the sufferings of slavery, they were at once compelled as free, but ignorant, homeless and penniless, people to begin their upward struggles and progress through a reign of terror. This reign of terror was caused by the brutal treatment and murdering of thousands of innocent Colored people and the destruction of their properties by an uneducated, uncivilized and unchristianized element of Southern white people who were known as “Night Riders”, “Ku Klux Klan”, etc., of whom the best minded white people even in the South were ashamed.

But the sturdy and hopeful Colored people came through that awful ordeal as they had come through slavery, with increasing determination and greater efforts to push forward and upward to the best and highest things in life. However, it was{39} only their unfaltering trust in God that gave them enough hopeful vision in the future; it was only their gratitude to and appreciation of their Northern and Southern white aiding friends that retained them enough patience and faith in mankind; it was only their keenness to see the funny side of life’s happenings that enabled them to laugh and keep cheerful; it was only their ability and willingness to do any and all kinds of hard work that enabled them to sleep through the whole nights with peaceful minds; and it was only their great big healthy (everlasting-non-fasting) appetites that gave them enough vitality, stamina, physical strength and energy-plus to pass through those years of body sufferings and spirit crushings and safely reach their present stages of upward progress and onward success.

Thus the Negro race has proven that just as a red-blooded, self-confident, self-reliant and resourceful individual cannot rest with a peaceful and happy mind as long as staying in the easygoing, smoothly-worn and narrow “rut” of a least-resistance, non-progressive position, but fearlessly steps out with a determined mind, hopeful heart and unbounded enthusiasm to face and overcome the ups-and-down of this rough-and-ready world that finally yields up to that individual his or her well-earned and genuine success; so will a race of people of similar qualities and aspirations be restless until it wades and crawls out of a miry and stagnant pool of ignorance and poverty and enters a channel of freshly flowing active thoughts where it can freely swim abreast in fair competition with other races in order to reach those distant ports of Christian service, citizenship usefulness, financial independence, self culture and human helpfulness.

While the Negro race in the United States succeeded in swimming into that channel in 1861, it has never been allowed, like other races therein, to use either a rapid-lunging and noisy over-head double-arm stroke or a swift-gliding and noiseless under-water crawl-stroke; but, has been compelled to paddle along using a one-arm bull-frog stroke, having one leg and arm tied together with strings of race discriminations, the entire racing course clogged with floating debris of public decayed sentiments and a plaited cord of race jealousy-envy-spite tied{40} to the big toe of the free leg that has been roughly and constantly yanked back throughout the swim. With all that prejudiced and unsportsmanlike handicap, the American Colored people have increased their ownership of homes from twelve thousand in 1866 to six hundred thousand in 1919; they owned in 1910 over two hundred thousand farms that with other real estate holdings comprised twenty-one million acres of land; in 1866 they ran a little over two thousand business enterprises and in 1919 they had increased that number to fifty thousand business concerns doing a volume of business amounting to about one billion two hundred million dollars; in 1919 there were annually being spent for their education fifteen million dollars; starting out in 1866 with seven hundred churches they kept on building and buying Houses of God until in 1919 they owned forty-three thousand such buildings valued at more than eighty-four million dollars; and while the American Colored people in 1866 were worth twenty million dollars, they continued to earn and save money until in 1919 they had accumulated a wealth of one billion one hundred million dollars. (above figures extracted from Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, pgs. 1-2-345.)

There are located in over 25 States throughout the Union nearly a hundred towns and villages that are inhabited and governed wholly by Colored people. The largest of these settlements is described below.

BOLEY, OKLAHOMA

Boley, Oklahoma, was founded on September 22, 1904 by two Colored men, T. M. Haynes and James Barnett, and since then has enjoyed the greatest growth of any exclusive Negro community in the United States. There is a population of 2,500 in the city and 1,200 in the adjoining district. There are no white people living in the city and all of the farms within a distance of 8 to 10 miles are owned, with but few exceptions, by Colored farmers who possess as much as 900 acres individually. Farming is the chief industry of the community and about 90 per cent of the population own modern homes, many of them costing $5,000 and more.{41}

All of the city offices, telephone exchange, telegraph office, depot agency, Post Office (only Third Class one in the world totally run by Negroes) are conducted by Colored people. All the business establishments and industries, that are of nearly every kind including several cotton gins are owned and carried on by Negro business men and women, one merchant being worth $100,000.00. The city has its own paved streets, electric light plant, ice plant, water system, and modern city High School costing $20,000, two private newspapers and a private Bank.

Some of the important buildings and institutions in the city are the State School of the C. M. E. Church that has a modern three-story $20,000 building; the Masonic three-story Temple; The Widow and Orphan Home of the U. B. F. Grand Lodge; the $150,000 State Tubercular Sanitarium for Negroes; and seven churches with creditable buildings. Prospects are so promising that the community is expecting to have oil wells within the next two or three years.

This is not a bad record for such a handicapped life swimmer as the Negro Race is compelled to be in the United States and certainly proves that, when it comes to keeping a lead-weighted body above the water surface and at the same time make progress up a rough stream against a strong down-flowing prejudiced current, the Negro, if he really is a fifth cousin to the foolish, noisy, frolicsome and “Call Of The Wild” goose family, he is also a first cousin to the sensible, industrious, frugal, quiet, dignified and home-loving swan family.{42}

IN CONGRESS

IT is a most remarkable fact that only seven years after the emancipation of his race, Hiram R. Revels, a Colored man, entered the United States Congress as a senator from Mississippi. But it becomes a two-fold remarkable and interesting fact when one learns that the Congressional seat taken by Revels was the chair made vacant by Jefferson Davis who left Congress and the Union side to join the Confederacy where he later became its president and leader to keep Negroes in slavery. That explains the question so many people have asked why Revels only served one year (1870-1871) in the Senate. He was elected to serve the last year that Jeff Davis had left unfinished in his term when he went over to the Rebel forces. B. K. Bruce, also from Mississippi, served a full term of six years in the Senate. So far those two have been the only Colored men to be seated and serve in the U. S. Senate. In 1872, P. B. S. Pinchback, a Colored man, was elected to the U. S. Senate, but the right of the Legislature to legally elect a senator was challenged. The contention was urged that the Legislature itself was not legally elected. The contest lasted four years and ended with seven Republican Senators voting with the Democrats to deny him the seat. He was later given four years salary as a senator. During the period of Reconstruction right after the Civil War this same Colored man was elected and served as Lieutenant-Governor of Louisiana and once while the Governor, W. P. Kellogg was absent from the State for a brief period, Lt. Gov. P. B. S. Pinchback acted as Governor of Louisiana.

J. R. Lynch was elected from Mississippi to the U. S. House of Representatives. Other Colored men who have been members in the House were as follows: Louisiana sent J. H. Menard and C. E. Nash; Georgia sent J. T. Long; Alabama sent B. S. Turner, J. T. Rapier, and J. Harlson; Virginia sent J. M. Langston; Florida sent J. T. Walls; South Carolina took the lead in numbers by sending R. B. Elliott, R. C. DeLarge, R. H. Cain, A. J. Ransier, Robert Small, T. E. Miller, G. W. Murray, and J. H. Rainey who by being elected five times exceeded any other{43} Negro in length of service (ten years) in the House. But it was left for North Carolina to “Tar Heel” in the rear of that Congressional noble march by sending the latest Colored member to Congress in the person of the late George H. White, who as a Representative had been proceeded from that same state in the same branch of the U. S. Legislature by J. Hyman, J. E. O’Harra and H. P. Cheatham. (extracts from Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, pg. 207.)

In The U. S. Diplomatic Service

While a U. S. Senator or Representative acts in the Legislature at Washington, D.C. as spokesman for a few thousand people living in a certain section of the state that elects him; a Minister or Consul to foreign countries acts as a spokesman for all the millions of American citizens living in all the United States of America. Thus, while the Colored Congressman held a very honorable and influential federal position; the Colored man who had served either as a minister or consul to foreign lands was the one who really shouldered the highest and most responsible Government position ever accorded to an American Colored person.

Some of those of the Race who have served in this last named branch of the Government are: A. H. Grimke, Minister to San Domingo, E. D. Bassett, Frederick Douglas, J. S. Durham, S. A. Furness, and L. W. Livingston, Ministers and Consuls to Haiti; T. M. Chester, Dr. J. R. Grossland, J. L. Johnson and E. W. Lyons, Consul and Ministers to Liberia; Jas. Weldon Johnson, Consul to Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, to Corinto, Nicaragua and to the Azores; J. C. Carter, and M. Wistar Gibbs, Consuls to Madagascar; Wm. H. Hunt and W. A. Jackson, Consuls to France; R. T. Greener, Consul to Vladivostok; W. J. Yerb, Consul to Dakar, West Africa. (some of above extracts from Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, pg. 208).

Others of the Race who have in the past or are at present holding important Federal positions are Chas. W. Anderson, Collector of Internal Revenue, New York City; E. T. Attwell, Direc{44}tor of Negro Industries during the World War; Dr. Bozerman, Postmaster of Charleston, S. C.; R. W. Bundy, Secretary to Legation in Liberia; Phil H. Brown, Commissioner of Conciliation in the U. S. Labor Dept.; J. E. Bush, Receiver of Public Money, Kansas; B. K. Bruce, Register of Treasury, Washington, D.C.; J. A. Cobb, Ass’t U. S. District Attorney, Washington, D.C.; C. S. Cottrell, Collector of Internal Revenue, Honolulu; W. S. Cohen, Land Office Commissioner, La.; Wm. Crum, Collector of Customs, Charleston, S. C.; J. C. Dancy, Recorder of Deeds, Washington, D.C.; J. H. Deveaux, Collector of Customs, Savannah, Ga.; Frederick Douglas, Recorder of Deeds and U. S. Marshall of the District of Columbia; Miss Helen Erwin, Director of Colored Industrial Housing, during World War; H. O. Flipper, Special Ass’t to the Alaska R. R. Commissioner; Geo. E. Haynes, U. S. Director of Negro Economies, during the World War; Perry W. Howard, Special Ass’t U. S. Attorney General; E. H. Hewlett, Judge, Municipal Court, Washington, D.C.; Henry Lincoln Johnson, Recorder of Deeds and Republican National Committeeman, Washington, D.C.; J. E. Lee, Collector Internal Revenue, Florida; Wm. H. Lewis, Ass’t U. S. Attorney General, Boston, Mass.; Jas Lewis, Collector of Port, La.; Judson W. Lyons, Register of U. S. Treasury, Washington, D.C.; Wm. Matthews, Ass’t U. S. District Attorney, Boston, Mass.; Whitfield McKinley, Collector of Port, Georgetown, D.C.; J. C. Napier, Register of U. S. Treasury, Washington, D.C.; J. B. Peterson, Chief Deputy Collector, Internal Revenue, Porto Rico; ex-Lieut. Gov. P. B. S. Pinchback, Special Agent Internal Revenue, New York; Dr. C. V. Roman, Field Secretary in Venereal Medical Division of U. S. Army, during World War; H. E. Rucker, Collector Internal Revenue, Ga.; Emmett J. Scott, Special Commissioner to Liberia, and Special Ass’t Secretary to Secretary of War, during World War; Robert Small, Collector of Port, Beaufort, S. C.; R. L. Smith, Deputy U.S. Marshall, Texas; Robert H. Terrell, Judge, Municipal Court, Washington, D.C.; Ralph W. Tyler, Auditor of Navy, and Foreign War Correspondent, during World War; W. T. Vernon, Register of U. S. Treasury, Washington, D.C.; and S. Laing Williams, Ass’t U. S. District Attorney, Chicago, Ill.{45}

In State Legislatures

Upon being elected in 1866 to the Massachusetts House of Representatives, C. L. Mitchell and E. G. Walker, became the first Colored men to serve in any state legislature in America. Since that time up to the present day nearly a thousand men of the Race have served as Representatives in different state legislatures. Some of those having been elected within the past few years as members of state congressional bodies are as follows:

W. G. Alexander, New Jersey; J. C. Asbury, H. W. Bass and A. F. Stevens, Pennsylvania; J. A. Brown, H. E. Davis and H. C. Smith, Ohio; J. C. Coleman, H. J. Copehart, J. M. Ellis, E. H. Harper, T. G. Nutter, C. Payne and H. H. Railey, West Virginia; W. R. Douglass, A. H. Roberts and S. B. Turner, and Robt. R. Jackson, Illinois; J. C. Hawkins, New York; E. A. Johnson, N. Y.; W. M. Moore, Missouri; F. M. Roberts, California and J. M. Ryan, District of Columbia.

In City Government

The following names are those of a few of the many Colored politicians scattered throughout the country who are earnestly and intelligently helping their city governments to direct old and make new laws for the welfare of all races in their represented districts:

Councilman J. A. Adams, Annapolis, Md.; Alderman L. B. Anderson, Chicago, Ill.; Councilman J. Brown, Urbana, Ohio; Councilman V. Chambliss, Mounds, Ill.; Councilman R. A. Cooper, Philadelphia; ex-Alderman Oscar De Priest, Chicago, Ill.; Councilmen T. W. Fleming, Cleveland, Ohio, S. A. Furniss, Indianapolis, Ind., W. M. Fitzgerald, Baltimore, Md.; Alderman, G. W. Harris, and Assemblyman J. C. Hawkins, New York City, N. Y.; Alderman J. H. Hopkins, Wilmington, Del.; Alderman H. R. Jackson, Chicago, Ill.; Councilman Robt. R. Jackson, Chicago, Ill.; Assemblyman E. A. Johnson, New York City, N. Y.; Councilman W. T. McQuinn, Baltimore, Md.; C. Scott,{46} Worcester, Mass, and H. St. Clair, Cambridge, Md.; Alderman T. E. Stevens, Cleveland, Tenn.; Councilmen H. Ward, Nicholasville, Ky. and F. F. Wright, Boston, Mass.; Committeeman E. H. Wright, Chicago, Ill. (some of the above names are extracts from Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, page 54.) Milton White and Amos Scott are very prominent in Phila., Pa. politics as well as unusually successful businessmen.{47}

IN THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR

WHENEVER Colored people hear mentioned the Spanish-American War, their first thoughts naturally dig up proud memories of the 9th and 10th Colored Cavalries, the 24th and 25th Colored Regiments, The 8th Illinois, Ohio Battalion and others bravely facing raining shot and shell pouring down from the hill tops of El Caney and San Juan. And ever will it go down in history that they were members of the celebrated 10th Colored Cavalry who while fighting on San Juan Hill sprang to the timely rescue of the late Colonel Theodore Roosevelt and his famous Rough Riders and saved them from certain and horrible deaths at the hands of the merciless Spaniards.

But why here go further into details regarding the conduct of Colored men in that war when the official reports of such capable warriors and experienced military judges as Major-Generals W. R. Shafter, J. F. Kent, H. W. Lawton, Joseph Wheeler, Colonel (now General) Leonard Wood and other high commanding officers give rightful credit and praise to the Colored soldiers who displayed such remarkable patriotism and heroism in that short and fierce “There’ll be a Hot Time in the Old Town To-night” war? (This quotation is the title of a very popular tune sung during this war by the American soldiers and civilians.)

When Hobson made his dare-devil and world-famed sea trip through a gauntlet of Spanish frowning guns, there were more than twenty-five Colored sailors with him who then shared all of his dangers and later a little of his fame. Another most important naval action centered around a Colored sailor, John C. Jordan, Chief Gunner’s Mate, who on May 1, 1898 during the battle of Manilla fired the first shot from the crusier, “Olympia,” flag ship of the late Admiral Dewey. That was the shot that opened the first decisive battle of the Spanish-American War as well as starting the destruction of the modern Spanish Armada. It is surely in place to mention here that Jordan entered the Navy as a third-class apprentice and was honorably retired{48} as a Chief Petty Officer after spending thirty of his best years in the Navy working and waiting for “Uncle Sammy” to give him his just recognition and “Aunt Liberty” to give him a fuller caress of citizenship privileges.

In the Massacre at Carrizal

Another backyard quarrel and fight occured 1916 between the United States and Mexico. The famous 10th Colored Cavalry, 24th and 25th Colored Infantries were sent with Chicago National Guards to help watch the American border. On the morning of June 21, 1916, two divisions of the 10th Cavalry, Companies C and K, wished to pass through Carrizal to reach Villa Alunado. They were invited to come nearer for a friendly parley with the Mexicans. As the American soldiers drew closer to the place many of the Mexicans slyly, slowly and seemingly unconcerned quietly fell back, spread out and in Indian style rapidly formed a circle around the little band of unsuspecting Americans before they had really noticed what had been done. At an unseen given signal the Colored troops were suddenly attacked. They were outnumbered eight to one and in the engagement lost fifteen killed, had nine wounded and twenty-three captured, who received much inhuman treatment from the hands of their captors. Among the many brave acts of heroism during the day’s fighting was the one of Peter Bagstaff, a trooper of the 10th Cavalry, who in the very face of the Mexicans’ hailing shots staid by the side of his mortally wounded Lieut. H. F. Adair, giving that officer physical aid until death ended his sufferings.{49}

IN THE WORLD WAR

(1914-1918)

James Reese Europe

REGARDLESS of their two hundred and ninety-eight years of unstained and unquestioned loyalty and patriotism in America, Colored people at the time the United States was about to enter the World War, were made to feel that they were not needed nor wanted in the conflict. And on many occasions they were even told that the World War was not their affair but was a “white man’s war.” Here is again shown where an inherited African instinct—that of usually being able to sense some big future happening—enabled the American Colored people to see far enough into the distance to fully realize that white people who made such remarks were sadly mistaken. Colored people then knew as all other people later found out that they were as much concerned and needed in that world conflict as any and all other races of people who took part in it.

But not until America was fearfully startled and sensibly awakened by the rapid and persistent progress of the Germans into France did this country reluctantly consent to give the Colored soldiers a half-fair chance and part in the war. And even then their acceptances had more the resemblances of the{50} probationary trials of total strangers rather than the glad welcomings of life-long and never-failing friends. In other words, figuratively speaking, it was in the highly tempered crucibles of the World War’s whitehot furnaces of universal conflict that Negro Americanism was put through a retesting process, in order to determine the actual purity of its material and abstract composition. As to the outcome of that unnecessary and unjust retesting process, let the reader (like a minutely trained chemist) sum up in accurate notations the final results, but only after carefully weighing and reweighing the following analysis in the ever-balanced scales of impartiality.

Henry Johnson, Albany, N. Y. and Needham Roberts, of Trenton, N. J. were the first two Americans soldiers, Colored or white, who were honored by the French Government with the much coveted Croix de Guerre. These men were privates in the 369th Infantry, formerly the distinguished Fifteenth New York National Guard Regiment, that had been brigaded with French troops. It was during the loneliest and latest hours of a night in May, 1918 while Johnson and Roberts were on guard duty at an outpost on the Front near the German lines that they were suddenly surrounded and attacked by a raiding party of a score of German soldiers. Although the two colored boys used their firearms with quickness and deadly aim to keep the enemy off, the superior number of Germans, wounding Johnson three times and Roberts twice, closed in on them in a hand-to-hand death struggle. They soon had Roberts on the ground helpless, one German at his head and another at his feet. Johnson noticing the sad plight of his loyal friend, leaped forward like a wild cat at bay and with one mighty downward blow of his bolo knife split wide open the head of the enemy who was strangling Roberts. Then with a crouching pantherlike spring Johnson made a terrific sweep with his trusty knife that completely opened the stomach of the German at Roberts’ feet. Although on the ground covered with blood and gore, Roberts upon thus being released immediately began to hurl hand grenades among the enemy with telling effect. As the foe, with whose stomach Johnson’s bolo knife had made such a deep and lasting{51} acquaintance, was the leader of the raiding party, the then thoroughly frightened Germans suddenly lost their nerve, dropped their weapons, picked up their helpless ones and made a hasty retreat. Some of the Germans had been killed and many of the party received such wounds and indelible marks that throughout their future lives they will always be reminded that American Colored is a guaranteed fast dye (slow die) that does not run.

Among the three hundred thousand and more Colored soldiers who served in the United States Army during the World War, twenty thousand were already prepared and in fighting trim when America declared war against Germany. Those twenty thousand men were divided into the First Separate Battalion of the District of Columbia; Company G, Tennessee National Guards; First Separate Companies of Maryland and Connecticut; Company L, National Guards of Massachusetts; Ninth Battalion of Ohio; 15th New York National Guard; Eighth Illinois Regiment; 9th and 10th Cavalries; 24th and 25th Infantries. After spending the necessary time in undergoing the proper government training, 639 Colored men took and satisfactorily passed the required military examination, and on October 15, 1917 were commissioned at Fort Dodge as officers in the United States Army. They were divided into 106 Captains, 329 First Lieutenants and 204 Second Lieutenants.

During and at the close of the great war, leading white newspapers vied with each other in filling their columns about the unsurpassed bravery and patriotism of Colonel “Bill” Hayward, the clear-headed and nervy white commander and his seasoned Colored 15th Regiment of New York. It was the first Colored combat regiment to go overseas and was brigaded with the French fighting forces as the 369th Regiment. To his admiring Colored soldiers, “Fighting Bill” Hayward was known as “The Hell Man” and to the surprised Germans the Colored fighters of the old 15th Regiment were frightfully known as the “Bloodthirsty Black Tigers.”

A few years before that time William Hayward had been elected the youngest judge in Nebraska and was known in{52} that state as her “Handsomest Man”. But with all of that previous civic and social honor and fame, “Fighting Bill” never forgot to be a real “white man” and gentleman as well as a strict and just commander at all times to his Colored troops. When resting in camp he regarded and treated them as human beings and full American citizens, and when in the thickest of battles he did not ask them to go where he dared not to venture, (if there ever was such a place). In battlefield action he always led his men—he never followed them. This explains why he and his “Black Tigers” won undying fame and glory by holding a certain sector of trenches at Bois d’Hause Champagne for ninety-one days and then charging in great victory over the top of Belleau Woods and the bodies of falling Germans. It was during a very dangerous charge that a French commander seeing Hayward and his Colored men about to plunge into what seemed to be a sure death trap, ordered the American fighters back. Big Bill Hayward was already in motion and shouted over his shoulder, “My men don’t come back! They will go through hell, but they won’t come back.” And with that parting farewell, the “Hell Man” and his impatiently waiting “Black Tigers” plunged forward and were soon busy serving to the open-mouthed enemy such a smoking hot dish of scrambled shots, shells, and bayonets that in swallowing them down those war-hungry Germans at once and for all times became completely filled and lost their appetites for everything. On their return after so quickly and efficiently serving such a well prepared menu, Hayward and his fighters were decorated with the Croix de Guerre.

At Metz, Argonne Forest and St. Dis in the Sectors of Marbacne, Meuse and Vosges, the newly trained 92nd Colored Division, mostly manned by Colored officers, went into the thickest of the battles with such telling effects that fourteen officers and forty-three non-officers were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. When those battles were over and the survivors learned that they had lost from among their chums 209 killed in action, 32 dead from wounds, 589 slightly or severely wounded, 700 overcome by the German’s scientific gases and 18 unaccounted{53} for, the 92nd Division became even more convinced that it had well earned the many honors and distinctions accorded to it.

Those regiments that were brigaded with the French Army were; the 369th, 370th, 371st, and 372nd Infantries. In the engagements of Marson-en-Champagne, Minancourt and Bois d’Hause Champagne, the 369th Infantry (N. Y. 15th) took an active part and it was at Marson-en-champagne that the whole regiment was cited for deeds of valor and awarded the Croix de Guerre. It was at Soissons Front that the most formidable oppositions were successfully faced by the 370th Infantry (Illinois 8th) that was commanded by Negro officers from Lieut. Col. O. B. Duncan, down. The final capture of Hill 304 after a severe encounter by that regiment proved to the Germans that those Colored lads had not paddled across the “Big Pond” to learn the “Goose Step.” The loss of 1,065 out of 2,384 men signifies the serious activities of the 371st Infantry in the Champagne Sector between September 18th and October 6th, 1918. Besides the entire regiment receiving citation for extreme bravery, its regimental colors were decorated. It was this regiment that broke a standing record at that time by shooting down three German airplanes on the wing. The 372 Infantry took part in the fighting around Vacquois Sector and Argonne West, places not very far from the celebrated Verdun. For distinguished service all along the fighting lines the whole regiment was decorated with the Croix de Guerre.

While the 369th (New York 15th) enjoyed the distinctions of being the first Colored fighting organization to go overseas into action and the first Allied division (Colored or white) to reach the banks of the Rhine; it was the 370th (8th Illinois) Infantry that won the glory of probably fighting the last engagement of the World War. It appears that on the morning of November 11, 1918 the French commander sent word to the officer in charge of the 370th Regiment to cease firing at 11 a.m. as the Armistice would be signed at that hour. But the Colored troops were pressing forward so rapidly after the enemy that it was long past 11 a.m. before the messenger could overtake them. When he did finally ride up to the regiment, it was just putting{54} on the finishing “frills and frazzles” in capturing a German army train and its crews of fifty supply wagons.

Through the untiring efforts of Dr. Joel E. Spingarn, one of the truest and most loyal friends the American Colored people have today, Dr. W. E. B. Dubois, Editor of the Crisis, Col. Charles Young, U. S. Army and many other prominent Colored leaders and friends of the race, the Secretary of War authorized on May 19, 1917 the establishment of an Officers’ Reserve Training Camp for Colored soldiers at Fort Des Moines, Iowa. This is the place where the 639 Colored men mentioned elsewhere in this article were trained before being commissioned into the United States Army. After being divided into as equal groups as possible these officers were ordered to report on November 1, 1917 for regular duty in the following named camps: Camp Dix, New Jersey; Camp Dodge, Iowa; Camp Funston, Kansas; Camp Grant, Illinois; Camp Meade, Maryland; Camp Sherman, Ohio; and Camp Upton, New York.

Special National Guards

It was just at that most critical time during the first months of this same year, (1917) before the United States declared war against Germany, and when no white man in America positively knew nor absolutely trusted any other white man as to his real one hundred percent Americanism, that the Administration called out the first Separate Colored Battalion of the District of Columbia. This group of well trained and true loyal American soldiers was made a Special National Guard to defend, from the enemies of the Government, the Capitol, White House and other important Federal buildings located in Washington, D.C. the Capital of the United States of America. The mere fact that the Administration did not select a white group of soldiers for such a purpose at such a critical time when spies of the enemy were everywhere in every form proves without a doubt that the American white people not only had to admit among themselves but were forced to acknowledge to the whole world that this was one time in the history of the country when{55} they had not confidence enough in members of their own race to intrust to them the Nation’s most valuable and delicate assets and responsibilities, namely; its filed-away official records, its treasuries of monies, its cherished honors and its liberty-loving Government. And the necessary intrusting of such national assets and responsibilities to the care of Colored soldiers reminded the outside world (what American white people should never forget) that the Colored people in the United States form the backbone of the American nation; especially when the Nation is required to use that backbone in overthrowing such white traitors of this country as the despised Benedict Arnold and such white murderers of Presidents as the scorned J. W. Booth.

That Special Colored Guard of Honor was under a Colored commander, Major James E. Walker, who at all times intelligently and fearlessly directed and guided his men in so successfully carrying out that responsible and trustworthy task. And it was on account of his constant exposure to all kinds of early spring weather (They started guard duty March 25, 1917.) while daily and nightly directing and watching the movements of his men, that Major Walker contracted the incurable cold which resulted in his fatal illness and untimely death just in the flower of his youth and in the performance of one of the most confidential and mental-straining duties the Nation could impose upon a citizen; guarding the history, good name, wealth and liberty of one hundred ten million people.

ON THE SEA

“Of The People, By The People, For The People.”

In regard to the Colored men who took part in Naval strifes on the high seas, it has been estimated that at least ten thousand of them served in the Navy during the World War. While they were not allowed to advance in the Navy in proportion to their advancement in the Army, nevertheless, Colored college graduates and students, fully knowing such facts, put aside for the time being their educational ambitions and careers, entered the Navy and patriotically as well as unselfishly served in the menial positions of stewards, cooks and mess boys. And judging from the sleek full cheeks and plump round bodies of the officers and sailors aboard the vessels, those Colored boys, who were broad-minded and big-hearted enough to put down college pride and take up in its place national patriotism, went into galley and mess rooms and used the same kind of brain power in wrestling with pots and pans, foods and dishes as they had so brilliantly used in tussling with slippery mathematical, historical and linguistic problems when in their college class-rooms.

And who but God has an accurate record of the noble deeds humbly performed by many of those entrapped and unrescued Colored firemen and stokers who to the very last possible moment kept up the motor powers of their vessels in trying to outspeed and outdodge the death dealing submarine torpedoes? Those swift snakelike missives were always aimed and usually struck at either the life-giving lungs (fire rooms) or the pulsating hearts (engine rooms) of their objects. And it was in those vital organs of several great sea-ploughing vessels where many feverishly working, loyally dying and unsung Colored heroes went down to forever sleep in the dark deep chambers of “Father Neptune.”

THE STEVEDORES

While their duties, not being on the battle fields nor firing lines, called forth no spectacular incidents, citations for bravery or award of medals, nevertheless, the work of the stevedores was as important and valuable as the efforts of any{57} other division in the World War. And their giant strengths and swiftness of movements in loading and unloading supply transports on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean played a very very clever part in helping the world to finally get a Zbyszko “toe-hold” a Stecher “scissors-hold” and a Lewis “strangle-hold” upon Germany and gradually forcing her shoulders backward and flat upon the universal mat of democracy.

HIGHEST COLORED OFFICERS IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY

A Brunette General

Those who have been appointed the highest Colored officers in the United States Regular Army are as follows:

Those who held the highest Colored commissions above captains in the United States Army during the World War are as follows:

IN THE WORLD WAR

At Home

Relative to the willing sacrifices, unfaltering patriotism and loyalty of the millions of Colored people who remained at home in the United States during the World War, several books could be written but limited space herein will not permit but a few paragraphs covering their many activities.

After the white American men had enlisted or were drafted into the Army and Navy, there were left vacant thousands and thousands of responsible positions. The European foreigners who had previously immigrated here and were immediately given (even before they could understand the laws of the land or speak its language) full American opportunities and privileges, except the ballot, were now found unreliable. Great hordes of them showed their gratefulness to America for earlier throwing wide open her doors to them by refusing to come up to her test of one{59} hundred percent Americanism. Even after all of the available mothers, wives, daughters and sisters of the departed white American soldiers were used in such places, there still remained many thousands of positions unfilled. All that time millions of Colored men and women who were loyally and willingly asking and waiting to fill such places were at first purposely ignored. Because of the lack of sufficient man power, the cog-wheels of industry all over the country began to stop. It seemed as though the American white sentiment of prejudiced feeling against the Colored people had become so bitter that the country was willing to commit industrial suicide while stopping to wallow in its mires of racial hatred.

But a certain good white sentiment (that usually turns up sooner or later, and in some cases more later (than sooner) after great sufferings have been caused) gently but firmly reminded America that there were millions of Colored people who were able and willing to fill those places. They were the people who had made and spent their money here to enrich and build up America as well as at all times and under all conditions had proved themselves most loyal and trustworthy citizens. That reminder although known to be wholly true was still laughed and sneered at by many until they were suddenly and painfully brought to realize that they must either employ Colored people in those positions or let the country go in starvation and ruin for want of sufficient and proper productions. Colored men and women were then at first reluctantly given employment in all parts of the country in almost all kinds of work. Thus for the first time since their forefathers and mothers had arrived in America nearly three hundred years before, Colored people were nationally allowed to use and enjoy many of the opportunities and privileges that had been stingingly withheld from them merely because they were Negroes and freely given to (many times forced upon) alien enemies just because they were Caucasians.

Leaving home in the morning long before dawn and returning late after twilight, Colored men faithfully dug coal in the mines of Alabama, Iowa, West Virginia and elsewhere in order that{60} various kinds of industrial plants might continue to run in full blast and that transportation carriers might quicken their speeds to stations and sea ports. “A. J. Webster, a coal miner of Buxton, Iowa, is reported to have broken the record by earning $214.06 in 14 working days, during the last half of July, 1918. The wage was based on the amount of coal mined.”

In the shipyards along both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, where the long swift-keeled ocean grey hounds and the heavy big-bodied sea-pacing mastiffs were rapidly born into life, thousands of Colored men were busily helping to assemble the durable steel ribs into place and rivet the armorplate hides of those ferocious watch dogs that prowled back and forth sleeplessly guarding the front doors of their master and mistress—“Uncle Samuel” and “Aunt Liberty”. And among those Colored ship builders, it was Charles Knight and his crew of seven men, who on July 16, 1918, at the Bethlehem Steel Company’s Sparrow Point, Md., plant, drove 4,875 rivets in a 9 hour day. The highest previous record of 4,442 rivets for the same time had been made in Scotland. Knight and his men, therefore, were the first Americans (Colored or white) to break and bring that record to the United States. His regular services for the day earned him $102; he received a bonus of $50.00 for bringing the record to America, and twenty-five pounds sterling ($125.00) offered through the London Daily Mail by Mr. McLeod, the head of a London Shipbuilding Company, to the one who broke the record. Thus Knight received for his one day’s labor $277.00, besides having the honor of being the first American to break the European riveting record.

Many people have heard the time-worn expression “make bricks fly”, but it has been left for Alonzo Harshaw, a Colored artisan, to break a record by making bricks fly in laying them at the rate of sixty thousand paving bricks per day. It is said that Harshaw, who works for the Southern Paving & Con. Co., lays bricks with such rapidity and exactness that he has been photographed while at work by several moving picture firms.

In the rolling mills, steel and iron foundries, Colored men were there in thousands sweating away their strength and burn{61}ing up their vitality before blistering metals in order that the best possible steel and iron might be made strong and durable enough to withstand the bursting shells and the snake gliding torpedoes from the submarines of the scientific Germans.

Pushing pens and pencils on top of desks, tapping keys of clicking typewriters, bending over buzzing sewing machines, plying needles over tailors’ benches, before the humming looms, by the dangerous railroad crossings, in the car-filled train yards, between the handles of loaded wheelbarrows, through the crops of farmerette fields, among the death-dealing explosives in munition and arsenal plants and in many other places, thousands of brave and willing Colored women were to be found either in yeowomen’s suits or overalls and blouses steadfastly working with cheery dispositions and hopeful smiles.

In December, 1918, two distinguished Colored Americans were sent to Europe on special missions as follows; Dr. Robert R. Moton, who was sent by the President of the United States and the Secretary of War to investigate the conditions of and talk to the Colored soldiers, and Dr. W. E. B. DuBois who went to Europe as the representative of the N. A. A. C. P. and The Crisis to collect historical data pertaining to the American Colored fighters in the World War and to call and form a Pan-African Congress.

At Home Buying Liberty Bonds

“The Biennial meeting of the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs was held in Denver, Colorado in July, 1918. Among the important subjects considered at this meeting were: Temperance, Suffrage, Lynchings, Religious Work, Negro Women’s Problems, Food Conservation and what the Negro Women Were Contributing to War Work Service. It was pointed out that the Association had representation on the Women’s Committee of the Council of National Defense, that in the Third Liberty Loan, 7,000 Negro Women were at work and raised $5,000,000. It was also stated that, judging from the number of buttons sold through the colored women’s clubs, that about $300,000 had been contributed in Red Cross Drives.{62}”

“David H. Rains, a wealthy Negro farmer, living near Shreveport, Louisiana, walked into the Liberty Loan Headquarters in that city and purchased $100,000 worth of the Fourth Liberty Loan Bonds and said that: ‘If they fell short of the quota he would make up the deficiency.’ (Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, pages 48-49). According to an article on page 273 in the April 1921 issue of The Crisis, ‘Mr. Rains, who is reputed to be worth $1,500,000, owns 2,000 acres of land on which there are 40 producing oil wells; he pays a clerk $100 a day to check up his royalties.’”

“A report from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was that the Negro school children subscribed for $27,000 worth of Third Liberty Loan Bonds. Through a Negro bank in that city, over $400,000 worth of Bonds were bought, and it was stated that the total amount of Third Liberty Loan Bonds purchased by the Negroes of Philadelphia was more than $1,000,000.”

“At the close of the Third Liberty Loan Drive, the United States Treasury Department awarded first place among all the banks of the country to a Negro bank, the Mutual Savings, Portsmouth, Virginia. This bank was given a quota of $5,700 to raise. A total of over $100,000, almost twenty times the stipulated quota was raised. This bank was assigned $12,500 as its quota of the Fourth Liberty Loan. Its total subscription for this loan was reported to have been $115,000.”

“The Negroes of Jacksonville, Florida, were awarded the first honor flag given to Negroes for exceeding their quota in the Third Liberty Loan Drive. They were asked to raise $50,000; they raised $250,000. In the Fourth Liberty Loan Drive, they were assigned a quota of $500,000 and raised over $100,000 more than this amount. The following are additional examples of subscriptions of Negroes to the Fourth Liberty Loan: Mobile, Alabama, $250,000; Norfolk, Virginia, $250,000; Kansas City, Missouri, $500,000; Savannah, Georgia, $500,000; Memphis, Tennessee, $700,000; Chicago, Illinois, $1,000,000; Birmingham, Alabama, $1,155,000; Maryland, $2,000,000.”

“When Secretary McAdoo visited Little Rock, Arkansas, in the interest of the First Liberty Loan, he was presented with a{63} certified check for $60,000 as the Mosaic Templars’ bit toward financing the war. This society’s subscriptions were added to for subsequent loans until a total of $135,000 was invested in Liberty Bonds.”

Not only rich Colored people gave freely of their wealth, but poor Colored people sacrificed to extents that are not imaginable in giving their last few dollars to help end that world strife, as soon as possible.

“Mary Smith, a colored cook in Memphis, Tennessee, was asked by her mistress if she would not undertake to buy a $100 Bond. Mary said: “No. I don’t want no little $100 Bond. I want a $1000 and I am going to pay cash for it.” She gave her lifetime’s savings to help the United States carry on the war.”

“The Chicago Illinois Post, in an editorial headed: “The Widow’s Mite,” among other things said: “We should like to tell the story of an old Negro woman, who, with seamed face and knotted hands, lives on the South Side and works for $7 a week. ‘Out of these meager wages,’ says the Favorite Magazine, ‘this daughter of a race that has traveled the road of trials and tribulations, has purchased three Liberty Bonds and $25 worth of War Savings Stamps. She contributes $5 a month to her church—before the war it was $10—belongs to the N. A. A. C. P. and a Court of Calanthe, subscribed to three Negro periodicals and contributes a dollar a month to the Home for the Aged. She does not knit, but she sits sometimes in the sunset, dreaming of the two stalwart sons that she has given the nation to fight its battles across the sea’.””

“Warner Brown, of Brenham, Texas, an ex-slave, seventy-five years old, had accumulated $50 by chopping wood and doing other jobs. He invested this in a Liberty Bond.” “Gilbert Denman, an eighty-seven year old Negro of Greenville, Alabama after listening to an appeal of speakers from a war relic train, tendered his entire worldly wealth, fifteen cents, to the cause of the United States Government.”

Since a large percentage of the loyalty and patriotism of American citizens was weighed on the Roosevelt standard{64} testing machine of 100 per cent Americanism with weights of paper, silver and gold money; then surely the two hundred twenty-five million dollars and more in cash that was dumped into the American scales of Liberty Loan Campaigns, Thrift Stamps, Red Cross Drives and other War Work activities, by the Colored people in the United States, pushed high above the level the opposite scales that contained Negro one hundred per cent Americanism.

Thus did the Colored people at home give their over-flowing measure and extra weight of money toward the putting down of a threatened world autocracy and the establishment of a hopeful universal democracy. And justly may those Colored people, who stayed at home in America during the World War and so unselfishly gave of their strength and money, truthfully and consolingly repeat that beautiful, fifty-fifty and “square deal” law of King David’s found in First Samuel, thirtieth chapter, twenty-fourth verse: “But as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff; they shall part alike.”

{65}

IN THE CHURCHES

Fresh Air Religion

EVEN during the Revolutionary War, George Leile, a Baptist slave who had been freed by his owner, preached to slaves in Savannah, Ga. From that time on up the Negro pulpit has been wielding among the masses of Colored people in America an influence for good that is the first of all influences that has the greatest hold upon the Race.

Some of the other early preachers who helped to lay the rock foundation of this ruling influence were Lemuel Haynes of Connecticut, a wonderful orator and honored veteran of the Revolutionary War; Richard Allen and Absolem Jones of Pennsylvania, Allen having founded the famous old Bethel Church in Philadelphia and was ordained in 1816 the first bishop of the A. M. E. Church; Amanda Smith of Maryland, who won thousands of Colored and white converts over to God as a result of her powerful sermons and temperance lectures in England, Scotland, Africa and India as well as in America; John Chavis of North Carolina, who on account of his superior education won fame and recognition as a school teacher of rich white Southern boys and girls and also as a powerful pulpit preacher to enslaved men and women of his own race; and John Gloucester of Tennessee and Pennsylvania, who was the first Colored minister of a Presbyterian church in the United States. Thus were the ways those early God-Fearing men and women of days before and right after the Civil War blazed the plain guiding marks in the forests of ministry, in order that the clear-sighted and sure-footed gospel leaders who have since followed them might have no trouble in choosing the right paths through which to lead their trusting and loyal congregations.

“C. T. Walker, Noted Pastor, Dies in South.”—“Augusta, Ga., Aug. 5—The Rev. Charles T. Walker, often referred to as the greatest preacher of his time, died Friday July 29, at his home here.{66}

“Dr. Walker was vice-president of the National Baptist convention of the United States and pastor of the Tabernacle Baptist church here for the past forty years, excepting five years when he was pastor of the Mount Olivet Baptist church, New York City.

“He founded the Y.M.C.A. in New York City for our people, traveled extensively in Europe and the Holy Land, and was the author of a number of books of travel as well as sermons.

“As an evangelist, he was widely known, and no other minister ever drew larger crowds when he spoke. His church in this city was often visited by Northern winter tourists, among them former President Taft and John D. Rockefeller. It was the latter who paid an artist to paint pictures of the Christ Child on the walls of Rev. Walker’s church.”

“To Pastor A Large White Church”

“Toronto, Can.—To fill the pulpit of one of the largest Presbyterian churches (white) in Toronto for five weeks with one of our ministers is the interesting departure from the general rule of supply for the summer months that Knox church is making this year. For last week and all of August, Rev. Joseph J. Hill of Roawohe Baptist Church, Hot Springs, Ark., will occupy Knox church pulpit. Dr. Hill has been a professor of science in a southern university, and is a graduate of the Academy of Music. He is a quiet, appealing and persuasive preacher with a message all his own, which he delivers with great eloquence. During the summer holidays, last year, he preached in the Moose Jaw Methodist church, with a seating capacity of 1,000 which was crowded at all services.”

The above is extracted from the Cleveland Gazette issued August 6, 1921.

As soon as Sunday School children of the Race have grown old and large enough to understand and bear more weighty religious burdens, they are at once invited to join the present four million Colored church members, who are only too anxious to take in new members under the Divine leadership and pro{67}tection of the fourty-three thousand churches owned by people of the Race in the United States. When it is proved by facts and figures that about one-third of the Colored people in this country are members in churches and that they have put over eighty-five million dollars of their hard earned money into these present church properties they own; it is plainly seen that people of the Negro race still have perfect faith and trust in and are continuing to work for and with the God, Who inspired the immortal Abraham Lincoln to free their slave working and hopeful praying foreparents.

(Ref.: Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, pgs. 1-234-5-6-7).

Colored ministers of today, on account of their all-around advancements have been able to bring about a better understanding and knowledge of the true teachings of the Bible. For instance, they are teaching their congregations that the timely, proper and equal uses of emotional and practical religion are necessary. Thus the masses of people attending Colored churches are fast learning from their pulpits that there is just as much needs for Christianity in practical business and social dealings with each other on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, as there is for Christianity in their church emotional ceremonies conducted among themselves before the altars on Sunday. Also ministers of today have long since come to differ from most of those “old school” ministers (God blessed them for doing the best they knew how) who taught their people to live, think and say, to other races, “Give us Jesus and you can take the dollar.” So the “new school” and more businesslike ministers of these times are patiently teaching, fast convincing and gradually converting their congregations in the belief and truth that it is just as much Christianity in the honest earning, the frugal saving, the fair investment, the wise spending and the merciful sharing of a dollar with the poor and needy, as there is need for Christianity in the saving of their souls and the spreading of the gospel.

Along other practical lines these gospel leaders are having remarkable success, especially in large cities where many Colored{68} people live. It is wonderful to see how these practical ministers have taught their congregations that they are showing as much reverence to God when they pass out of their churches after services and go quietly and orderly to their homes (instead of great numbers of them stopping right in front of their church doors with loud talk and laughter and blocking the whole pavement, against people who wish to go by, for fifteen and twenty minutes) as they do when sitting quietly and dignified in their church pews listening to the sermons. Such gospel leaders in every instance finally win their members over to their sides in such matters by pleasantly and plainly pointing out that people of other races seldom attend Colored churches of today and see the polished and refined ways people of the Race deport themselves. But if just two or three dozen members of a church come out after services and thoughtlessly block the side walks, go along the streets or ride in the trolley cars roughly laughing and loudly talking their church and private affairs to each other from one end of the car to the other; they are seen and heard by other races who class not only the church but the whole Negro race with those few loud-mouthed, absent-minded and sometimes vain Colored people who often use such shameful public manners to attract attention to themselves and their clothes; just like the same class of uncouth white people do.

Of course, when white men and women appear in public places acting and talking in noisy, unrefined and vulgar ways, the Colored man or woman (no matter how little learning he or she may have) who sees and hears such actions, never judges and stamps the intelligent, refined and well-behaved portion of the Caucasian race as a whole group of people also to be ignored and discriminated against. But when a person of color sees and hears such vulgar actions on the part of a white person, that Colored person merely comments to himself; “There is a human being who is a sample of the worse element among the white people and is far from being a fair and pure sample of the best people in the white race.” Then that broad-minded Colored person will at once throw the incident off his mind. He will then turn his back on the uncouth white person with disgust and{69} in facing about will the very next moment give the fullest consideration, the most humane treatment, the most polite manners and the deepest respect to the white lady or gentleman whose Christian speech and civilized actions warrant and deserve such courtesies. And this is only one of the countless (big) little instances in which the American Colored people are daily showing their practical use of the Golden Rule; (cornerstone in the foundation and keystone in the archway of the white man’s Christianity).

Thus the brotherhood actions and manners of the masses of Negroes, (from the hod-carrier to the president of a university and from the scrub woman to the president of a national organization) in being broad-minded and big-hearted enough to fair-mindedly apply the Golden Rule to the Caucasian race, so as to mentally separate and treat accordingly the good white people from the bad, are certainly proving that the Colored people as a whole are daily putting into practical usages the Lord’s Golden Rule in much more Christlike ways than the white race is itself. Of course, there are exceptions in both races, but considering both from the standpoint of masses the above assertion cannot be truthfully denied.

A present day exception on the white side may be cited as follows:—During the summer of 1920 when Southern white savages turned Paris, Texas into a human slaughter house by lynching, torturing and burning alive of human beings, Rev. R. P. Shuler, (white) a prominent Methodist minister living in that community fearlessly denounced the mob at the time of its heathenish actions and at the risk of his own life. Later, when speaking of a former statement he had made regarding the lynching, according to an article in the July 24, 1920 issue of the Chicago Defender, he said:

“The above statement, I make in the face of the advice that has come to me from many friends that such a policy is and will be at present unsafe for me. I am informed that my life has been numerously threatened if I make such a statement. I am told that the mob used my name repeatedly in such a manner as to very much concern my friends. I can truthfully say that{70} the attitude of this mob toward me does not in the least concern me. Better men than myself have died when far less was at stake. I am only concerned in doing my God-appointed duty in this situation. Therefore, without apology or plea for quarter, I unhesitatingly condemn the burning of these men in our city as an act of lawlessness, which if carried to its legitimate ends, would destroy our government and damn our civilization. And in making this statement I ask for neither the protection of my friends nor the mercy of my enemies.”

If all other white ministers were to take such fearless and open stands against such savage doings, that are heaping as much shame and stain on the United States as such crimes in Europe ever heaped on Turkey, they could in a few years make these United States a truly Christian land. And in taking such stands such ministers (if they showed the same kind of faith in God as Rev. Shuler did who is still living and preaching) they would also be delivered from a threatening mob. But where within the recent past or the present have there stepped out from the white ministry two Rev. Shulers? Among all the nationally famed white evangelists, which one or three of recent times have in preaching in all parts of the United States proved himself a second Henry Ward Beecher, an Elijah P. Lovejoy or a C. T. Torry, who fearlessly and fruitfully preached against all national as well as local sins, crimes and lawlessness that came under their notice?

Among all the white ministers in the United States, only they themselves can tell how many of them peacefully feel within their secret hearts and contentedly feel within their reasoning minds that they are giving full reverences to God, full honor to their calling and full service toward all weak and suffering humanity through their Sunday preachings against all sins and crimes? And among them only they can tell how many of them, through advising words in reasoning talks, are trying each Sunday (if only for five minutes) to blow out and drown the sinful sparks of jealousy, envy, malice and hate that instantly flame up in the breasts of so many of their church members as soon as they see a Colored person, even if that person is well-behaved,{71} well-educated, well-dressed and well-to-do. Such feelings merely on account of color are not natural and God has not meant for such to be; for if He had, He would have made the brown earth white, the green grass white, the blue sky white, the yellow sun white. These are the greatest things in the world and all of them are colored. Even the water, that covers three-fourths of the earth (while it is supposed to be colorless) is more colored than it is white. Those white people who wish that there were no colored on earth should remember that God in His infinite wisdom fully realized in making the universe that if He made all things white the glare would be so great and intense that every seeing thing would be driven totally blind. So God put soft and blending colors on earth in order that humanity might retain its sight to see His works and learn to love them but not to look upon any of His works with scorn and hatefulness.

While intelligent preachers of the Race upon quietly and carefully looking about them see that practically the entire earth is one mass of colors—the majority of internal and external earth elements, the foods, the clothes, inside and outside building materials and furnishings are colored; yet these Negro ministers teach their congregations that the white color God has placed here has as much right on earth as the big majority of colors. And there are such advising and logical talks going on every Sunday from the Colored pulpits in order to keep down race prejudice and friction. And Colored ministers are silently and hopefully praying to God that He will finally soften, melt and move the hearts of the white ministers so that they will at last come forward and do their parts by logic reasonings with their white congregations a few minutes every Sunday regarding the rights of all colors of peoples to live unmolested and progress unhindered here on earth. It has been left for the white press to come forward and take the lead (which it is nobly and increasingly doing) in this movement of reasoning with the masses of white people in America regarding racial discriminations and injustices. But the entire world, including the American white press itself, is looking on in puzzled and wondering silence as it continues to hopefully wait for the American white ministry to{72} dutifully and courageously come forward in a mass and take its rightful lead in this Christian movement to help bring about a closer brotherhood co-operation, a truer Christlike understanding and a smoother racial adjustment between the white and Colored people living in the United States. The influence of the white church is the greatest human power in the world—it unintentionally encourages mobs and rioting in America by continuing to keep silent on the question, but it can intentionally discourage and prevent in a very short time the occurence of a second Arkansas, Atlanta, Chester, Chicago, Duluth, East St. Louis, Houston, Philadelphia, Tulsa, Washington and other race riots, if it will come out as a whole all over the country and speak to its congregations Sunday after Sunday against such barbarism and heathenism being constantly carried on here in the United States.

According to notices that have recently appeared in the white press, The Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America, spurred on by the barbarisms carried on at the riot of Tulsa, Okla. of a few months ago, has boldly come forward and denounced such sins and crimes. In order to bring about better relations between the two Races and help to prevent such future occurences, this Council has already appointed a Commission that has held a meeting in Washington, D.C. It is planned to hold conferences, composed of white and Colored clergymen, all over the country, and an effort will be made to have the white churches to educate their audiences regarding the sins of race prejudice and the crimes resulting therefrom. So just as God in His own time answered the prayers of American slaves that they and their children would some day become free; He is gradually and surely answering the prayers of persecuted Negroes of today that the white ministry will come forward and take its proper place as a leader in helping to swing into the right channels the public sentiments of white people regarding their Christlike treatments of Colored neighbors. Colored people must continue to work and pray and be hopeful that out of this movement will eventually come a second Henry Ward Beecher of modern times.{73}

On the following pages are named some of the highest men in the Colored ministry, who have been for years using every Christlike means within their powers to help bring about more mutual understandings and feelings between the two races:

From among the thousands of Colored ministers all over the country, the names below are those sent to the author from the following large cities, where immense congregations are ministered unto by their spiritual leaders, who are also Sunday after Sunday calmly pacifying and patiently advising their congregations in order to keep them on peaceful and frictionless relations (without sacrificing their citizenship rights) with the white people with whom they daily come in contact:

Aside from the foregoing list of Colored ministers, there are many thousands of others whose names the writer did not get in his research but who are known to be faithfully serving on similar or smaller but none the less important scales in the above or smaller cities, towns, villages and country districts all over the United States.{77}

THE GLOBE—BETHLEHEM, PA., SATURDAY, APRIL 3, 1920

Eastertide and Springtime

{78}

IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOLS

IN no surroundings of childhood, except the home life, is there a more suitable or fruitful place in which to spiritually nourish and grow up Colored youths than in the forty-six thousand or more Colored Sunday Schools where over two million boys and girls are regularly having impressed upon their tender and open minds the religious teachings of the Bible.

As a step toward further broadening the Sunday School work among American Colored children and at the same time enabling them to get better teachings about the Christian religion, The International Sunday School Association began in 1911 to organize classes for specially training Sunday School teachers among the young men and women attending Colored colleges and large schools. Many white friends to the Race became interested in this good movement, especially Mr. W. N. Hartshorn of Boston, Mass., who gave of his own personal money $15,000 to pay the expenses of a fair trial of the work. This Christian effort has aroused so much interest and has grown so rapidly that at present upward of two hundred Colored universities, colleges and large schools have accepted and given this Sunday School Teachers’ Course a regular place in their class room studies.

Some of the foremost religious leaders who are helping to direct and carry on this much needed work among American Colored children are Bishop Geo. W. Clinton and Dr. R. H. Boyd, both life members of the International Sunday School Association; Prof. Wm. B. Matthews, member of the Executive Committee of the above association, Dr. H. G. Lyman, Supt. of work among Colored people, and Mr. M. L. Finckel, President of the American Sunday School Union. (Ref.: Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, pgs. 1-257-8).{79}

THE YOUNG WOMEN’S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION

The Girl Reserve

UNDER the sisterly and wise supervision of Miss Eva D. Bowles, as the first salaried Y. W. C. A. Colored branch secretary in New York City and since then Executive of Colored Work, the Young Women’s Christian Association for Colored girls and women has made wonderful progress, since 1907 when Mrs. Wm. A. Hunton was appointed by the National Board to investigate and arouse interest in the work. As Special Student Worker, Miss Catherine Lealted greatly aided in building up and strengthening this work in Colored schools until she took up work in another field of uplift.

Today there are over fifty city Y. W. C. A. Colored Branches in as many cities in 23 states and the District of Columbia; while there are at least 100 such branches in Colored schools located in 18 States and the District of Columbia. Just as the school branches are the means of helping to build up and fortify the practical Christian minds of the girls who join them; the city branches prove sheltering havens and protections for self-respecting and self-supporting Colored single girls and women when they leave such schools and respectable homes to embark upon the rough oceans of life and desire to nightly anchor in places of moral protection, social uplift, mental development, sanitary conditions, congenial companionships, pleasures of innocence and Christian influences. For the safe arrival and calm anchorage of such Colored girls and women, the writer assures them that the following list of addresses is a true compass needle{80} that will, when they set-sail for a new city port, safely guide them into any of the following beacon-lighted Y. W. C. A. Christian Harbors:

Atlanta, Georgia, Y. W. C. A., 196 Piedmont Avenue.
Augusta, Georgia, Y. W. C. A., 1104 Gwinnett Street.
Baltimore, Maryland, Y. W. C. A., 1200 Druid Hill Avenue.
Bridgeport, Conn., Y. W. C. A., 70 Beach Street.
Brooklyn, N. Y., Y. W. C. A., 45 Ashland Place.
Camden, N. J., Y. W. C. A., 829 Kaighn Avenue.
Charleston, S. C., Y. W. C. A., 106 Coming Street.
Chattanooga, Tenn., Y. W. C. A., 411 East 9th Street.
Chicago, Ill., Y. W. C. A., 3541 Indiana Avenue.
Cincinnati, Ohio, Y. W. C. A., 704 Eighth Street.
Columbia, S. C., Y. W. C. A., 1323 Assembly Street.
Columbus, Ohio, Y. W. C. A., 495 East Long Street.
Dayton, Ohio, Y. W. C. A., 800 West Fifth Street.
Des Moines, Iowa, Y. W. C. A., 728 Walnut Street.
Detroit, Mich., Y. W. C. A., 2111 St. Aubin Avenue.
East St. Louis, Mo., Y. W. C. A., 826 East Broadway.
Fort Worth, Texas, Y. W. C. A., 415 East 6th Avenue.
Germantown, Pa., Y. W. C. A., 6128 Germantown Avenue.
Harrisburg, Pa., Y. W. C. A., 804 Cowden Street.
Houston, Texas, Y. W. C. A., 806 Clay Avenue.
Jersey City, N. J., Y. W. C. A., 31 Ege Avenue.
Kansas City, Mo., Y. W. C. A., 1501 East 19th Street.
Little Rock, Ark., Y. W. C. A., 924 Gaines Street.
Los Angeles, Cal., Y. W. C. A., 1108 West 12th Street.
Louisville, Ky., Y. W. C. A., 1021 W. Madison Street.
Lynchburg, Va., Y. W. C. A., 613 Monroe Street.
McKeesport, Pa., Y. W. C. A., 317 Tenth Street.
Montclair, N. J., Y. W. C. A., 159 Glenridge Avenue.
Nashville, Tenn., Y. W. C. A., 436 Fifth Avenue, North.
Newark, N. J., Y. W. C. A., 71 Wilsey Street.
Newcastle, Pa., Y. W. C. A., 140 Elm Street.
Newport News, Va., Y. W. C. A., 2300 Madison Avenue.
New York City, N. Y., Y. W. C. A., 179 West 137th Street.
Oakland, Cal., Y. W. C. A., 828 Linden Street.
Omaha, Neb., Y. W. C. A., 2306 No. 22nd Street.
Orange, N. J., Y. W. C. A., 78 Oakwood Avenue.
Petersburg, Va., Y. W. C. A., 457 Harding Street.
Philadelphia, Pa., Y. W. C. A., 756 South 16th Street.
Pittsburgh, Pa., Y. W. C. A., 2215 Wylie Avenue.
Portland, Oregon, Y. W. C. A., Broadway and Taylor Streets.
Richmond, Va., Y. W. C. A., 515 South 7th Street.
San Antonio, Texas, Y. W. C. A., 328 North Pino Street.
St. Joseph, Mo., Y. W. C. A., 1021 Francis Street.
St. Louis, Mo., Y. W. C. A., 703 North Garrison Street.
St. Paul, Minn., Y. W. C. A., 598 West Central Avenue.
Springfield, Ohio, Y. W. C. A., 134 West Clark Street.
Warren, Ohio, Y. W. C. A., 132 North Park Avenue.
Washington, D.C., Y. W. C. A., 901 Rhode Island Avenue.
Williamsport, Pa., Y. W. C. A., 429 Walnut Street.
Winston-Salem, N. C., Y. W. C. A., 717 East Depot Street.
Youngstown, Ohio, Y. W. C. A., 248 Belmont Avenue.
{81}

Among the foremost Y. W. C. A. Colored leaders who are so nobly and ably assisting Miss Eva D. Bowles in the smooth and efficient supervision of the above named branches are Misses May B. Belcher, Crystal Bird, Mabel Brady, Mary E. Jackson, Josephine Pinyon, Lucy B. Richmond, Adele F. Ruffin, Clayda Williams, Mrs. Charlton Wallace, and Mrs. Cordella A. Winn. Before her death on December 31, 1919, Mrs. Marie A. Wilder was one of the most faithful and hardest workers in the above group.

But the main stream of success connected with this work has come about through the “working together” “branch relationship” co-operation on the parts of Mrs. Samuel J. Broadwell, Treasurer; Miss Mable Cratty, Gen’l Sec’y; Mrs. Jas. S. Cushman, 1st Vice-Pres.; Mrs. John French, Chairman Execu. Com.; Mrs. Lewis H. Lapham, Sec’y; Mrs. Wm. W. Rossiter, 2nd Vice-Pres.; and Mrs. Robt. E. Speer, President, who compose the National Board (white) of The Young Womens Christian Association of the United States of America. And in the different cities where they are established the white and Colored branch workers are carrying on the above co-operations. During the World War, the War Work Council showed its co-operation by appointing a Colored Work Committee with Miss Eva D. Bowles as Executive and Mrs. Charlton Wallace as Chairman and, The War Work Council, “recognizing the loyalty and need of the colored girls and women in this country, appropriated $400,000 for the work.”

In speaking of the work of this committee Miss Bowles said, “The Y. W. C. A. is the only organization that is handling the work with all girls alike, and the result of its efforts is bound to be the building up of the confidence of the colored race, not only in the nation itself but in Christianity. With the colored, as with all other women and girls throughout the world, the aim of the Y. W. C. A. is a constructive foundation of Christian ideals. Girls are girls, whatever their race or complexion. As naturally as a flower demands sunshine and rain, a girl craves good times, pretty clothes and happiness.{82}”

In closing this vital chapter, the writer can think of no better way than to quote the following words of Miss Bowles when she summed up the past and pointed out the future regarding the leaderships of Colored women among their own people in the United States.

“The war has given opportunity to the colored woman to prove her ability for leadership. She had her chance and she made good. With all the strength of having suffered, she will be able, through the patience born of suffering, to lead the women and girls whom only she can lead. The time is past for white leadership for colored people. As white and colored women, we must understand each other, we must think and work and plan together for upon all of us rests the responsibility of the girlhood of our nation.”

{83}

THE YOUNG MEN’S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION

The “Y” Men

THE 110 Negro college Young Men’s Christian Associations and the fifty or more city branches is as many cities in twenty-three different states in the Union are really God-sends to thousands of young Colored men who prefer to spend their spare minutes in the best places of physical cleanliness, social purity and mental advancement. These “Y” branches in the cities are also great blessings for thousands of intelligent, refined and progressive Colored men who are constantly visiting strange places on important businesses and want to be sure they are stopping in modern, sanitary, decent, respectable and congenial lodgings.

Mr. Julius Rosenwald of Chicago, Ill. made an offer in 1911 to give the sum of $25,000 to every city in the United States that would raise $75,000 by public subscription for the construction of a Y. M. C. A. building for the use of Colored people. This offer was gladly and eagerly accepted and as a result buildings have already been erected in Atlanta, Ga., Baltimore, Md., Brooklyn, N.Y., Chicago, Ill., Columbus, O., Indianapolis, Ind., Kansas City, Mo., New York City, N. Y., Philadelphia, Pa., Pittsburgh, Pa., St. Louis, Mo., and Washington, D.C. During the past ten years Mr. Rosenwald has given $350,000 toward the erection of these buildings, other white people have given nearly a million dollars, while Colored people have contributed over a quarter of a million dollars. Thus over two million dollars have already been expended in the construction of Y. M. C. A. buildings in cities for Colored men.{84}

Great credit for the early development and rapid growth of this work is due the late W. A. Hunton, who was made a member on the staff of the International Secretary Board of the Y. M. C. A. Today this work is continuing to rapidly grow and spread with the friendly co-operation and hearty support of Messrs. B. H. Fancher, Treas., A. E. Marling, Chairman and J. R. Mott, Gen’l Sec’y of The International Committee of the Y. M. C. A., and under the wise supervision of Dr. J. E. Mooreland, who is being ably assisted by H. K. Craft, W. C. Craver, R. P. Hamlin, C. H. Tobias, J. B. Watson, Max Yergen and other efficient members on that large staff. During the World War 350 Y. M. C. A. Colored Secretaries, under the guidance of Dr. J. E. Moorland, R. B. DeFrantz, W. J. Faulkner, J. F. Gregory and G. L. Johnson loyally served Colored soldiers stationed in 55 camps, training schools and forts in America. Among those who were the leaders in Y. M. C. A. and social work among the Colored soldiers over-seas were J. E. Blanton, Mrs. Helen Curtis, Miss Helen Hagan, Dr. John Hope, Mrs. Addie Hunton, Miss Katherine Johnson, Dr. B. M. Murrell, Dr. H. H. Proctor, C. H. Williams and Max Yergen.

In the following named cities Y. M. C. A. Branches are being directed and carried on by their secretaries for the encouragement and uplift of Colored youths:

Akron, Ohio, G. W. Thompson, Secretary, 259 So. Main Street.
Asheville, N. C., N. Martin, Secretary, Market & Eagle Streets.
Atlanta, Ga., W. J. Trent, Secretary, 146 Butler Street.
Atlantic City, N. J., C. M. Cain, Secretary, 1711 Artic Avenue.
Augusta, Ga., Silas Floyd, Secretary, 9th and Miller Streets.
Baltimore, Md., S. S. Booker, Secretary, 1619 Druid Hill Avenue.
Beloit, Wis., J. D. Stevenson, Secretary, Colored Men’s Branch.
Benham, Ky., Alex. Gregory, Secretary, Colored Men’s Branch.
Birmingham, Ala., A. M. Walker, Secretary, Acipco Branch.
Bluefield, W. Va., P. A. Goins, Secretary, 432 Scott Street.
Boston, Mass., B. F. Seldon, Secretary, 316 Huntington Street.
Brooklyn, N. Y., R. M. Meroney, Secretary, 405 Carlton Avenue.
Buxton, Iowa, W. L. Hutcherson, General Secretary.
Camden, N. J., E. C. Richardson, Secretary, Hunton Branch.
Charleston, S. C., G. D. Brock, Secretary, 61 Cannon Street.
Charlotte, N. C., J. B. F. Prather, Y. M. C. A., State Committeeman.
Chicago, Ill., George R. Arthur, Secretary, 3763 So. Wabash Avenue.
Cincinnati, Ohio, B. W. Overton, 436 W. Ninth Street.
Columbus, Ohio, N. B. Allen, Secretary, 202 E. Spring Street.
Columbus, Ga., Robert D. Kelsey, Secretary, 521 Ninth Street.
{85}Crossett, Arkansas, Chas. E. Johnson, Secretary Colored Men’s Dep’t.
Dallas, Tex., J. D. Rice, Secretary, 3710 State Street.
Dayton, Ohio, John A. Green, Secretary, Fifth Street Branch.
Denver, Col., T. J. Bell, Secretary, 2800 Glenarm Street.
Detroit, Mich., H. S. Dunbar, Secretary, 1930 St. Antonia Street.
Des Moines, Iowa, E. C. Robinson, Secretary, 782 West 9th Street.
East Moline, Ill., B. G. Smith, Secretary, Colored Men’s Branch.
East St. Louis, Ill., J. E. Nance, Secretary, Colored Men’s Branch.
Englewood, N. J., W. H. Kindle, Secretary, 135 W. 132nd St., N.Y. City.
Evanston, Ill., J. D. Ross, Secretary, 1014 Emerson Street.
Fort Worth, Tex., S. H. Fowler, Sr., Secretary, 915½ Calhoun Street.
Gary, Ind., H. K. Craft, Secretary, 1716 Washington Street.
Germantown, Pa., Leon C. James, Secretary, 132 West Rittenhouse St.
Greenwood, Miss., Thos. M. Elliott, Secretary, Hunton Branch, Box 283.
Harrisburg, Pa., Fritz Caneler, Secretary, 644 Broad Street.
Houston, Texas, H. P. Carter, Secretary, 711 Prairie Avenue.
Indianapolis, Ind., F. E. DeFrantz, Secretary, 450 N. Senate Avenue.
Indiana Harbor, Ind., A. G. Fallings, Secretary, 2115 137th Street.
Kansas City, Mo., F. A. Harris, Secretary, 1824 Pasco Boulevarde.
Los Angeles, Cal., T. A. Greene, Secretary, 1400 E. Ninth Street.
Louisville, Ky., J. W. Ramsey in charge, 920 West Chestnut St.
Marshall, Tex., J. W. Davis, Secretary, Colored Men’s Branch.
Miami, Fla., G. P. McKinney, Jr., Secretary, 1st Street & Avenue H.
Mineola, Long Island, R. T. Weatherby, Secretary, Nassau-Suffolk County.
Mobile, Ala., W. J. Williams, Secretary, 510 Congress Street.
Montclair, N. J., C. H. Bullock, Secretary, Bloomfield Avenue Branch.
Nashville, Tenn., W. N. Sanders, Secretary, Cor. Cedar St., & 4th Ave. No.
Newport News, Va., A. F. Williams, Secretary, 2201 Marshall Avenue.
New York City, N. Y., Thos. E. Taylor, Secretary, 181 West 135th Street.
Norfolk, Va., C. C. Dogan, Secretary, 440 E. Queen Street.
Oakland, Cal., Allen O. Newman, Secretary, Colored Men’s Branch.
Orange, N. J., J. W. Bowers, Secretary, 34 Cebtral Place.
Philadelphia, Pa., H. W. Porter, Secretary, 1724 Christian Street.
Pittsburgh, Pa., S. R. Morsell, Secretary, 1847 Central Avenue.
Princeton, N. J., H. H. Cain, Secretary, 102 Witherspoon Street.
Richmond, Va., Secretary, 214 East Leigh Street.
Ridgewood, N. J., A. E. Flournoy, Secretary, 220 Broad Street.
Rouse, Col., W. T. Thornton, Secretary, Colo. Fuel & Iron Company.
Savannah, Ga., T. Walter Moore, Secretary, 817 West Broad Street.
Sewickley, Pa., J. T. Morris, Secretary, 411 Walnut Street.
Springfield, Ohio, W. S. Smith, Secretary, 209 So. Center Street.
St. Louis, Mo., D. D. Jones, Secretary, 2839 Pine Street.
Tulsa, Okla., G. A. Gregg, Secretary, Hunton Branch.
Washington, D.C., Wm. Stevenson, Secretary, 1816 12th Street, N. W.

{86}

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COLORED WOMEN

National Colored Club Women

WHILE they went about their self-imposed and greatly beneficial tasks in somewhat crude ways that were executed under circumstances far more trying and peculiar than these modern times; nevertheless, Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth may be rightly called the first real welfare and uplift national workers among American Colored women. And the histories of the untiring efforts, speakings and lectures of those two pioneers who fearlessly worked for the freedom of their Race sisters and brothers should be learned by all Colored youths, especially girls.

While leading Colored women throughout the country as far back as 1894 had already decided and carefully planned to gather and form some kind of a national body among themselves, they were indeed suddenly inspired to whole-heartedly and fearlessly carry out those plans immediately, when a prejudiced white editor of a village paper in the United States published an open letter in which he accused alike all American Colored women as being without moral characters and uplifting principles. Not only the educated, refined and moral Colored women resented and challenged that poisoned-pen letter that had lied on and slandered a whole race of their sisters, but the largest nationally known white newspapers of large cities in both America and Europe came out in broad-minded editorials verbally chastising and denouncing without mercy that editor of their race who stained his profession and shamed his race by stooping so low in unsuccessfully using that narrow-minded and short-sighted means of gaining subscriptions for his failing paper and fame for his unheard of name.

As a result of the above plans and decisions nearly a dozen States sent upward of a hundred leading and representative Colored women who met in July 1895 in Boston, Mass., where the{87} first National Convention of Colored Women was formed, with Mrs. Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin as president, Mrs. Booker T. Washington and Mrs. Helen Cook as Vice-Presidents and Miss Elizabeth C. Carter as secretary. During the meeting that convention was given the name of “The National Association of Colored Women.” This body became affiliated with The National Council of Women in 1900 and was incorporated in 1904. At different times it has had as its presidents; Mrs. Mary Church Terrell, A. M., Washington, D.C., Mrs. Booker T. Washington, Tuskegee Institute, Ala., Miss Elizabeth C. Carter, New Bedford, Mass., Mrs. Mary B. Talbert, Buffalo, N. Y. and Miss Hallie Q. Brown, Wilberforce, Ohio, who is its present presiding officer. Those who are Miss Brown’s closest assistants in helping to carry on this noble work are named as follows: Mrs. Janie Porter Barrett, Peake, Va., Mrs. Ruth L. Bennett, Chester, Pa., Mrs. Alice Cary, Atlanta, Ga., Mrs. Charlotte Dett, Niagara Falls, N. Y., Mrs. Addie W. Dickerson, Phila., Pa., Mrs. C. L. Hamilton, Indianola, Ill., Mrs. C. R. McDowell, Hannibal, Mo., Mrs. J. C. Napier, Nashville, Tenn., Miss Georgia A. Nugent, Louisville, Ky., Mrs. Minnie Scott, Toledo, Ohio, Mrs. E. J. N. Simms, Spokane, Wash., Mrs. Mamie E. Steward, Louisville, Ky., Mrs. Marion Wilkerson, Orangeburg, S. C. and Mrs. W. T. B. Williams, Tuskegee Institute, Ala.

In regard to the relations of this association with the International Council of Women, several Colored women have attended different European meetings as representatives from the United States. Foremost among such women are Miss Hallie Q. Brown, Mrs. Mary Church Terrell, Mrs. Mary B. Talbert and Dr. Mary F. Waring. The following is an extract from the July 1921 issue of The Crisis:

“The Committee on International Relations—the highest committee of women in personnel of representatives in the League of Nations—has chosen Mrs. Mary B. Talbert as a member. Mrs. Talbert was the first accredited Negro delegate to sit in the International Council of women and one of five American women to speak for the National Council of Women of the United States of America in the House of Parliament at Norway.{88}”

The quotation below is taken from the February 1921 issue of The Favorite Magazine. “Dr. Mary F. Waring, recently returned from a trip through eleven European countries, and one of twenty American women to represent the United States at the International Council of Women in Norway. She had the distinction of being the only woman commissioner of the Lincoln Jubilee in 1915 and the organizer of the Red Cross units Canteen and Home Nursing classes during the World War. After the war the Community Service appointed her as a national organizer for girls’ work.”

Some of the national leading and most prominent Colored women before the public today who as workers in this association or along other elevating lines have encouraged, inspired and helped thousands of American Colored girls to move out of Nobody’s Alley and live on Somebody’s Avenue are Miss Mary M. Bethune, Daytona, Fla., Miss Eva D. Bowles, New York City, N. Y., Miss Hallie Q. Brown, Wilberforce, O., Miss Nannie H. Burroughs, Washington, D.C., Madame E. Azalia Hackley, Detroit, Mich., Mrs. Addie W. Hunton, New York City, N. Y., Miss Jane E. Hunter, Cleveland, O., Miss Lucey Laney, Augusta, Ga., Mrs. S. W. Layton, Phila., Pa., Mrs. R. R. Moton, Tuskegee, Ala., Mrs. Alice Dunbar Nelson, Wilmington, Del., Mrs. Mary B. Talbert, Buffalo, N. Y., Mrs. Florence C. Talbert, Detroit, Mich., Mrs. Mary Church Terrell, Washington, D. C., Mrs. Maggie L. Walker, Richmond, Va., Dr. Mary F. Waring, Chicago., Ill., Mrs. Booker T. Washington, Tuskegee Institute, Ala. and Mrs. Butler R. Wilson, Boston, Mass.

{89}

National Uplift Organization founded and run by Negroes

The National Negro Business League

IN 1900 the late Dr. Booker T. Washington, founder of Tuskegee Institute, organized in Boston, Mass. The National Negro Business League, which is now under the forceful and energetic leadership of Dr. Robert R. Moton. Such nationally known men as Chas. Banks, J. C. Napier and Emmett J. Scott are among those who are closely allied with the president of this League in so widely spreading its influences of encouragement, inspiration and business knowledge.

As a description of the workings of this organization, the writer gives below some extracts from an article written for the August 13, 1921 issue of The Chicago Defender by E. Davidson Washington, son of the late Dr. Booker T. Washington.

“While the Business League has a distinctive purpose (that of promoting the commercial and financial development of our Race,) it does not attempt to prescribe for every racial endeavor; yet it is a significant fact that through the instrumentality of this the national body and its more than 600 local branches or local leagues scattered throughout the country a very large part of the progress made by the Race in the direction of home and farm ownership, banking, insurance, manufacturing and mercantile enterprises has been achieved since the organization of the Business League.

“Among the many subjects discussed are such as: “Making Farming Pay,” “Building a Negro Town,” “The Relation of Education to Business,” “Conducting a Grocery Store,” “Editing a Newspaper” and many others which space will not permit me to mention here. Questions are asked, and in that way those who did not come up to their expectations the previous year try, when they return to their various communities, as far as possible, to put into practice what they have gained through the league.

“The symposiums conducted in the main convention by the following organizations are highly interesting and instructive:{90} The National Negro Bankers’ Association, the National Negro Funeral Directors’ Association, the National Negro Press, the National Negro Bar Association and the National Negro Insurance Men.

“Finally, as a Race we must not be discouraged. There will come to us, as to all races, seasons of depression and gloom. Once in a while even those in high places may seem to seek to insult, humiliate and harass us, but they cannot last. “The morning cometh.” Those who treat us unjustly are losing more than we are. Above all, we must not lose faith in ourselves nor in our Race. We must be as proud of being Negroes as a Japanese is of being a Japanese. It is through such meetings as the National Negro Business League that the Negro is encouraged and made to look upon the brighter side of life and with more optimism for the future than ever before.”

Association For The Study of Negro Life and History

American school white boys and girls get the larger part of their inspirations to become great men and women mostly from what they read in the public school United States Histories about big things members of their race have done. As white authors in writing such histories saw fit to leave out of them all references (with the exception of slavery) to the parts the American Colored people have had in helping to make American history, public school Colored boys and girls get no racial encouragements nor inspirations from such histories.

The Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, organized in 1915, is doing a grand work in helping to supply the American Colored youth with the desired encouraging and inspiring information relating to Negro historical achievements in the United States. The president of this organ, R. E. Park is ably assisted in this work by such scholars as Drs. J. E. Mooreland and C. G. Woodson.{91}

The National Equal Rights League

The National Equal Rights League was started in 1910 and one of its chief purposes is contending for and securing in peaceful but firm ways the same equal rights in the United States for American Colored citizens as those so generously given to members of other races, especially many foreigners in this country who do not understand the laws, cannot speak the language and have no intentions of becoming naturalized. The president of this organization is N. S. Taylor, who is loyally assisted by such race leaders as Wm. Monroe Trotter, and B. N. Murrell.

The Lincoln League of America

The Lincoln League of America is an organization that was started in 1919, and one of its main objects is to instil race pride on a broader scale among Colored people and at the same time encourage them along all lines of citizenship privileges and advancement. Roscoe C. Simmons is president of this body and is nobly aided in this work by such national figures as Henry Lincoln Johnson and Walter Cohen.

National Association of Teachers for Colored Schools

The National Association of Teachers for Colored Schools is under the scholarly and experienced leadership of Prof. J. M. Gandy. It is due mostly to this organization that the managements and sentiments of the different Southern Colored colleges and schools have come to better understand each other and thereby work in closer conjunction and harmony for the broadest and most practical development of Negro youths in both industrial and higher education. Other officials who have helped to bring about such good feelings are S. X. Floyd and W. H. A. Howard.

Negro Organization Society

Although it has not yet developed into a national organization, the Negro Organization Society of Virginia is making rapid strides in that direction. It was organized several years ago,{92} at the wise suggestion of the late Dr. H. B. Frissell, by Major R. R. Moton, who with the valuable assistance of Captain Allen Washington, Profs. J. M. Gandy, T. C. Erwin, Rev. A. A. Graham, Lawyer T. C. Walker, Hon. Robert. E. Clay and others soon made it a leading source of encouragement and helpfulness throughout the entire State. While its purpose is to unite into one large solid body for more mutual understandings all the church, fraternal and social organizations and societies, big and little, in the State; it has no desires nor intentions whatever of selfishly absorbing within itself or taking away the individuality of any organized body that comes under its advice and help.

One of the chief objects of this society is to gather all such organizations in the state under its guiding wisdom and sheltering arms into one big congenial family, whose members may then be constantly taught how best to work in helpful understandings and harmony among themselves and in brotherhood co-operations with their white neighbors in order to secure “better health, better schools, better homes and better farms” for the Colored people. These efforts have proven so fruitful that this society has already overflown its Virginian cup of uplift influence that is now running and dripping over the sides into surrounding states. And under the continued successful “Whooping-up” campaigns of its present leader, Major Allen Washington, this organ is destined some day to become one of the most helpful national movements in America in aiding to bring about stronger and broader good-will feelings between the two races and at the same time more friendly and solidly uniting all Colored organizations for a more rapid and all-round advancement of the Negro Race.

THE PAN-AFRICAN CONGRESS

On February 19, 1919, Dr. W. E. B. DuBois, editor of The Crisis, called a meeting known as The Pan-African Congress that held three days’ session in the Grand Hotel, Paris, France. It was attended by fifty-eight delegates representing sixteen different Negro groups, who passed resolutions of which two of the most important paragraphs are quoted below as follows:{93}

“Whenever persons of African descent are civilized and able to meet the tests of surrounding culture, they shall be accorded the same rights as their fellow citizens: they shall not be denied on account of race or color a voice in their own Government, justice before the courts and economic and social equality according to ability and desert.

“Whenever it is proven that African natives are not receiving just treatment at the hands of any State or that any State deliberately excludes its civilized citizens or subjects of Negro descent from its body politic and cultural, it shall be the duty of the League of Nations to bring the matter to the attention of the civilized world.”

Along with Dr. DuBois, some of the other internationally known persons who attended that first Congress were Boisneuf, Deputy from Guadaloupe; Captain Boutte; Canadace, French Deputy from Guadaloupe; Mme Chapoteau; Mrs. Helen M. Curtis; Diagne, French Deputy from Senegal; Grossilliere, Deputy from Martinique; Mrs. Ida Gibbs Hunt; Mrs. Addie W. Hunton; Dr. John Hope; President King, Peace Delegate from Liberia; B. F. Seldon and Roscoe C. Simmons.

The Pan-African Congress plans to hold its second meeting in Europe in 1921 and hold sessions in four different countries as follows: in London, England on August 28th and 29th; in Brussels, Belgium on August 31st, September 1st and 2nd; in Paris, France on September 4th and 5th, and a “Special Committee to visit the Assembly of the League of Nations, Geneva, Switzerland, after September 6th.”

In brief (according to the July 1921 issue of The Crisis) the chief working plans mapped out on the practical progress of this Congress are as follows: to satisfy the urgent need of securing first-hand information “about Africa’s physical, climatic and commercial conditions, as well as the attitude of the natives and the European governments”; to thresh such newly gained knowledge and put it into the form of a statement, presenting the main social problems which face the Negros of the world; to enable the leaders of the different Negro groups the world over to be{94}come acquainted; to get in touch with and put before those persons, groups, nations and organizations of various races who either do sympathize with the peoples of Africa and their descendants or who would sympathize with them if they knew the fundamental characteristics, needs and deserts of the black man all over the globe; to have the Pan-African Congress finally evolved into one permanent body that welds the Negro people and their friends for the emancipation of the race.

“For his services in originating and conducting in Paris the Pan-African Congress”, Dr. DuBois was presented with the Spingarn Medal. And this Pan-African Congress, “in the judgment of President Hope of Morehouse College”, “made the Negro representatives from seventeen countries discover that the problems of colored people the world over are the same.” The origin and purpose of the above mentioned Spingarn Medal is explained in the following quotation:

“A few years ago Dr. J. E. Spingarn of New York decided that he would offer each year a gold medal to be awarded to the man or woman of African descent who had rendered valuable, though perhaps somewhat inconspicuous, service to his race and to modern civilization. Dr. Spingarn had very clearly in his mind the “for merit” type of decoration. This idea has always been kept before the committee on award”. (Ref. July 1920 issue of the Southern Workman).

A complete list of those who have been awarded the Spingarn Medal since 1915, when it was first presented, up to the present date is as follows:

1915, Dr. Ernest E. Just, Scholar-Scientist.
1916, Colonel Chas. Young, United States Army.
1917, Harry T. Burleigh, Singer-Composer.
1918, Wm. Stanley Braithwaite, Poet-Critic.
1919, Archibald H. Grimke, Author-Orator.
1920, Dr. W. E. B. DuBoise, Sociologist-Author.
1921, Charles E. Gilpin, Celebrated Actor.
{95}

MARCUS GARVEY

Whatever may be their private thoughts and judgements as to the methods, purposes and final results of his efforts; the one conclusion at which close observing Colored and white people alike have unanimously arrived and publically admitted is that the Negro, Marcus Garvey (who is estimated to have united more than a million of his Race people into different organizations) has unquestionably become “The World’s Greatest Group Organizer” of today.

Relative to the Race interests, efforts and leaderships of Dr. DuBois and Mr. Garvey, the writer quotes below the very logical and impartial editorial that appeared in Editor J. Finley Wilson’s “Washington Eagle” that was published September 17, 1921, in Washington, D.C.

{96}

ON THE FARM

SINCE the raising of tobacco, cotton, corn, sugar cane and other farm products had been the main reason for starting slavery in America, it is plainly seen that farming was the chief work of the Colored people until they were set free. And it is quite natural that they took a great dislike to a work that they had been compelled to do against their wills for over two hundred years. So at the close of the Civil War when they were free to choose their own work, the majority of ex-slaves were willing to do any kind of labor under the sun (or over the sun for that matter) but work on the farm. Such a state of affairs continued for a number of years and caused much of the rich fertile lands in the South to go unfarmed, neglected and runned-down, but after some years away from the only kind of work they knew the most about, their dislike to farming began to lessen and they gradually drifted back to work patches of land on shares with their former owners who had survived the war. And their return to the bosom of nature rapidly increased as the ex-slaves saw how it would enable them to make a living and save money to buy land for themselves.

As a result of that movement back to the farms which continued to increase, there were, according to the 1910 census, over two hundred thousand farms or twenty-one million acres of land owned in the United States by Colored people. Negroes in the South alone own more than two hundred thousand of those farms that are valued at more than four hundred million dollars. Just in the state of Virginia Colored people own over one million acres of land that are valued at over ten million dollars. The following named are just a handful of the Colored farmers throughout the South and West who own and cultivate farms ranging in size from 500 to 3,000 acres of land; J. N. Brown,{97} Tenn.,; J. Collins, S. C.; Robt. Chatman, Texas; Wash Dillard, Texas; Lewis Dolphin, Okla.; J. G. Groves, Kan.; Wiley Hinds’ family, Cal.; J. A. Hickey, G. N. Humphries, Texas; Howard Jackson, Ala.; Chas. Jackson, La.; Deal Jackson, Ga.; Y. U. Jones, Texas; John Lyttle, N. C.; J. H. McDuffy, Fla.; Wm. Mazy, John F. McGowon, L. A. Nash, Lance Parker, Dennis Pollard, H. Penneth, Jack Taylor, Texas; Jake Simmons, Okla.; R. L. Smith, Newton Smith, La.; A. W. Taylor, Texas; J. Thompson, Ga.; W. B. Turner, Va., and Frank Wallace, Texas.

Through the encouragement and helpfulness of such farming agencies as the Smith-Lever Funds for Agricultural Extension Education, the Smith-Hughes Funds for Vocational Education, The Federal Farm Loans and the Farmers’ Co-operative Demonstration Work, a new interest, rekindled enthusiasm and extra efforts have been aroused among Colored farmers in all parts of the country. They have at last been made to plainly see and fully understand that it is always to their seemingly dull country barnyard gates that the boiled-shirt, stiff-collared and learned business and college men of the cities must sooner of later turn for their ham and eggs, steak and chops, bread and butter and different vegetables. These same farmers manfully realize that they or others can only produce such necessities of life by daily mingling among the neighing horses, the mooing cows, the grunting pigs, the bleating sheep, the cackling hens and the crowing roosters. They are the people who with rolled-up sleeves cheerfully feel they must be stained with the earth’s sweet dirt (for what is so fragrant, so refreshing and so sweet as the smell of newly plowed furrows on an early spring morn, when crows overhead fly with taunting caws and robins scratch the sods for a wormy cause?) or the city folks for want of life-giving foods would soon die of starvation.

In order to help prevent the above dreaded calamity overtaking the country by learning how to better intensify crops and redouble their products, Colored farmers both young and old are taking either short or full courses in scientific agriculture in the following named schools that are a few among the many giving such instructions:{98}

Agricultural & Mechanical College for Negroes, Normal, Ala.; Agricultural & Industrial State School, Nashville, Tenn.; Agricultural & Technical College, Greensboro, N. C.; Agricultural & Normal University., Langston, Okla.; Alcorn Agricultural & Mechanical College, Alcorn, Miss.; Branch Normal College, Pine Bluff, Ark.; Downingtown Industrial & Agricultural College, Downingtown, Pa.; Florida Agricultural & Mechanical College Tallahassee, Fla.; Georgia Normal & Agricultural College, Albany, Ga.; Hampton Normal & Agricultural Institute, Hampton, Va.; Armstrong Agricultural & Industrial Institute, West Butler, Ala.; Tuskegee Normal & Industrial Institute, Tuskegee, Ala. (extracts from Negro Year Book, 1918-1918 edition, pgs. 2-308-345)

As soon as Colored men have finished agricultural courses in the above named or other schools, they are fully prepared to locate in any section of the country and put into practice the farming theories they have just learned. It is quite natural that the majority of them want to settle and farm in the South—the birth place of their parents and usually of themselves, and the best farming district in the United States, and many of them do settle there. But quite a few (and the number is rapidly increasing) after deciding to follow farming as a life work have settled in the North, or even better have followed Horace Greeley’s famous advice “Young man, go West”. There they have settled with assurances of better human treatments and fuller civic rights due all human beings and American citizens, than they would have received if they had settled in many parts of the South. On the Pacific Coast they have found farming conditions more in accord with their special agricultural training than any place in America with the exception of the South. And whenever any of those Colored farmers arrived in California, for instance, without money to buy a few acres of land, they at once hired themselves out to farmers (without any fear of Southern peonage systems) and in a little while had saved enough money to strike out for themselves. During the time they served as farm laborers they were able to get practical and valuable experience in three ways; through experimenting they got acquaint{99}ed with the Western crops that were new to them; they got acquainted with the customs and habits of the people, and they had time to carefully and slowly investigate many sections of the country before selecting the plot of land and district in which they planned to later and permanently settle.

The following two quotations are parts of articles written by Governor Wm. D. Stephens and Secretary of State Frank C. Jordan of California, and which articles appeared in the April 1, 1920 issue of the California Free Lance that has since been absorbed into the California Voice. The reading of these quotations may be of interest to those concerned.

Governor Stephens said—“Workers are what we need and opportunity was never so widely open to the Negro as it is today. A very large number of Colored workers are well fitted for farm labor and it would be better for them, and a measure of aid to our agricultural interests, if they could be diverted from the cities into the country. The farm laborer situation is difficult in this state and steps might well be taken to shift to the country those Colored men who are residing in large cities, under conditions unsuited to them. Our Negro workers could themselves help to solve this problem. Any effort initiated on their part undoubtedly would meet with active encouragement. Some adaptation to new conditions would be necessary, but this could easily be brought about through co-operation between Negro workers and the employing farmers of our state. I regard this matter of shifting workers who are misplaced in cities to the farms of our state as a matter of importance, and I invite the earnest attention of the Negro people to it as one primarily in their interest as well as being for the best interest of our state.”

Secretary of State, Jordan said in part: “California today has need of farmers and farm laborers. There is a general alarm felt by persons acquainted with farming conditions at the shortage of laborers. The farmer or farm laborer has a comfortable living under health-giving conditions and the money he makes he can save. He is an independent producer and plays a most important part in the national welfare. The California{100} lands are marvels of richness. Truck gardening, fruit orchards, wheat and rice fields, cotton lands—in fact, nearly all farm culture—can be found in this State. The important question at present is, Where are we to find laborers to increase and intensify cultivation? Immigration from European countries has practically ceased. Mexican labor is difficult and uncertain. We can only hope for laborers to come from the more thickly settled parts of the country. The youth of today needs to be educated not only in the technique of farming, but also in the advantages of farm life. The prosperity of the nation rests largely on the agricultural workers. The city dwellers cannot reduce the high cost of living without the farmer’s co-operation in increased production. The factory worker depends upon the farmer for food. His high wages mean little to him unless food is plentiful. Let a young man consider carefully the opportunities offered by country as well as civic life—the sturdy independence, the healthful surroundings, the wholesome food, of the former—before he decides what his life work will be.”

Copied below is another article “Land Conditions” that appeared in the same issue of the Free Lance and which article goes more in detail regarding the wonderful opportunities of farm life in California—the land of not-too-cold nor not-too-hot climate, the land of singing birds, blooming flowers and golden fruits.

“Probably the greatest opportunity for the race lies in the agricultural sections of the state. Land at reasonable prices is now being offered by the Southern Pacific Land Company in sixteen counties in various parts of the state. While a great deal of this land is available for grazing purposes, yet there are large tracts awaiting the coming of the man with the plow, chief among which are sections laying in the beautiful Antelope Valley, situated in Los Angeles county, which section’s chief products are alfalfa, grain, fruit and dairying products. The soil of this valley is somewhat varied. The upper mesas and slopes in the main valley are decomposed granite of fine texture, with considerable vegetable humus. In the lower levels there are great deposits of silt and in every case the soils are light and easy to work{101} The water conditions are all that can be desired, there being quite a deal of artesian wells, where the water is found at depths varying from 50 to 600 feet. Prices of land in this valley vary from $2 to $10 per acre for grazing land and from $10 to $71.50 for agricultural lands, with possibilities of irrigation by pumping.

“In Fresno county, the home of the raisin and the Thompson grapes, there will be found plenty of opportunities for dairying, fruit and general farming. This county has now quite a large number of Negro ranchers who are engaged profitably in various agricultural pursuits. The price of land in this vicinity ranges from $20 to $143 per acre, with fine possibilities of irrigation by pumping.

“Nearly all sections in the State of California are filled with opportunities for men with small capital to engage in various kinds of farming. While some are impressed by the large ranches, there is ample opportunities to engage in small farming projects. Land at reasonable prices and for all purposes can be obtained in the following counties; Siskiyou, Shasta, Tehama, Butte, Nevada, Yuba, El Dorado, Monterey, Stanislaus, Fresno, Imperial, Riverside, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Kern and Tulare, Recent reports from various sections of the State show that there are now over 2100 Negroes engaged in agricultural, forestry and animal husbandry in this State.”

In his annual report of February 1920, Secretary Houston of the Department of Agriculture pointed out that when both the acreage and yield per acre are taken into account, the American farmer leads the world in individual production of crops. He further pointed out that the aggregate value of all crops raised in the United States for that year amounted to over fifteen billion dollars. These facts are truly very encouraging and complimentary to the American farmer and are quite apt to give him somewhat of a “big-head” until he reads “Social Aspects of the Decreasing Food Surplus in The United States.” This is a nation-wide agricultural survey written by one of America’s best authorities on that subject, Prof. Bernhard Ostrolenk, Director of the National Farm school at Farm School, Pa.{102}

One of the most startling facts and timely warnings he brings out in his survey is that three million farms in the United States are idle on account of the American people not developing their unimproved lands. In writing about the already improved lands and abandoned farms, he says in part:

“And now we come to the most serious aspect of the agricultural situation in the United States. For the period of 1900 to 1910 more than two and a half million people left the country to go to the cities. Double that figure could safely be assumed to be the true situation from 1910 to 1920. A tragedy is facing the country. Scarcity of food means dissatisfaction, unrest, riots, mob rule, anarchy.

“Instead of proud boasting when new acquisitions are made in our cities, new apprehensions for the future food supply should be aroused. Can the Nation afford to be indifferent to the farmer much longer? We need an exodus from our congested districts back to the soil and the National Farm School is ready to lead in that movement. We have proved that it can be done by taking raw city youths and training them to be successful farmers. Eighty-seven per cent of our graduates own and operate their own farms.”

In giving out this advice and information of deep thought and timely warning, Prof. Ostrolenk has meant for it to apply to and benefit the great masses of Colored people who are jammed in the cities living in unsanitary courts and alleys, as he has meant for it to influence the masses of his own people who have left the country for the cities. And in putting a last spread on this bread-and-butter subject, the writer can truthfully say that just as the National Farm School, under the direction of Prof. Ostrolenk, is taking the lead among other white agricultural schools in helping to solve this great problem by turning out such efficient white farmers; so are Hampton Institute, under the guidance of Dr. Jas. E. Gregg, and Tuskegee Institute, under the leadership of Dr. Robt. R. Moton, gladly and whole-heartedly joining hands with the National Farm School in help{103}ing to bring about this “Back-to-the-Farm” movement by taking the lead among other Negro agricultural schools in turning out practically and scientifically trained Colored farmers.

Young men who wish to take a scientific course in agriculture but hesitate to do so because they fear their race and color will prevent them from getting sales for their products, should remember that:

The greatest and only food supplier in the world (the earth) is Colored, and that no race of people ever attempts to wean itself from sucking its daily life-giving nourishments from Nature’s nippled breasts just because those breasts are made of the brown colored dust and dirt from which all crops must come.

{104}

ON THE FARM

Chestnut Hunting

{106}

IN THE TRADE SCHOOLS

Booker T. Washington

JUST as the late Dr. Booker T. Washington, founder of the wonderful school, Tuskegee, was the greatest agricultural and industrial leader of his race in the United States; so Dr. Robert R. Moton, former educator at Hampton Institute and present principal of Tusgkee Institute, is today the foremost leader of the American Colored people in industrial and agricultural education. And the tireless efforts and uplifting influence of those two great industrial leaders have either originated or greatly encouraged and advanced much of the skilled industrial and intensive agricultural progress made by the Colored people in America during the past thirty or more years.

But the pioneer and greatest industrial educator of them all was General Samuel Chapman Armstrong who founded in 1868 the famous Hampton Institute, which is said to be the leading school of its kind in America, and among the best in the world. For years not even many intelligent white and Colored people looked with kindly favor upon General Armstrong’s then new and strange methods of teaching the head, the hand and the heart to work together for the highest development of an individual or a race. People then generally thought that it was foolish to go to school just to learn the trades or how to work on a farm, as they had always been taught that schools were places where one went to learn to study books alone. And that was what nearly every one wanted to do as it was thought to be a disgrace and dishonor to work with the hands. But many years had not passed before it was seen and proved that General Armstrong’s methods were among the most valuable educational teachings in the world.{107}

And today civilized countries throughout the world are using in their private, public and government schools vocational and industrial plans and methods copied after those originated by the far-sighted General Armstrong and so successfully carried on after his death by Dr. Hollis Burke Frissell. The unusual beneficial careers of those two life long friends of Colored peoples stand with the foremost among the careers of many brave white men and women who have not been ashamed to follow the footsteps of Christ by unselfishly giving their lives and fortunes for the encouragement and uplift of an oppressed people. Since the death of Dr. Frissell a few years ago, Hampton has been under the careful and progressive leadership of Dr. Jas. E. Gregg who has kept up the high grade of industrial education he found there. He has also raised the academic standards to higher planes, in order to better fit his graduates to more successfully face the advanced educational requirements they have to meet when going out into the world to wring success from the opportunities that will constantly come into their callings.

Below are named a few of the other Colored industrial schools that are yearly turning out hundreds of skilled and practical auto repairers, blacksmiths, bricklayers, carpenters, cabinetmakers, domestic science teachers, dressmakers, engineers, house matrons, machinists, milliners, painters, printers, plumbers, school teachers, shoemakers, steamfitters, tailors, tinsmiths, upholsters, wheelwrights and other artisans.

Albion Academy, Franklintown, S. C.; Americus Institute, Americus, Ga.; Berean Ind. School, Phila., Pa.; Calhoun Colored School, Calhoun, Ala.; Camden Colored High School, Camden, Ark.,; Coleman College, Gibsland, La.; Betts Academy, Trenton, S. C.; Cheyney Training School, Cheyney, Pa.; Christiansburg Ind. Institute, Cambria Va.; Clayton Ind. School, Manor, Texas; Clinton Nor. & Ind. College, Rockhill, S. C.; Colored Industrial School, Cincinnati, O.; Cookman, Institute, Jacksonville, Fla.; Daytona Training School for Girls, Daytona, Fla.; Delaware Nor. & Ind. School, Dover, Del.; Dunbar Training School, Brownsville, Tenn.; Florida Bapt. Academy, St., Augus{108}tine, Fla.; Fort Valley High & Ind. Inst., Fort Valley, Ga.; Fort Worth Ind. & Mech. Col., Fort Worth, Tex.; Georgia State & Ind. College, Savannah, Ga.; Greenville Ind. Inst., Greenville, Miss.; Haines Nor. & Ind. Insti., Augusta, Ga.; Henderson Normal Inst., Henderson, N. V.; Joseph Brick Ind. School, Bricks, N. C.; Lincoln Normal School, Marion, Ala.; Lincoln Inst, of Kentucky, Lincoln Ridge, Ky.; Knox Academy, Selma, Ala.; Manassas Ind. School, Manassas, Va.; Mary Potter Memorial School, Oxford, N. C.; Mayesville Ind. Inst., Mayesville, S. C.; Mound Bayou Ind. Col., Mound Bayou, Miss.; National Training School, (women) Washington, D.C.; New Jersey Nor. Training School, Bordentown, N. J.; Oklahoma Nor. & Ind. Inst., Boley, Okla.; Penn Normal & Ind. School, Frogmore, S. C.; Princess Anne Academy, Princess Anne, Md.; Prairie View State Nor. & Ind. School, Prairie View, Texas; Schofield N. & Ind. Inst., Aiken, S. C.; Sater State Normal & Ind. School, Winston-Salem, N. C.; Snow Hill Inst., Snow Hill, Ala.; St. Augustine School, Raleigh, N. C.; St. Paul Nor. & Ind. Inst. Lawrenceville, Va.; Vicksburg Ind. School, Vicksburg, Miss.; Voorhees Ind. School, Denmark, S. C.; State College for Colored Youth, Dover, Del.; Walker Bapt. Inst., Augusta, Ga.; Waters Normal Inst., Winton, N. C. (extracts from Work’s Negro Year book, 1918-1919 edition, pages 309-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20).

IN THE TRADE SCHOOLS

While a great many of these schools are kept going through the donations of money by Northern white individuals and organizations as well as by the aid of several state appropriations, the majority of them are supported and run by Colored people themselves. “The African Methodist Episcopal Church is raising each year about $500,000 for the support of its twenty colleges and normal schools. The Negro Baptists are giving support to about 110 colleges and academies.” All together there are about 175 such schools supported by different Colored church denominations that raise each year for this purpose about two million dollars. The properties of these schools thus sup{109}ported are worth about two million five hundred thousand dollars. (Ref: Works Negro Year Book 1918-1919 edition page 286.)

Among the foremost Colored leaders in industrial education are J. B. Dudley, Winston-Salem, N. C., W. J. Edwards, Snow Hill, Ala., J. M. Gandy, Petersburg, Va., W. H. Goler, Salisbury, N. C., W. J. Hale, Nashville, Tenn., J. R. E. Lee, Kansas City, Mo., E. A. Long, Cambria, Va., R. R. Moton, Tuskegee, Ala., J. S. Russell, Lawrenceville, Va., Emmett J. Scott, Washington, D.C., R. R. Wright, Sr., Savannah, Ga.

{110}

IN THE RURAL SCHOOLS

WHEN it is taken into consideration that in 1910, just 47 years after their freedom was received, there were less than three million illiterate Negroes in America out of their population of ten million, it will be seen that the Colored people under most unfavorable circumstances that have always existed have made very good strides along educational lines. Rural education among them began as early as 1861 when the first real day school was started near Fortress Monroe, Va., by the American Missionary Association. That school, which was taught by Miss Mary S. Peake, a Colored teacher, was the forrunner of Negro rural school education in the South as well as the pioneer site of the present Hampton Institute. The movement continued to grow and spread so rapidly that in 1870 through the assistance of the Freedman’s Bureau, there had been established in different parts of the South over four thousand common schools.

While it is true that the majority of the Southern white people apposed the education of the Negro, there were many of the best thinking among them who did everything possible to elevate their Colored population. Together with the hundreds of Northern white people (mostly of the Quaker and Puritan stocks) who willingly gave their times, fortunes and in many cases their lives for this cause, different white church denominations and other organizations spent large sums of money for the establishment of schools and the support of teachers for the work. As the outgrowth of that early start there are today in just the Southern States alone over two million Colored children attending public schools that are being taught by nearly thirty-seven thousand Colored teachers. (Ref: Work Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, page 269.)

The greatest encouragement and help that the Southern Colored people have received in the development of their rural school systems have come from the Rosenwald Rural School Fund, which was founded by Mr. Julius Rosenwald, President of the Sears-Roebuck Company of Chicago, Ill. The following{111} quotation is an extract from Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, page 291; “June 12, 1914, Mr. Rosenwald announced that through the Tuskegee Institute he would provide money to assist in erecting rural school-houses for Negroes in the South under the following terms: that the people in the community where a school house is to be erected shall secure from the public school funds or raise among themselves an amount equivalent to or larger than that given by Mr. Rosenwald. It is understood that in no case will the sum given by Mr. Rosenwald exceed $400 for a one-teacher school and $500 for a two-teacher school.”

In the April 23, 1921 issue of the Chicago Defender there appeared an article on the above subject and the following quotation is an extract from that article: “Nearly 400 rural schools will have been completed during the year ending July 1 with aid from the Rosenwald fund. Of the money required to erect these schools our people in the South gave $500,000, the white people $500,000, various states $800,000 and Mr. Rosenwald $500,000. All the Rosenwald schools have been put in operation. Altogether, more than 1,000 schools have been built in the South with the aid from the Rosenwald fund.{112}”

IN BUSINESS SCHOOLS

The Pen and the Typewriter

AS Colored people have branched out into more numerous and new business enterprises, they have found that in order to place their ventures on foundations that are sure and firm they must learn certain book knowledge as well as getting actual working experiences in modern businesses. They have also noticed through observations or experiences that no matter how well a business may be founded and grounded it will not continue to succeed unless its detailed operations are carried on by specially trained and capable workers. Since they, with but few exceptions, have not been allowed to attend, simply on account of their Race, white business schools and colleges to receive such preparations, Colored people have in many of the large cities in America established their own business schools and colleges. From among the many such schools the following named are the few that have come under the writer’s notice during his limited research efforts:

The progressive city of Jacksonville, Fla., has the honor of housing probably the largest and most modernly equipped private school of this nature not only in America but in the world among Colored people. The founder and president of this institution is Prof. R. W. Walker. Through his patient and un{113}tiring efforts, unusual business and teaching abilities, he has built up an enrollment of over one thousand local and correspondent students in his college that is established in its own fifty thousand dollar building which is open day and night the year round for class room work. Aside from its school rooms Walker’s National Business College has a dormitory for the boarding and lodging of its out-of-town students.

The Derrick Business School has within the past five years made such rapid growth and progress under the sound establishment, expert teaching and sane management of Miss M. J. Derrick that it is now centrally located in its own building in one of the most exclusive business sections of Philadelphia, Pa. Miss Derrick has the distinction of being the only Colored person who owns and manages a business college that teaches the famous “Boyd’s 30-Day System.” This school also has its own dormitories for the accommodation of its students living out of the city and state.

More than ten years ago The Stenographers’ Institute was founded in Philadelphia, Pa., by Prof. E. T. Duncan. Since that time he has built up a commercial school of such efficiency that his reputation has brought to him not only local students but young men and women living in several other cities and states. The enrollment of his school has become so large that in the near future he will be compelled to seek new and larger quarters.

The New York Academy presided over by Prof. R. W. Justice, and Braithwaite Shorthand School managed by Prof. I. N. Braithwaite are two business schools in New York City operated by Colored men who are doing much for the elevation of their race by turning out competent commercial graduates.

In Chicago, Ill., Prof. M. J. Treadwell’s Commercial Institute and The Central School of Commerce, of which Prof. W. D. Alimono an expert bookkeeper and accountant is president, are two Colored business schools that rank in the first class.

Prof. Chas. A. Brown’s Bruno School of Business, Brooklyn, N. Y., is also an institution of modern methods and is doing its part in preparing for future careers stenographers, typewriters, bookkeepers and other students in various commercial subjects.{114}

IN BUSINESS

RACIAL CO-OPERATION

COLORED boys and girls who wish to learn about what some of their race people have done in big business should read the following and thereby get encouragement and inspiration.

One of the very first Colored persons (thanks to and honor due Negro womanhood) to develop an enterprise from a local venture into a successful national and international commercial standard was the far-seeing and progressive late Madam C. J. Walker, of Indianapolis and New York. Starting with a few cents in her pocket but with a full knowledge of the value of her beauty culture and toilet articles, with even fuller knowledge of their urgent need among her Colored sisters, and with the fullest determination and confidence to succeed, Mrs. Walker within the short period of twelve years made for herself a wealth of one million dollars. This fortune included a modernly equipped home in Indianapolis, Ind., a fifty thousand dollar residence in New York City, and a two hundred fifty thousand dollar mansion at Irvington-on-the-Hudson, New York. Aside from the numerous and unrecorded sums of money she gave to both Colored and white charities during her twelve years of wonderful financial career, Mrs. Walker at her death bequeathed one hundred thousand dollars to be used in many charitable ways for the encouragement and uplift of her race. The business, Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Co., was left to her daughter, Mrs. Lelia Walker Wilson, whose business abilities handed down to her from her gifted mother, together with her own original ideas and efforts have already increased the enterprise. Mrs. Walker’s life of marvelous success will ever stand out as a clear beacon light to Negro youths, especially Colored girls. And when the circumstances under which she labored are taken into just consideration her achievements are recognized as worthy of being recorded on the best pages of American history.{115}

Right on the heels of the above business wonder is the commercial success of Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Malone, St. Louis, Mo., who are also in the same line of business. On account of the superior quality of their goods, the urgent demands for same and the resulting satisfaction they are giving, their business has increased so rapidly that they were compelled to recently erect a two hundred fifty thousand dollar five-story fireproof building. In this structure are housed their manufacturing plant and office force. The Malones are giving $5,000 toward the Colored Y. M. C. A. Work and various other sums of money for different lines of betterment for their race, (like the late Madame Walker and several other wealthy Colored people) show they are with a Good Samaritan spirit taking altruistic advantages of their unusual success in business by repeatedly aiding their less fortunate Race people or humanity in general after they have found the need of such aid is for a worthy and good cause. So Mr. & Mrs. Malone are today equally dividing their time between the expansion of their Poro College business and the encouragement and uplift of their struggling Race.

(Figures extracted from Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, p. 3).

Colored girls who want to go into business for themselves or be successful in anything but hesitate and hold back because they belong to the Negro race and are Colored, should remember that:—The most powerful thing in the world (the sun) is Colored, and just because Nature has willed that it must get up every morning and retire every evening with a red rosy face does not mean that it is blushing with shame or holding back its leadership in light and energy just because it happens to be a golden color.

According to an article that appeared in the April 16, 1921 issue of the Chicago Defender, the Kashmir Chemical Co., and the Nile Queen Co. are to be formed into one corporation in its own three story building and is to have a capital of two hundred thousand dollars. This is also a beauty culture business and is under the hustling and capable leaderships of its president David Manson and his associates J. D. Bell, George Walker and C. A. Barnett.{116}

To be awarded first prize at the Paris Exposition in 1900 and the Jamestown Exposition in 1907 and to be awarded a contract by the United States Government to supply its army during the World War, is what A. C. Howard’s shoe polish has accomplished for him. And today the products of A. C. Howard Shoe Polish Manufacturing Co., New York have become known on both sides of the oceans.

Because of their unusual business success the writer quotes below from Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919, pages 360-361, sketches telling about the accomplishments of three among America’s foremost Colored business men.

“Boyd, Dr. R. H. Prominent minister in the Baptist denomination. He established in 1896, the National Baptist Publishing House at Nashville, Tenn. The printing plant occupies a half block in the business portion of the city. It pays its employees over $200,000 a year for labor. According to inventory made by Bradstreet’s Agency, the value of stock, equipment and property of the concern is about $350,000. Here all the books and pamphlets needed in the Sunday School and church work of the Negro Baptists are published. Dr. Boyd is the president of the National Negro Doll Company, which manufacturers high class Negro dolls.”

“Merrick, John. One of the most successful Negro business men in the United States. He was born in Clinton, North Carolina, September 7, 1859; died August 6, 1919; was a bricklayer by trade, and later, became a barber. In 1898 he founded the North Carolina Mutual and Provident Association, which is one of the strongest Negro insurance companies in the world. He was one of the wealthiest Negroes in North Carolina. He owned a large amount of real estate. His monthly rent income was over $500.”

“Smith, Robert L. Born in Charleston, South Carolina, 1861. Founder of the Farmer’s Improvement Society of Texas. He graduated from Atlanta University, and for a time was editor of a paper in Charleston. He then went to Texas and became a teacher. In 1895 he was elected a member of the Texas Legislature. Wishing to help the people, he organized in 1890, the{117} Farmers’ Improvement Society. The members of the Association now own over 75,000 acres of land worth considerably over $1,000,000. In 1906 the Society founded an agricultural college at Ladonia, Texas, and in 1911, they organized a bank at Waco, Texas. The Society also operates an overall factory at Waco. Under the Auspices of the Society Farmers’ Institutes and fairs are held.”

On account of having detailed knowledge of their enterprises unshaken determination to succeed, unusual energetic efforts, strict attention to business, courteous manners to customers, integrity of word, prompt payment of debts, frugal methods of saving and living within their means, the late Messrs. McKee, Minton, Smith, Stevens and Trower of Philadelphia, Pa., in accumulating wealth amounting to millions of dollars, proved themselves among the most prominent and successful Colored business men the United States have produced.

{118}

IN BANKING

Every Dollar Saved Shows a Little More (Sense) Cents

As off-springs of people who three hundred years ago were savages in Africa, and as decendents of people who were in the United States as slaves for two hundred forty-four years; the American Colored people of today, less than sixty years from slavery, own and operate seventy-two Banks. These Banks carry a capital of about two million five hundred thousand dollars and do an annual business of about thirty-five million dollars. (Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, page 367).

This marvelous and successful commercial plunge is the most dazzling banking achievement, as far as history records, ever made in the world in the same length of time, by a like group of people placed under the same kind of circumstances. In fact, this most heavily handicapped business broad-jump has been made with such sudden rapidity, length of leap and sure-footed landing that financial judges and onlookers of all races are still dizzy from trying to measure the distance and solve how it was covered.

Banking critics throughout the country seem to agree in estimating E. C. Brown, President of Brown and Stevens Bank, Phila., Pa., and Brown Savings & Banking Co., Norfolk, Va., as the foremost Colored banking financier of today in America. Aside from having many heavy real estate holdings in numerous Southern and Northern cities, he is founder and president of the Quality Amusement Corporation that owns and operates the Lafayette Theater in New York, the Dunbar Theater, in Phila., Pa., and theaters either under construction or contemplation in several other large cities.

According to an article that appeared on August 13, 1920 in the Dayton Forum, a Negro paper published by J. H. Rives, Dayton, Ohio, the first Colored bank in the United States to report resources of over one million dollars is the Solvent Savings{119} Bank & Trust Co. of Memphis, Tenn. Its cashier, B. M. Roddy stated that the bank does business with twenty-five thousand people. These facts together with a fuller and more detailed notification were sent to the State Commission on June 30th of that year. Other Colored banks that separately had resources of over nine hundred thousand dollars and were expected to reach the million dollar mark by the end of that year were the Brown Savings & Banking Co., Norfolk, Va., and the Wage Earners Savings Bank in Savannah, Ga. The St. Lukes Bank, Richmond, Va., the only institution of its kind founded and presided over by a Colored woman, Mrs. Maggie L. Walker, has resources of over five hundred thousand dollars. Other banks that have gone over the half million dollar mark in resources are, The Mechanics Bank, Richmond, Va., The Mutual Savings Bank, Portsmouth, Va., and the Tide Water Bank, Norfolk, Va. Twenty-five Colored banks throughout the country each have over two hundred fifty thousand dollars in resources. Colored people have one national bank, not so long established in Chicago, Ill., The Doughlass National Bank of which P. W. Chavers is president. The Brown & Stevens Bank, Phila., Pa., and the Binga State Bank, Chicago, Ill., have both reached the million dollar mark in resources. The last named bank, of which Jesse Binga is founder and president, has a capital and surplus of one hundred twenty thousand dollars.

The names in the following list have been handed to the writer as being just a few from among many such Colored banks in the United States that are laid on sound foundations, efficiently conducted and fully recognized for their business integrity, steady financial growth and broadening moral influences.

“The Allied Bankers’ Corporation will serve as a clearing house for banks, life and fire insurances companies, manufacturing companies and for business generally. The enterprise is to be owned by and operated wholly in the interest of and for the economic development of the Race.” This quotation is extracted from an article that appeared in the December 11, 1920 issue of the Chicago Defender. In speaking of this movement, the article further stated that a group of Colored bankers and business men were combining in forming and having incorporated a one million dollar concern to be known as the Allied Bankers and Industrial Corporation.

“Application for charter has already been made by the following bankers and business men: L. E. Williams, president Wage Earners’ Savings Bank, Savannah, Ga.; Harry E. Pace, formerly secretary-treasurer Standard Life Insurance Company, now president of Pace Phonograph company, New York City; E. C. Brown, president of Brown & Stevens, bankers, Philadelphia, Pa., and president Quality Amusement Corporation; John E. Nail, of Nail & Parker, real estate dealers, New York City; J. S. Jones, secretary-treasurer Tidewater Bank and Trust Company, Norfolk, Va.; Charles Banks, Mound Bayou, Miss., and Emmett J. Scott, formerly assistant to Secretary of War Baker and now secretary-treasurer of Howard University.{121}”

IN REAL ESTATE.

WITHIN the past twenty years Colored real estate owners and brokers throughout the country have made real estate deals running up into millions of dollars. Some of the heaviest transactions have been made by Nail & Parker, New York City, Watt Terry, Brocton, Mass., and New York City, the late P. A. Payton, New York City, A. F. Herndon, Atlanta, Ga., R. L. Smith, Waco, Texas, Brown & Stevens, Phila., Pa., Jesse Binga, Chicago, Ill., M. L. Harris, Washington, D.C., H. M. Burkett, Baltimore, Md., W. Lewis, C. Tolson, Baltimore, Md., R. H. Watterford, Gary, Ind., J. T. Jackson, Germantown, Pa., S. J. Jones, Phila., Pa., H. Rudduth, Cincinnati, Ohio, Isadore Martin, Phila., Pa., J. L. Slaughter & Co., Faulkner & Cook Co., Anderson & Terrell Co., Harvey Watkins Co., Chicago, Ill., McKinley, Walker and DeVeille, Washington, D.C., P. H. Sykes, Phila., Pa.

According to an article that appeared on page 53 in the May 1920 issue of The Crisis, Nail & Parker, New York real estate brokers, handle over a million dollars yearly in rentals and commissions. During the year 1919 Colored people purchased over four million dollars worth of property in the Harlem section of New York City. But what is said to have been the largest real estate transaction ever made in the United States at one time by Colored people was when six large modern De Luxe Elevator Apartments, that had been constructed on West 141st and 142nd Street, New York City at a cost of one million five hundred thousand dollars, were purchased by an organized group of Negro business men. (Ref. Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, page 3).

Through his personal research work in the following cities, the writer has been able to uncover from among the many thousands of Colored business people throughout America, the following unusually successful business Colored men and women each reputed able to write his or her personal check for twenty-five thousand dollars; nearly all of them have saved a fortune of fifty thousand dollars; a large number of them have reached the one hundred thousand dollar mark; numbers of them have{122} two hundred fifty thousand dollars to their credits; many of them count their wealth up to five hundred thousand dollars and quite a few of them own over a million dollars in cash and property. But in reading this list let the readers say, as the Queen of Sheba said when she paid a visit to King Solomon and viewed his wealthy kingdom, “The half has not been told.” Because the author would remind the reader that all over the United States there are just as successful and wealthy Colored business men and women whose names do not appear in this list simply because he was unable to locate such names during his much handicapped research work.

{125}

IN INSURANCE

Poverty in Old Age

ONE of the chief living conditions surrounding the American Colored people that always stood as a puzzled question to the masses of American white people was; how did Negroes (considering the low cheating wages, until the World War, they had always received for their work and the usually double prices they were made to pay in buying clothes, furniture, homes, etc.) manage to keep up decent living expenses, save money and at the same time nourishingly care for their sick and properly bury their dead? It has never been understood why so few Colored people have been seen as beggars, and paupers holding up every other street corner or silently filling the potter fields; while these same places have always been over-crowded with dependent white people, who in their prosperous life times had received the highest paid wages and given the lowest bargain sales. When it is remembered that there is over ninety million Caucasians in the United States against twelve million Negroes, even then the percentage of whites in such places is much larger than that of the blacks. And from the fact that in nearly every large city in America there are to be found white men and women who own homes and thousands of dollars and still beg on street corners proves that begging is easier and comes more natural to white than to Colored people, because no instance has ever been heard of a Negro street begging when owning a home or money in a bank.

Now the facts that answer the puzzled question, as to how Negroes have always been able to “get along” generally under all circumstances, are the insurance companies, fraternal orders and beneficial societies founded and operated by Colored people in America. There is nothing in the world (including death) that the average Colored people dread more than to face downright poverty, need and beggary, and to prevent such misfor{126}tunes they become full members in these organizations even from childhood. For this reason insurance enterprises have proven to be one of the most congenial occupations, quickest, surest and best paying business into which Negro business men have so far ventured. On the other hand the founders and managers of these companies have taken full advantage of their opportunities to give to the masses of people in their companies a timely, practical and material helpfulness that is surpassed by no other group of Colored business leaders.

Philadelphia, Pa., has the honor of having been the home of the first Negro insurance company, in the United States, which was the American Insurance Company founded in 1810.

The following named are a few of the many Colored insurance companies throughout the country that together have policies in force valued at about sixty million dollars and annually write up insurance amounting to about forty million dollars.

Afro-American Industrial Ins. Co., Jacksonville, Fla.; American Mutual Benefit Association, Houston, Tex.; Georgia Mutual Ins. Co., Augusta, Ga.; Keystone Aid Society, Phila., Pa.; Liberty Life Ins. Co., Ill. and Ind.; Liberty Mutual Life & Health Ins. Co., Savannah, Ga.; Mammouth Life and Accident Ins. Co., Louisville, Ky.; Mutual Relief and Benevolent Ass’n, Columbia, S. C.; National Benefit Life Ins. Co., Washington, D.C.; North Carolina Mutual and Provident Ass’n, Durham, N. C.; Fireside Mutual Ins. Co., Atlanta, Ga.; Provident Ins. Co., Chicago, Ill.; Southern Life Ins. Co., Baltimore, Md.; Standard Life Ins. Co., Atlanta, Ga.; Superior Mutual Ins. Co., The Lincoln Life Ins. Co., New Orleans, La.; Underwriters’ Mutual Ins. Co., Chicago, Ill.; Union Central Relief Ass’n, Birmingham, Ala.; Union Mutual Ins. Co., Jacksonville, Fla.; Unity Ind. and Life Ins. Co., New Orleans, La.; Unity Mutual Ins. Co., Chicago, Ill.; Union Guarantee and Ins. Co., of Miss., Jackson, Miss.; Richmond Beneficial Ins. Co., Richmond, Va.; Southern Aid Society of Virginia, Richmond, Va.; Virginia Beneficial and Ins. Co., Norfolk, Va. (Extracts from Works’ Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, pgs. 359-60).{127}

Some of the foremost leaders who have built up in the past or are today building up Colored insurance business in America are as follows: J. C. Asbury, Philadelphia, Pa., Geo. W. Blount, Portsmouth, Va., Chas. H. Brooks, Philadelphia, Pa., Edw. Bowen, E. H. Carry, Wm. Carter, Chicago, Ill., D.C. Chandler, Columbus and C. R. Davis, Cincinnati, O., P. H. V. Dejoie, C. C. Dejoie, Chicago, Ill., T. K. Gibson, Atlanta, Ga., F. L. Gillespie, Geo. W. Green, Chicago, Ill., H. E. Hall, Louisville, Ky., B. L. Jordan, Richmond, Va., Wm. H. King, W. J. Latham, Chicago, Ill., the late John Merrick, Durham, N. C., J. E. Mitchell, A. J. Pullen, Chicago, Ill., H. E. Perry, Atlanta, Ga., H. E. Pace, A. D. Price, and J. T. Carter, Richmond, Va., J. A. Robinson, Atlanta, Ga., Wm. Roland, Chicago, Ill., R. H. Rutherford, S. W. Rutherford, Washington, D.C., Wm. Roland, H. B. Streeter, C. S. Smith, Chicago, Ill., C. C. Spaulding and F. Winslow, Durham, N. C.

{128}

SECRET AND FRATERNAL ORGANS

Helpful Boosts.

IN 1784 a Boston Negro, Prince Hall, was granted a warrant from England to establish the African Lodge, No. 459 of the Masons; and in 1843 Peter Ogden, a Colored organizer in New York, secured a charter from England to set up the Philomathean Lodge No. 646 of the Odd Fellows. Since then the Knights of Pythias, the True Reformers, The Elks, the Grand United Order of Galilean Fishermen, the National Order of Mosaic Templars, the Independent Order of St. Luke and the Grand United Order of Tents (which last named order is one of the best managed and most progressive societies organized and run entirely by women) have been established and become nationally known. The following is quoted from Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, page 457:

MASONS

Imperial Potentate, C. R. Blake, Charlotte, N. C.
Imperial Chief Rabban, R. E. Monroe, Chicago, Ill.
Imperial High Priest and Prophet, R. F. Husley, Wheeling, W. Va.
{129}Imperial Treasurer, C. A. Freeman, Washington, D.C.
Imperial Recorder, Levi Williams, Jersey City, N. J.
National Grand Commander, Bishop J. W. Alstork, Montgomery, Ala.
National Deputy Grand Commander, Dr. A. R. Robinson, Phila., Pa.
National Grand Secretary, R. J. Simmons, Atlanta, Ga.

ODD FELLOWS

Grand Master, E. H. Morris, Chicago, Ill.
Grand Master, J. S. Noel, Charleston, W. V.
Deputy Grand Master, I. L. Roberts, Boston, Mass.
Deputy Grand Master, W. T. Francis, St. Paul, Minn.
Grand Secretary, Jas. F. Needham, Phila., Pa.
Grand Secretary, R. J. Nelson, Harrisburg, Pa.
Grand Treasurer, C. Colbourne, Wilmington, Del.

PYTHIANS

Supreme Chancellor, S. W. Green, New Orleans, La.
Supreme Chancellor, W. Ashbie Hawkins, Baltimore, Md.
Supreme Vice Chancellor, E. C. Tidrington, Indianapolis, Ind.
Supreme Vice Chancellor, W. H. Willis, New York City, N. Y.
Supreme Master of Exchequer, J. H. Young, Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
Supreme Master of Exchequer, J. C. Anderson, Crewe, Va.
Supreme Keeper of Records and Seals, Dr. E. E. Underwood, Frankfort, Ky.
Supreme Keeper of Records and Seals, G. E. Gordan, Chelsea, Mass.

MOSAIC TEMPLARS

National Grand Master, S. J. Elliot, Little Rock, Arkansas.
National Grand Secretary, C. E. Bush, Little Rock, Arkansas.
National Grand Treasurer, J. A. Davis, Little Rock, Arkansas.

ORDER OF ELKS

Grand Exalted Ruler, G. W. F. McMechen, Baltimore, Md.
Grand Esteemed Leading Knight, W. C. Trueheart, Atlantic City, N. J.
Grand Secretary, G. E. Bates, Jersey City, N. J.
Grand Treasurer, J. T. Carter, Richmond, Va.

ORDER OF ST. LUKE

Right Worthy Grand Chief, Mrs. Minnie L. Banks, Macon, Ga.
Right Worthy Vice Chief, Dr. H. L. Harris, Richmond, Va.
R. W. G. Secretary and Treasurer, Mrs. Maggie L. Walker, Richmond, Va.

TRUE REFORMERS

Grand Worthy Master, S. S. Morris, Richmond, Va.
Grand Worthy Secretary, Maurice Rouselle, Richmond, Va.
Grand Worthy Treasurer, Dr. W. H. Smith, Richmond, Va.

GALILEAN FISHERMAN

National Grand Ruler, Joseph P. Evans, Baltimore, Md.
Vice Grand Ruler, G. W. V. Grey, Norfolk, Va.
Grand Treasurer, J. F. Henry, Cambridge, Md.

ORDER OF TENTS

Supreme Matron, Mrs. C. A. Gilpin, Richmond, Va.
Deputy Matron, Mrs. A. J. Valentine, Chester, Pa.
Grand Secretary, Miss Adeline M. Ward, Norfolk, Va.

(Extracts from Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, pgs. 457-8-9-60).

{130}

AMONG THE LAWYERS

A Lawyer in Time Saves Many a Dime.

A. B. MACON was the first Negro in the United States to be admitted before the bar to practice law, which occured in Massachusetts in 1845. Since he thus blazed such a path through the law fields of America, Colored men and women have continued to follow that pathway until today there are about one thousand Colored lawyers practicing in different parts of the United States. And they are making splendid records before judge benches and jury boxes by legally understanding, plainly interpreting, and loyally defending the laws of this land.

When Miss Charlotte Ray, as the first Colored woman lawyer in America, graduated from Howard University in 1872, she was fully justified in lightly and nimbly stepping off the campus of her Alma Mata with her heart excitedly beating in her eagerness to at once secure a case and descend upon some court room where she could try out her logical, convincing and persuasive pleadings.

Since Miss Ray’s graduation as a lawyer, it is found that while many, say twenty-five or thirty Colored women in the United States have up to the present time secured their degree of LL. B., few of them are today engaged in active law practice. Among this number the writer has only been able to locate the following who are today practicing law in this country: Attorneys Violette N. Anderson, Chicago, Ill., Carolyn Hall Mason and Marie Nadras, Washington, D.C. and Mrs. Jessica Morris, wife of Edward H. Morris, the foremost practicing Colored attorney in Chicago, is a graduate of the 1920 law class of Northwestern University and during the month of July 1921 successfully passed her State Bar Examination. At this writing she had not taken up active practice. Attorney Violette N. Anderson, 145 No. Clark Street, Chicago, Ill., is very anxious and{131} has for quite a while been trying to locate and get into communication with every Colored woman lawyer in the United States, in order to form a National Association.

One of the many up-lifting acts performed for Colored people by Charles Sumner, that fearless Abolitionist and loyal friend to the Negro race, was to make it possible in 1865 for John Rock to be admitted as the first Negro to practice law before the United States Supreme Court.

The first Negro to hold a city judgeship in the United States was M. Wistar Gibbs, who in 1873 was elected to that responsible and dignified position in Little Rock, Ark. This learned lawyer also at different times filled such national positions as Register of the U. S. Land Office in Arkansas and United States Consul to the Island of Madagascar.

(Ref. Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition pgs. 171-283.)

Without doubt the best known and most popular Colored lawyer in the United States today is Judge Robt. H. Terrell, who as Municipal Judge for many years repeatedly appointed in Washington, D.C., by both Republican and Democratic Presidents, has won and held the good-will and respect of his white associates because of his all-round judical wisdom and logical decisions in the court room. By his pleasant and friendly manners as well as loyalty and pride in his Race, Judge Terrell has also endeared himself in the hearts of the great masses of Colored people in all parts of the country where he has traveled and spoken.

Many Negro lawyers in different parts of the country have won national recognitions and reputations by their legal fights before city or state legislative bodies for equal citizenship rights and protection of Colored citizens in the United States. The following are among those whose names come to the writer’s mind at this moment:

Hon. Harry C. Smith, while a member of the Ohio Legislature, drew up an Anti-lynching Bill and introduced it into that body in 1894 and re-introduced it in 1896 when it was enacted into a law, which has been upheld on several occasions by the{132} Supreme Court of Ohio. This law is one of the best pieces of legislature of such nature enacted by any state in the Union, and other States that have formed such laws have modeled them after the Ohio measure. Attorney Smith was also the sponsor of the present Ohio Civil Rights Law.

Hon. Robt. R. Jackson is the father of the Illinois Civil Rights Bill that went through the Illinois General Assembly while he was a member of it. It has been through his wisdom and untiring efforts that several other city and state bills have been drawn up and passed as laws for the benefit of the Colored people in Illinois.

Hon. H. J. Copehart with the assistance of Hon. T. G. Nutter, both members of the W. Va. Legislature, has succeeded in putting through the House and Senate of that state one of the severest anti-lynching bills so far passed by any state legislative body. Representative Nutter, among the numerous measures he has had passed, is producer of the bills that were passed and enacted into laws to establish an industrial school for Colored boys and an industrial home for Colored girls in W. Va.

Hon. F. M. Roberts is the first and only Negro serving as a State Assemblyman in the California Legislature. Since he was first elected in 1918 and re-elected in 1920, he has been the means of having put through several bills that have been enacted into laws for the welfare of Negroes in California.

Hon. J. C. Asbury, a Pennsylvania Representative, is father of the Equal Civil Rights Bill that was recently killed in the Pennsylvania State Senate after having passed through the House. Legislator Asbury made such a well prepared legal fight for the passage of his bill that even those who fought against it were compelled to admire the flawlessness of the measure and the intelligent and manly contest by its sponsor.

Many other notable Negro lawyers too numerous to mention here have taken courageous and successful stands in using their legal abilities along the above lines as well as defending riot victims of their race in different parts of the country. The{133} following names are of other prominent Colored attorneys about whom the writer learned during his research work in the following named cities:

{135}

IN NEWSPAPER WORK

Newspapers and Magazines.

STARTING out in 1827, when the first Colored newspaper in the United States, The Freedmen’s Journal was published in New York City by John B. Russwurm, the number of Negro journals have so increased until today there are between two and three hundred secular weekly and two daily newspapers published in the United States by Colored people. (Ref.; Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, pgs. 170-461).

The honor of being acclaimed dean of today in Negro newspaper editorial work falls upon the venerable shoulders of the “Grand Old Scribe,” T. Thomas Fortune, once editor of the famous New York Age and still a widely read contributor to some of the leading newspapers and magazines in the country. This pioneer journalist (who was at one time “right hand man” to the great white journalist, Chas. A. Dana, who bought and revived the moribund New York Sun into one of the greatest papers in America) was doing newspaper work as far back as 1879 on the New York Globe, a leading white paper. Around that time Fortune was also the trusted friend and valuable current informer and adviser of such capable and fearless leaders as H. P. Brooks, J. W. Cromwell, C. N. Otey and Frederick Douglass, who was termed by Mr. Fortune as “The lion of them all.”

The younger Colored newspaper men of today are all well acquainted with the history of Fred Douglass’ fighting abolition paper, “The North Star” that he first published at Rochester, N. Y., in 1847 and later renamed it “Fred Douglass’ Paper”, which in 1860 he absorbed into “Douglass Monthly” a magazine he first began to publish in 1858.

There are yet living today many older men and women who can vividly recall from personal observation how that great orator, reformer, statesman and journalist could in a column on{136} his editorial page wield a pungent pen against the enemy of his race so forcefully by turning out polished and gentlemanly invective articles that neither feared nor spared but manfully denounced and exposed those who held or upheld slavery. And in another column on that same editorial page he could just as ably use an unsurpassed tactful ability in penning mutual and grateful paragraphs to the loyal friends of his race, who were at once more strongly allied to his side; or, he could in a third column just as diplomatically word a concilatory open-letter to the half-decided whites who, after thoroughly reading and thoughtfully thinking over his heart-rending and convincing sentences were usually completely persuaded to friendly join his cause for the freedom of his people. And the increasing denouncements and criticisms that are read in the Northern white press against the present barbarous peonage systems carried on in the South today are but very very faint echoes of the clarion and stenotorian thunderings that electrically flashed, roared and rumbled seventy years ago throughout the world from the columns of “The North Star” or from the actual lips of Fred Douglass while lecturing in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales against the real slavery that the South was then savagely carrying on with his race.

Another pioneer in this line of work is Phil H. Brown of Kentucky, who has been following newspaper writing for over thirty years. Aside from being an editor on daily and weekly journals, he has been connected with the Chicago Daily News, The New York Journal and the New York Sun all white papers. He has also written articles for Frank Leslie’s New York publications and the humorous magazines “Judge”. For three national campaigns Mr. Brown has ably directed the newspaper publicity among American Colored people for the Republican National Committee. He has just been appointed under President Harding’s administration as Commissioner of Conciliation in the Department of Labor.

Another seasoned scribe of the “old school” who is yet, after fifty years of active newspaper work, able to give the “new school” young reporters many valuable pointers, as to the best{137} kind of punch (sparkling but not wet) to put into their night write-ups, is the spry and jolly Civil War veteran, Sergeant Ralph Hawkins.

Charles Stewart, as a scribe of the first order, has put more than two score years in this field in gathering news for some of the leading white and Colored papers of the country. His abilities as a good mixer, keen observer, good reasoner and an expert shorthand writer enabled him years ago by using his clever disguises to get the inside secret and puzzling facts to make numerous big newspaper write-ups on important and vital events that had not been unearthed, after repeated trials, by, some of the country’s most expert white newspaper reporters.

The late Richard W. Thompson was a man of wide newspaper experience and knowledge. He was at different times on the editorial staffs of the Washington Colored American and the Indianapolis World. He was the founder of a newspaper bureau in Washington, D.C. from where he sent out his famous letters to Colored papers throughout the country. He was without doubt one of the hardest workers Colored journalism has ever had. On more than one occasion the writer has seen Mr. Thompson take down notes all day and sit up that entire night getting out press releases for the next day.

In the deanship of newspaper work with T. T. Fortune is A. J. Murphy, editor of his nationally known Afro-American published in Baltimore, Md. Newspaper men who come in contact with Mr. Murphy are greatly encouraged and benefited as the results of his unusual journalistic abilities and experience extending over scores of years.

Ralph W. Tyler, World War newspaper writer and now on the editorial staff of the Cleveland Advocate, and L. T. Thompson World War Historian, are among the foremost newspaper men in the Race today. To them, on account of their bravery to face all kinds of perils and unselfish expending of tireless efforts to get true facts first-hand, goes much of the honor or the gathering and compiling of the data pertaining to the accurate history of the American Colored soldiers and sailors in the World War.{138}

Cleveland G. Allen, one of the best known of the younger newspaper men of the race, is making journalism his profession. Aside from being the only Negro reporter in 1911 at the Ecumenical Conference at Toronto, Canada, and acting as traveling newspaperman with the late Bishop Alexander Walters, he was for many years one of Dr. Booker T. Washington’s Northern publicity men. It was mainly through his efforts that the name of a Negro, Frederick Douglass, was first brought before the Hall of Fame, and through his newspaper work an investigation was conducted against the discriminations of Colored sailors in the U. S. Navy. He has written a great deal for daily newspapers of New York and the entire country on the Negro question and at one time conducted a National News Bureau for the Negro Press. Having studied in Union High School, Greenville, S. C.; in the New York Evening High School three years where he won oratorical honors; two years of journalism in New York University; studying at the Angelus Academy of Music where he won a scholarship; and at present taking up special work at Columbia University: Mr. Allen, on account of the above preparations and experiences, is well fitted to hold his present positions as a member on the editorial staff of “Home News” a large white newspaper in New York, and as an appointed lecturer on Negro Music for the Board of Education in New York City. He has a brother, Henry Allen, who is also a prominent newspaperman at Stamford, Conn.

Among America’s foremost Colored women newspaper writers of today is Frances Berry Coston of Indianapolis, Ind. Her chief work is in feature articles and stories. Having graduated from Berea College; from the Chicago University post-graduate course in literature and languages; from the Pulitzer School of Journalism at Columbia University and from the celebrated Harvard Starred Course in English, (given primarily for authors and journalists) Mrs. Coston is well prepared and fully capable to hold her present position. She is Literary Correspondent for the Indianapolis News, one of the largest and most influential white dailies, not only in the West, but throughout the country. Because of her unusual efficiency and versatile abilities{139} as a writer, she is permitted by the editorial staff to turn out articles on any subject or along any literary line she may desire. Mrs. Coston is given all the work she can do on the literary page of this paper, and in connection with the Book Review Department of the News, she is allowed to make her own selections from the literary editor’s desk.

While still in his teens during the early nineties, Jas. A. Jackson of Bellefonte, Pa., started his newspaper career with the Daily News, a white newspaper published in his home town. Since that time he has developed to such a high standard until today he stands among the most widely known feature short story Colored and white writers of today. His stories have frequently appeared on the magazine pages of the Sunday editions of the New York Sun and the New York Herald. On account of his very wide travels throughout the United States and abroad, he has become acquainted with many of the most prominent newspapermen on both sides of the ocean. With several of these writers and authors he has joined in writing articles for some of America’s most popular magazines as well as noted newspapers published in European countries. In 1912 he wrote a lengthy article, “The Negro At Large” and in 1918 he wrote “The Underlying Cause of Race Riots.” These masterpieces of journalism were greatly quoted by many newspapers and magazines, after the articles had first appeared in the New York Globe. Mr. Jackson’s latest literary step was made when he recently accepted a membership on the editorial staff of “The Billboard”, as Dramatic Reviewer. This is an amusement weekly (white) publication that was founded in New York many years ago and today has a circulation of over two hundred thousand copies a week.

The two daily newspapers run by Colored people in the United States are W. T. Andrews’ Baltimore Herald that is published in Baltimore, Md., and Arthur Craig’s The Daily Star which is published in New York City where it has a daily circulation of over forty thousand copies.

Among the Colored newspapers in the United States, Robt. S. Abbott’s Chicago Defender (World’s Greatest Weekly) is{140} recognized as having the largest circulation. This newspaper recently moved into its own two hundred fifty thousand dollar, three-story, modern building that contains a print shop, four linotype machines, and four-deck Goss straight-line press.

“The late Christopher James Perry was born in Baltimore, Md., September 11, 1854. At an early age he went to Philadelphia, where he obtained employment and became a student of the public night school. In 1884, after some of his writings had been published, he became a special writer for the Sunday Mirror, of Philadelphia, to report the activities of the Negroes of the city. He later started the Philadelphia Tribune, a Negro weekly, which has been published for 36 years. This newspaper is published in the Tribune Building and has a $100,000 plant of which Mr. Perry was the sole owner.” Quoted from the Sept. 1921 issue of the Crisis:

Another one of the best nationally known Colored papers that is doing business in its own establishment that is completely equipped with the most modern newspaper machinery is Fred R. Moore’s New York Age. This paper is one of the oldest and most popular in the field, and is also a weekly issue. There are other Colored newspapers throughout the country that are in their own modernly equipped establishments.

Those named in the following listed cities are just a few of the Colored newspapers that, on account of their up-to-date instructive-news, all round influence for encouragement and inspiration and constant race loyalty, have won race leading reputations of the first quality for themselves and their editors not only in their own cities but throughout and beyond their own states:

Atlanta, Ga.
B. J. Davis’ Atlanta Independent, A. Grace’s Atlanta Post, Chas. Howell’s Atlanta Constitution.
Atlantic City, N. J.
J. A. Lightfoot’s Atlantic City Advocate, Harry Jackson’s Atlantic City News.
Augusta, Ga.
Editor Simmons’ The Echo.
Baltimore, Md.
A. J. Murphy’s The Afro-American, W. T. Andrews’ The Daily Herald.
Birmingham, Ala.
{141}O. W. Adams’ Birmingham Reporter.
Boley, Oklahoma.
G. W. Perry’s Boley Progress, A. L. Moore’s Boley News.
Boston, Mass.
Wm. M. Trotter’s Boston Guardian, Wm. Murray’s Boston Chronicle.
Buffalo, N. Y.
E. O. Brown’s Buffalo American.
Brooklyn, N. Y.
Wm. McKinney’s Brooklyn Informer.
Camden, N. J.
Marcus Mann’s Camden Tribune.
Charleston, S. C.
D. J. Jenkins’ Charleston Messenger.
Charlotte, N. C.
J. W. Crocketh’s Progressive Messenger.
Chattanooga, Tenn.
J. J. Oldfield’s Chattanooga Defender.
Chicago, Ill.
R. S. Abbott’s Chicago Defender.
W. C. Linton’s The Whip, J. A. Taylor’s The Broad Ax, W. D. Neighbors’ The Chicago Idea.
Cincinnati, O.
W. P. Dabney’s The Union, Hardin Tolbeat’s Cincinnati Journal.
Cleveland, O.
H. C. Smith’s Cleveland Gazette, A. Forte’s Cleveland Advocate.
Columbia, S. C.
J. A. Roach’s Southern Indicator.
Columbus, O.
J. W. Carter’s Ohio State Monitor.
Danville, Va.
H. T. Houston’s The Headlight.
Dayton, O.
J. A. Rives’ Dayton Forum.
Denver, Col.
J. D. Rivers’ Denver Statesman, C. S. Muse’s The Denver Star.
Des Moines, Iowa.
E. Mash’s The Bystander.
Detroit, Mich.
W. P. Kemp’s Detroit Leader. The Compass.
Dallas, Texas.
J. R. Jordan’s The Dallas Express.
Fort Worth, Texas.
J. I. Dotson’s Fort Worth Hornet.
Gary, Ind.
J. D. Cooke’s Nat’l Defender & Sun.
Greenville, S. C.
C. C. Clarkson’s Southern Enterprise.
Harrisburgh, Pa.
F. L. Jefferson’s The Advocate Verdict.
Helena, Ark.
H. W. Hallaway’s Interstate Reporter.
Houston, Texas.
C. F. Richardson’s Houston Informer.
Indianapolis, Ind.
{142}G. L. Knox’s The Freeman, J. D. Howard’s The Ledger, A. E. Manning’s The Indianapolis World.
Jackson, Miss.
J. W. Hair’s The Farmer.
Jacksonville, Fla.
J. A. Simm’s The Florida Sentinel.
Kansas City, Kan.
T. Kennedy’s Kansas City Advocate.
Kansas City, Mo.
C. A. Franklin’s Kansas City Call, N. C. Crews’ The Sun.
Little Rock, Ark.
L. N. Porter’s Arkansas Banner.
Los Angeles, Cal.
F. M. Roberts’ The New Age, C. A. Spear’s The Eagle.
Louisville, Ky.
I. W. Cole’s Louisville Leader, Wm. Warley’s Louisville News.
Lexington, Ky.
E. D. Willis’ Lexington Weekly News.
Madison, Wis.
J. A. Josey’s Wisconsin Weekly Blade.
Memphis, Tenn.
S. W. Broome’s The Memphis Times, J. E. Washington’s The Western
World Reporter.
Minneapolis, Minn.
R. B. Montgomery’s The National Advocate.
Mobile, Ala.
George U. Cloud’s Mobile Forum.
Montgomery, Ala.
J. E. McCall’s The Emancipator.
Mound Bayou, Miss.
W. M. Lott’s National News Digest.
Muskogee, Okla.
W. H. Twine’s Muskogee Cimeter.
Nashville, Tenn.
H. A. Boyd’s Nashville Globe, W. A. Water’s Peoples Advocate, Bessie P. Rhoda’s Nashville Eye.
Newark, N. J.
Editor Pollard’s New Jersey Observer.
New Orleans, La.
Jas. E. Gayle’s The Vindicator.
Newport News, Va.
M. N. Lewis’ The Star.
New York City, N. Y.
J. H. Anderson’s Amsterdam News, Geo. Harris’ New York News, W. H. Ferris’ The Negro World, The Daily Star.
Norfolk, Va.
P. B. Young’s Journal & Guide.
Oakland, Cal.
E. Marshall’s California Voice.
Oklahoma City, Okla.
R. Dungee’s The Black Dispatch.
Omaha, Neb.
J. Albert Williams’ The Monitor.
Phila., Pa.
{143}Chris Perry’s Philadelphia Tribune, J. W. Parks’ Philadelphia American, Arthur Lynch’s Public Journal.
Phoenix, Ariz.
A. R. Smith’s Phoenix Tribune.
Pine Bluff, Ark.
J. H. Harrison’s The Monitor.
Pittsburg, Pa.
Robt. L. Vann’s Pittsburg Courier.
Portland, Org.
E. D. Cannady’s The Advocate.
Portsmouth, Va.
C. C. Summerville’s The Virgil.
Princeton, N. J.
D. La Tourette’s Princeton Packet.
Providence, R. I.
F. R. Purnell’s The Advance.
Raleigh, N. C.
L. M. Cheeks’ Raleigh Independent.
Richmond, Va.
John Mitchell’s Richmond Planet, Maggie L. Walker’s St. Lukes Herald.
Sacramento, Cal.
J. M. Collins’ Western Review.
San Antonio, Tex.
G. W. Bouldin’s San Antonio Inquirer.
San Francisco, Cal.
J. L. Derrick’s Western Outlook, G. E. Watkins’ Western Appeal.
Savannah, Ga.
S. C. Johnson’s Savannah Tribune.
Seattle, Wash.
S. P. BeDow’s The Searchlight.
Shreveport, La.
M. L. Collins’ Shreveport, Sun, Samuel and Carter’s News-Enterprise.
St. Louis, Mo.
J. E. Mitchell’s St. Louis Argus, C. K. Robinson’s Independent Clarion.
St. Paul, Minn.
J. Q. Adams’ The Appeal.
Tampa, Fla.
M. D. Potter’s Tampa Bulletin.
Terre Haute, Ind.
C. E. Rochelle’s Emancipator.
Washington, D.C.
J. Finley Wilson’s The Washington Eagle, Mrs. Eva A. Chase’s The Washington Bee, D. Eugene Taylor’s Washington American, F. M. Murray’s Washington Tribune.
Wichita, Kan.
W. A. Betts’ Wichita Protest, H. T. Simms’ The New Star.
Wilmington, Del.
Editor Nelson’s The Advocate.

Religious Papers

Among the three score and more religious Colored newspapers in America, R. E. Jones’ Southwestern Christian Advocate of New Orleans, La., R. R. Wright’s Christian Recorder of Phila., Pa. J. D. Crenshaw’s National Baptist Voice of Nashville, Tenn.{144} and N. S. Epps’ Baptist Herald of New York City are some of the most nationally known and widely circulated.

National Negro Press Association

The National Negro Press Association, of which J. Finley Wilson is president, is an organization among Colored newspaper editors for the purpose of uniting them in mutual friendships and understanding. At their annual meetings they become better acquainted and exchange their different ideas in order to become better news informers and stronger champions through their organs for justice to their race.

The Associated Negro Press

Although not yet three years old, the Associated Negro Press, of which N. D. Brascher of Chicago, Ill., is editor-in-chief, is already exerting a wonderful influence in the field of Negro journalism and is doing excellent work in so efficiently gathering and so promptly releasing to its newspaper members the most vital current events of the day.

The noble and tireless efforts of the Colored editors, in trying to help convert the prejudiced white people of the United States from their unjust hatred, discrimination and cruelties upon the Negro race just because of its progress, are each day being more ably backed up by the American white press. As the writer has said in the chapter dealing with church work, white papers throughout the country are increasing in numbers in making their editorials stronger and stronger in justly denouncing mob rule, its results and future reaction upon these United States. This sentiment in the white press is increasing and spreading so rapidly that even white papers in different parts of the South are fearlessly joining this movement for right.

In the summer of 1918 a Southern paper, the San Antonio Express of Texas set aside a fund of one hundred thousand dollars to be used in helping to put down lynching in the United States. This money is to be used to pay rewards for the arrest and conviction of all persons taking part in lynchings. Other{145} Texas white papers, the Houston Post and the Austin American have on different occasions come out strongly in contending for fair treatment and justice to the Colored people.

With reference to the jury which heard the evidence in the peonage trial of John S. Williams, Georgia white planter, accused of killing eleven Negro farm hands, and on trial for the slaying of one of them, and which jury brought in a verdict of guilty, with life sentence, but urged “mercy” on the court; the following editorial by Thomas W. Loveless appeared in a Georgia white paper, The Enquirer-Sun, according to an article that came out in the April 16, 1921 issue of the Chicago Defender:

“A Newton county jury has tried John S. Williams, the Jasper county multimurderer, found him guilty, and recommended him to the mercy of the court. By what process of reasoning the jury arrived at this form of verdict is difficult if not well nigh impossible to imagine. This is, if we try to analyze it by any ‘process of reasoning’, but if we brush aside all subterfuge and hypocrisy and tell the plain truth about it, the verdict—as great a travesty of justice as it is—is not so difficult to understand.

“And this plain truth is we have not yet reached that stage of grace, or of justice, in Georgia where we ‘hang a white man for killing a nigger’, as the expression is and has long been ...

“However, the owner and operator of this Georgia ‘murder farm’ escapes with his own life—a penitentiary sentence—and perhaps a pardon later on if he lives long enough and his family can bring enough influence to bear.

“Thus do we again ‘advertise Georgia.’ God help her.”

Referring to the recent Tulsa, Oklahoma race riot, in which the mob destroyed forty-four blocks of Negro property, the following extracts are parts of an editorial that appeared in the July 7, 1921 issue of a white newspaper, The National Tribune of Washington, D.C.

“The Burning Disgrace of ‘Race Riot’”.

“As we have said before, there is a strong element in Tulsa coming from the renegade whites who fled out of the reach of{146} justice to start a so-called “race riot” on any pretext. The more that the situation is studied the less provocation there was for such an outrage. The absurdity of the white girl’s story that she had been insulted by a negro boy was apparent on its face. It is said her reputation was not of the best and no one apparently stopped to think of the impossibility of such an outrage in the most public place in a city of 100,000 people. The elevator which she was running was in the most conspicuous part of the building.

“The riot was made possible by the worthlessness of the police and judiciary. As usual in a place of such sudden rise to greatness as Tulsa, the vicious elements have entirely too large a control of the municipal authorities. The houses of ill-fame, gambling joints, bootleggers, and other criminals have too much to say as to the selection of officials. For 14 years Tulsa has been in the absolute control of this element. The better class of people were too much absorbed making the easy money possible there to bother themselves and give up any time to politics.

“Quite a number of negroes have made fortunes in Tulsa and they became the special objects of the mob. One colored man owned and operated a printing plant with $25,000 of printing machinery in it. It was assailed and burned to the ground by a mob led by a man who had been working a linotype at a salary of $48 a week. Of course, this linotype man professed to be a “perfect Southern gentleman” and superior to a negro, although he degraded himself by working for him at good wages. Dr. A. C. Jackson, a colored physician, who was called by competent authorities the most able negro surgeon in America, was marked for the wrath of the mob because he owned $100,000 worth of property. He tried to fight against the mob and surrendered under a pledge of protection, but was murdered on his way to jail.” ...

The above are but a few of the many such editorials that have recently come under the notice of the writer, and if white editors who run out such editorials could just mingle among the masses of both races where their papers are read and listen to the com{147}ments being made, they would be amazed to note the influence for good that such writings are exerting. And if now in this critical period of racial unrest, the majority of white editors through this land together with the white clergy will take such stands for law and order, the race prejudice in this country will be checked before its barbarism pulls the United States down, down, down to the very lowest and most despised race among all nations and countries—civilized and uncivilized. For this unjust public sentiment can only be checked and changed by the right kind of influences starting from the white pulpits and printing rooms. The frequent clashings of swords cannot force about such a change, but the constant exchange of reasoning sermons and editorials can persuade such a change to come about.

If it is the fear of losing their congregations and churches that prevents so many white ministers from taking such a stand; then the way to be outspoken (instead of silent) against mob sins and crimes, and still keep “Mrs. Wolf” from grinning at them through their parsonage windows, is for all of them to become outspoken. And as their people must continue to have churches and be preached to, those ministers would still hold their pulpits as they would then be the only kind of preachers (outspoken) to listen to.

If it is the fear of losing their subscribers and seeing their papers go into the waste baskets that keeps so many white editors from taking such a rightful stand; then the way to keep and increase their subscribers and at the same time keep “Mr. Wolf” from sniffing around the kitchen doors, is for all editors to begin to use the “Golden (printer’s guiding) Rule” to measure out their editorials on the Race questions. As their people must have newspapers in order to learn what is going on in the world, rather than get no papers they would buy the only kind (the fair and just) that would then be printed. And in using the above methods in bringing about brotherhood and Christlike feelings between the two races, no one would be the loser, but all would be the gainers.

As another witness and proof that courageously standing for right and fearlessly denouncing wrong through their convincing{148} columns does not weaken but eventually strengthens and increases the influence of such white periodicals; the writer quotes below in part an editorial that appeared in the September 14, 1921 issue of The Nation, a world-famed white magazine that has been successfully published in New York for over fifty years during all which time its publication has continued to grow and spread as the results of just such Golden Rule editorials as the following:

“The daughter of Mr. J. B. Webb, “prominent in financial and social circles,” chose to marry a groom, her sister having previously married a policeman.... The newspapers sent around special reporters in battalions. Then up spoke Mr. Webb: “It’s rotten, that’s what I call it—rotten! To tear a person’s life to shreds like this, and bring up for the public eye the affairs of one poor little girl.” To which we say a hearty Amen. But more rotten than this outrageous violation of individual rights by the press is the careless or malicious zest with which certain papers, especially in the South, publish stories from depraved or irresponsible white women accusing some black man of a more or less grave offense against them. Every newspaperman knows that just such a story started the Tulsa riots, as well as those in Washington and in Omaha. Yet here we find on the front pages of the Memphis Commercial Appeal two circumstantial stories of attack by Negroes on white women. Both of them were false, as the newspaper itself admitted less conspicuously next day. This sort of thing is all too common and not every city has a paper as bold as the Memphis Press in denouncing it. It is high time for a renascence of ethical standards in newsgathering.”

In Magazine Writing

Just as Dr. W. E. B. DuBois is recognized as the foremost magazine writer in the Negro race, not only in America but throughout the world; it is said he has also made The Crisis Magazine, of which he is editor-in-chief, the widest read Colored magazine of its kind not only in the Western but also in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is estimated that this magazine is read each month by nearly four hundred thousand people.{149}

Among lettered Colored women, Miss Jessie R. Fauset, a graduate of Cornell where she was made a member of the Phi Betta Kappa Fraternity, later becoming a teacher of French and Latin in the M Street High School, Washington, D.C., and at present Literary Editor of the The Crisis Magazine, is today recognized by the best critics as a leading and most versatile magazine writer.

Such wise, timely and meatful articles as “Race Consciousness,” “Heart Talk,” “Representation of the American Woman,” “World Brotherhood,” “Oil Upon Troubled Waters” are among the many writings that have stamped Miss H. Georgiana Whyte, editor of the Women’s Department of The Favorite Magazine, as one of the most forceful and helpful magazine writers among Colored women.

Aside from long ago proving himself as one of the ablest Colored newspaper editors in the country, Attorney Robt. L. Vann of Pittsburgh, Pa., has shown by the high quality of his Competitor Magazine that as a writer in this field he is second to none.

The cheerfulness and life that Editor Fenton Johnson puts into his Favorite Magazine explains why it is having such a rapid growth and has become a sure-enough favorite with the Colored readers, not only in its home city of Chicago but throughout the country.

The inspiring snap that Editor Willis N. Huggins throws into his UpReach Magazine accounts for it being so popular, especially with the younger and progressive element among the Colored readers who are always benefited by such well chosen and written articles.

The exceptional ability to so vividly portray human nature from the viewpoints of both races when building up stories is one of the secrets that is the cause of Editor Aubery Bowser’s Rainbow Magazine being sought after by all readers who want to learn and understand the inside life situations as they really exist when the two races come in close contact.{150}

Except those people who personally go through the tedious processes of a similar work, no one is able to fully realize and appreciate the value of the up-to-date culled, methodically complied, instructively built-up and tastily arranged matter that Miss Madeline G. Allison presents each month in The Crisis: under the heading “The Horizon.” In monthly compiling the tremendous new store of varied and far-reaching data her department contains, Miss Allison is doing a grand and unique piece of literary writing the workmanship and quality of which any magazine of any race would be proud to carry.

As the results of the deep thinking and outspoken opinions that get down to the very core and essence of the subjects handled by them, Editors Owens and Chandler, through the medium of their magazine The Messenger are fast mounting top rungs in their profession and at the same time attracting the wide attentions of well-versed and seasoned newspaper and magazine people in both races.

Although it has not been founded very long, the Method Magazine, edited by F. H. Hallion, of Richmond, Va., is attracting wide attention on account of its instructive and helpful articles pertaining to business relations in their many fields of activities.

The Brownies’ Book, edited by W. E. B. DuBois, & A. G. Dill of New York City, N. Y., is something entirely new in the field of Negro journalism. It is, “A monthly magazine for children which attempts to bring to them: The best in pictures and stories of Negro life. The life and deeds of famous men and women of the Negro race. The current events of the world told in beautiful language which children can understand.”

In going out of the way to thoughtfully assert that the Brownies’ Book should be in every Negro home where there are children; the writer expresses such a sentiment, not because of being more partial to this certain magazine and its editors than to other magazines and their editors, but, because he is ever proud to admit that he is really cranky partial to any Negro history no matter under what covers it may appear.{151} Especially is this true when such history is written (as in the Brownies’ Book) in plain, easy, truthful and interesting English that makes first and lasting impressions upon young and tender Negro minds before they are indelibly imprinted and permanently poisoned by the devilish trash contained in blood-thirsty, underworld, dime novels so youthfully secured and greedily read by unwatched and idle-minded children of all races.

Although it is not a monthly magazine but a quarterly journal, The Journal of Negro History, edited by Carter G. Woodson of Washington, D.C. is a nationally known publication of instruction, encouragement and inspiration for the American Colored people, of matured years who wish to learn their Race history.

Monroe N. Work’s marvelously compiled Negro Year Book is conceded to be the greatest compact work of literary science ever produced by an American Negro. What the World Almanac is to the Caucasian Race, The Negro Year Book is to the Negro Race. The following quotation is what a leading white newspaper, The New York Sun, commented on this masterpiece of literature: “Interesting and important is the array of facts relating to the Negro contained in the Negro Year Book. The book is a perfect encyclopedia of achievements by Negroes in all ranks of life, of the history of the race in the United States, of Legislative enactments relating to them, of activity in all branches, particularly education. The book is indispensable to all who have to deal with any phase of the Negro question.”

The following is a list of the most important monthly, quarterly or yearly magazines or journals published in the United States by Colored people:

American Caterer & Gazette Guide,
Editor J. A. Ross, Buffalo, N. Y.
American Musicians’ Magazine,
Editor W. A. Potter, Phila., Pa.
Amusement World,
Editor Jack Trotter, Chicago, Ill.
Brotherhood Magazine,
Editor C. H. Taylor, Chicago, Ill.
Brownies’ Book,
{152}Editors W. E. B. DuBois & A. G. Dill, New York, N.Y.
Business Men’s Bulletin,
Editor Edw. Perkins, Chicago, Ill.
Journal of Nat’l Medical Ass’n,
Editor Dr. J. A. Kenney, Tuskegee, Ala.
Journal of Negro History,
Editor C. G. Woodson, Washington, D.C.
Music and Poetry,
Editor Nora Douglass Holt, Chicago, Ill.
National Association Notes,
Editor Mrs. Booker T. Washington, Tuskegee, Ala.
The Colored Teacher,
Editor F. A. McGinnis, Wilberforce, Ohio.
The Competitor,
Editor Robt. L. Vann, Pittsburgh, Pa.
The Crisis,
Editor Dr. W. E. B. DuBois, New York City, N. Y.
The Crusader,
Editor, C V. Briggs, New York City, N. Y.
The Favorite,
Editor Fenton Johnson, Chicago, Ill.
The Half Century,
Editor Katherine W. Irmin, Chicago, Ill.
The Master Musician,
Editor G. W. Parris, Phila., Pa.
The Method,
Editor F. H. Hallion, Richmond, Va.
The Messenger,
Editors Owens and Chandler, New York City, N. Y.
The Pullman Porter’s Review,
Editor Z. Withers, Chicago, Ill.
The Rainbow,
Editor Aubrey Bowser, New York City, N. Y.
The Negro Year Book,
Editor Monroe N. Work, Tuskegee Inst., Ala.
The Negro Musician,
Editor Henry L. Grant, Washington, D.C.
The Search Light.
Editor A. B. Vincent, Raleigh, N. C.
The Up-Reach Magazine,
M. N. Huggins, Chicago, Ill.

Some names in above list are extracts from Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, (Page 465).

As a successful magazine essay prize writer, Isaac Fisher, of Nashville, Tenn., is recognized today as the foremost in the Negro race. The following quotation is part of an article that appeared in the July 9, 1921 issue of the Chicago Defender:

“The third prize of $75, offered by the Metropolitan Magazine of New York in its contest for writers on the subject, “Can We Keep Peace with Japan,” was won by Isaac Fisher, editor of the Fisk University News, according to an announcement made{153} in the August issue of the magazine just released....

“Among the prizes he has won in the past through his writings are first prize of $500 offered by Everybody’s Magazine; first prize of $100 offered by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch; first prize of $50 offered for the best digest of the merits of the money-weight scales; second prize of $400 offered by Hart, Schaffner & Marx’ executive committee of Chicago; second prize of $100 offered by the Manufacturers’ Record of Baltimore.

“Those who know Mr. Fisher’s records are aware that these are but a few of the prizes he has won in competition with the best minds of the country. It will be remembered that he won the first prize of $500 in Everybody’s Magazine contest in competition with 900 writers, including some of the best legal and professional men of the country.”

In summing up, the leading Colored short-story writers of today who are known throughout the country as standing contributors to newspapers and magazines are Frances Coston Berry, Indianapolis, Ind., Aubrey Bowser, New York, Chas. W. Chestnut, Cleveland, O., W. E. B. DuBois, New York, Jessie R. Fauset, New York, Isaac Fisher, Nashville, Tenn., T. Thomas Fortune, New York, W. N. Huggins, Chicago, Ill., Jas. A. Jackson, New York, A. L. Jackson, Chicago, Ill., Jas. Weldon Johnson, N. Y., Fenton Johnson, Chicago, Ill., Alice Dunbar Nelson, Wilmington, Del., Beatrice (Neave) Perry, Phila., Pa.

{154}

IN BOOK WRITING

Inspiring Books

ON account of the present day rapid streams of their smoothly flowing inks into the deep-lettered channels of their versatile works, the following named persons, according to the estimation of one of America’s best literary critics, are ten of the foremost American Colored authors of today:

Wm. S. Braithwaite, Boston, Mass., Benjamin G. Brawley, Atlanta, Ga., W. E. B. Dubois, Jessie R. Fauset, Jas. Weldon Johnson, New York City, Georgia D. Johnson, Kelly Miller, Washington, D.C., Lucian B. Watkins, Annapolis, Md., Carter G. Woodson, Washington, D.C. and Monroe N. Work, Tuskegee, Alabama.

The following more detailed list contains the names of some of the foremost Colored authors and their most important works produced in America:

Delilah L. Beasley’s
Negro Trail Blazers of California.
Ford S. Black’s
Blue Book of Chicago.
Aubrey Bowser’s
The Man Who Would be White.
R. H. Boyd’s
Sunday School Commentary.
St. Elmo Brady’s
Household Chemistry for Girls.
Wm. S. Braithwaite’s
Anthology of Magazine Verse—Golden Treasury of Magazine Verse—Lyrics of Life and Love—Story of the Great War.
C. F. Bragg’s
Men of Maryland—Afro-American Church Workers.
Benj. G. Brawley’s.
History of The Negro—The Negro in Literature and Art.
Chas. W. Chestnutt’s
{155}The Conjur Woman—The House Behind The Cedars—The
Marrow of Tradition—Frederick Douglass.
Jos. S. Cotter, Sr’s.
Caleb The Degenerate—Links of Friendship—Sequel to The Pied Piper—White Song and A Black Song.
Jos. S. Cotter, Jr’s.
Band of Gideon—Out of The Shadows.
L. J. Coppin’s
Unwritten History.
A. B. Cosey’s
American and English Law on Titles of Record.
J. W. Cromwell’s
The Negro in American History.
D. W. Culp’s
Twentieth Century of Negro Literature.
Frederick Douglass
My Bondage and Freedom—Life and Times of Frederick Douglass.
W. E. B. DuBois
The Suppression of The Slave Trade—Souls of Black
Folks—The Quest of The Silver Fleece—John Brown—Darkwater.
Paul Lawrence Dunbar’s
Folks From Dixie—Love and Landry —Lyrics of Lowly Life—Uncalled—Heart of Happy Hollow—Lyrics of The Hearthstone— Strength of Gideon and Other Stories—Complete Poems—Lyrics of Love and Laughter—Lyrics of Sunshine and Shadow—Poems of Cabin and Field—Life and Works of Paul Lawrence Dunbar.
H. O. Flipper’s
Colored Cadets At West Point.
A. H. Grimke’s
Negro and The Elective Franchise.
S. E. Griggs’
Life’s Demand or According to Law—The Hindered Hand-Unfettered.
Frances E. Harper’s
Iola Leroy—Miscellaneous Poems —Sketches of Southern Life.
Algernon B. Jackson’s
The Man Next Door.
Jas. Weldon Johnson’s
The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man—Fifty Years and Other Poems.
Edw. A. Johnson’s
Light Ahead For the Negro— School History of The Negro Race In America—The Negro in The Spanish-American War.
Georgia D. Johnson’s
An Autumn Love Cycle—Heart of A Woman and Other Poems—Shadow Song.
M. A. Majors’
Noted Negro Women.
Jas. E. McGirth’s
The Triumph of Ephraim —Some Simple Songs.
Kelly Miller’s
Out of The House of Bondage—Race Adjustment—World War For Human Rights.
J. E. Moorland’s
{156}Training of The Negro Minister.
Mrs. N. F. Mosselle’s
Afro-American Women.
R. R. Moton’s
Finding A Way Out.
Daniel Murray’s
Encyclopedia Of The Negro.
Alice Dunbar Nelson’s
Masterpieces of Eloquence—Goodness of St. Rocque And Other Stories.
D. A. Payne’s
History Of The A. M. E. Church
I. G. Penn’s
The Afro-American Press.
C. H. Phillips’
History of The C. M. E. Church.
William Pickens’
The Heir of Slaves.
J. A. Rogers’
From Superman to Man—An Open Letter To Congress.
Emmett J. Scott’s
Booker T. Washington, Builder of a Civilization—Scott’s Official History of The American Negro In The World War.
W. H. Shackelford’s
Along the Highway—Poems.
Mrs. S. M. Steward’s
Women In Medicine.
Allison W. Sweeney’s
History Of The World War.
B. T. Tanner’s
History & Government Of The A. M. E. Z. Church Men.
Booker T. Washington’s
Up From Slavery—Frederick Douglass—My Larger Education—Character Building—The Man Farthest Down—Working With The Hands—Future Of The American Negro—Negro In Business—Sowing and Reaping—Tuskegee and Its People.—Story of My Life And Work.
Geo. W. Williams’
History Of The Negro Race In America—History Of The Negro Troops In The Rebellion.
Carter G. Woodson’s
A Century of Negro Migration—Education Of The Negro Prior To 1861.
John W. Work’s
Folk Songs Of The American Negro.
Monroe N. Work’s
Negro Year Book.
R. R. Wright, Sr’s.
Negro Education in Georgia.
R. R. Wright, Jr’s.
Centennial Encyclopedia Of The African M. E. Church.

(Some names in above list are from Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, Pgs. 481-2-3.){157}

Noted Colored Statisticians

Dr. W. E. B. DuBois, Harvard graduate, Editor of The Crisis and The Brownies’ Book, New York City, and recognized as the leading Negro Sociologist in the world, is in possession of more authentic data covering the social life of the American Colored people than any other member of the race.

Dr. Geo. E. Haynes, Columbia graduate, U. S. Director of Negro Economics during the World War, and Dr. R. R. Wright Jr., graduate of the University of Pa., and editor of the Christian Recorder, Phila., Pa., are the two leading American Colored authorities on economic data relative to the all-round labor, industrial and living conditions of the Colored people in America.

Prof. W. T. B. Williams, Harvard graduate, Vice-Principal of Tuskegee Institute and Field Agent for the Jeanes and Slater Funds, is estimated to have on his “finger tips” more convincing and reliable facts and figures pertaining to the purposes, needs kinds and grades of work done and results obtained in Negro universites, colleges, industrial normal schools and rural county schools than any educator in America.

Prof. Monroe N. Work, a University of Chicago graduate, editor of the Negro Year Book and Director of Department Records and Research, Tuskegee Institute, Ala., is the foremost Negro not only in America, but throughout the world, who has in his possession the greatest amount of authentic statistics covering the all-round past and present activities of the Colored people in the United States of America.

Colored Orators and Lecturers

Some of the foremost Colored orators and lecturers who are most frequently on the platform before the American public today are J. W. E. Bowen, Atlanta, Ga., W. E. B. DuBois, New York City, N. Y., Geo. E. Haynes, Washington, D.C., Eva D. Bowles, New York City., Hallie Q. Brown, Wilberforce, Ohio, E. K. Jones, Jas. Weldon Johnson, New York City, N. Y., Mordecai Johnson, Charleston, W. Va., Kelly Miller, Washington,{158} D.C., Chas. S. Morris, Jr., Norfolk, Va., J. E. Moorland, New York, N. Y., R. R. Moton, Tuskegee, Ala., Wm. Pickens, New York City, N. Y., C. V. Roman, Nashville, Tenn., Roscoe C. Simmons, Louisville, Ky., Mary C. Terrell, Washington, D. C., Wm. M. Trotter, Boston, Mass.

Now, if after reading through the foregoing pages of inspiration, regarding the successes of Negro writers, some Colored girls and boys should still lack courage, because of their color and race, to throw their talents into such literary avenues, they should remember that:—

The most important thing about a newspaper, magazine or book is not its white pages, (because such pages can be and often are colored) but the most important thing in such a publication is its print of jet black letters and words. But if those genuine Ethiopian letters refused, just because of their color, to mingle with and make lasting impressions upon the fair Caucasian pages of newspapers, magazines and books; why my discouraged young friends, there would be no fields nor meadows of journalism in which white people could even enter to frolic in the games of “pen and pencil pushing.”

{159}

IN HIGHER EDUCATION

FOR the Colored youths of exceptional mental abilities and talents who desire to fit themselves along higher educational lines, there are 86 Negro universities and colleges and numerous white universities and colleges in the North and West where they can learn art, chemistry, dentistry, law, medicine, music, pharmacy, theology and other higher subjects. Up to the present time over 7000 Colored students have graduated from American colleges and of this number upward of ten or eleven hundred have graduated from white colleges. According to the July 1921 issue of The Crisis, 85 Colored Bachelors of Arts, & Sciences, 11 Masters of Arts and 3 Doctors in Philosophy graduated from white colleges in 1921, while 376 Bachelors of Arts, 80 Doctors of Medicine, 73 Dentists, 27 Pharmacists, 25 Lawyers and 45 Ministers graduated from Colored colleges in 1921. The three Colored scholars who graduated from the white colleges with the honors of Doctor of Philosophy are Misses Eva B. Dykes, Radcliffe College; Sadie T. Mossell, University of Pennsylvania, and Georgiana Simpson, University of Chicago. Miss Eunice R. Hunton, “an excellent student throughout her course” has the distinction of receiving the two honor degrees A. B. and A. M. upon her graduation in 1921 from Smith College, Mass.

The first Colored person to graduate from a Northern white college was John Brown Russworm, who graduated from Bowdoin in 1826. Aside from holding for years the world recognition and honor of being both the greatest scholastic and athletic university in America, Harvard University is also known throughout the Eastern and Western Hemispheres as practicing the truest and highest standards of broad-minded, one-hundred percent Americanism toward its Colored students of any similar white{160} institution in America. As a result of such brotherhood feelings existing there between the two races, more Negroes on an average enter and graduate from the different departments of Harvard than from any other great Northern white college. Its front doors (as well as back doors) are always standing ajar with latch strings hanging on the outside for the unembarrassed entrance of any worthy applicant whether he be rich or poor, white or black. And when a Colored student at Harvard joins his white school chums in singing their college song—“Fair Harvard,” he sings it with the same fullness and pathos in heart, the same peacefulness and contentment in mind and the same truthfulness and sincerity in words that he hopes when he enters the world to be able to sing in every country, over which floats the “Red White and Blue”—“My Country ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty”—letting his voice come to its fullest accent and climaxing crescendo on the word—LIBERTY.

Other leading white universities or colleges having encouraged and welcomed Colored students to study in and graduate from their class room, as well as to play and star on their varsity teams are as follows:

Amherst, Mass., Bates, Maine, Brown, R. I., California, Cal., Carnegie, Pa., Chicago, Ill., Cincinnati, O.; Clark, Mass., Colby, Me., Columbia, N. Y., Cornell, N. Y., Dartmouth, N. H., Dubuque, Ia., Illinois, Ill., Indiana, Ind., Kansas, Kan., Lafayette, Pa., (and the racial broad-mindedness, human brotherhood and one-hundred percent Americanism sentiment relative to the Negro at Lehigh University, Pa., as a student, is becoming so pronounced there as to indicate that Lehigh may eventually join these other white schools with her sister Lafayette in having Colored American citizens to study and recite in her class rooms) Massachusetts, Mass., Michigan, Mich,. New York, N. Y., Northwestern, Ill., Ohio State, O., Pennsylvania, Pa., Pittsburgh, Pa., Radcliffe, Mass., Rutgers, N. J., Smith, Mass., Syracuse, N. Y., Temple, Pa., Tufts, Mass., Washington & Jefferson; Wellesley, Williams, Mass., Wisconsin, Wis., Yale, Conn.

Some of the Negro universities and colleges that are preparing young men and women of the Race to enter the different fields{161} of professionalism for the betterment and uplift of themselves and their people are named below as follows:

Allen Univ., Columbia, S. C.; Arkansas Bapt. Col., Little Rock, Ark.; Altanta Bapt. Col., Atlanta Univ., Atlanta, Ga.; Barber Memorial Seminary, (women) Anniston, Ala.; Benedict Col., Columbia S. C.; Biddle Univ., Charlotte, N. C.; Claflin, Col., Orangeburg, S. C.; Clarke Univ., Atlanta, Ga.; Edward Waters Col., Jacksonville, Fla.; Fisk Univ., Nashville, Tenn.; Hartshorn Col., (women) Richmond, Va.; Howard Univ., Washington, D.C.; Jackson Col., Jackson, Miss.; Knoxville Col.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Lane Col.; Jackson, Tenn.; Lincoln Univ., Lincoln, Pa.; Livingston Col., Salisbury, N. C.; Mary Allen Seminary, (women) Crockett, Texas; Mary Holmes Seminary, (women) West Point, Miss.; Meherry Univ., Nashville, Tenn.; Miles Memorial Col., Birmingham, Ala.; Morehouse Col., Atlanta, Ga.; Morgan Col., Baltimore, Md.; Morris Brown Univ., Atlanta, Ga.; National Training School, Durham, N. C.; National Training School, (women) Washington, D.C.; Paine Univ., Augusta, Ga.; Paul Quinn Col., Waco, Tex.; Payne Univ., Selma, Ala.; Philander Smith Col., Little Rock, Ark.; Roger Williams Univ., Nashville, Tenn.; Rust Univ., Holley Springs, Miss.; Selma Univ., Selma, Ala.; Scotia Seminary, (women) Concord, N. C.; Shaw Univ., Raleigh, N. C.; Geo. R. Smith Col., Sedalia, Mo., Spellman Seminary, (women) Atlanta, Ga.; Shorter Col., Little Rock, Ark.; State Normal Col., Normal, Ala.; Straight Col., New Orleans, La.; Southern Univ., Baton Rouge, La.; Talladega Col., Talledega, Ala.; Touguloo Univ., Touguloo, Miss.; Virginia Union Univ., Richmond, Va.; Western Univ., Quindaro, Kan.; Wilberforce Univ., Wilberforce, O.; West Va. Collegiate Inst., Institute, West Va.; Wiley Col., Marshall, Tex. (extracts from Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, pgs. 303-4-5).

Some of the foremost Colored leaders in higher education as well as among the most noted scholars of today are: H. S. Blackiston, Institute, W. Va., St. Elmo Brady, Washington, D.C., John W. Davis, Institute, W. Va., John A. Gregg, Wilberforce, O., G. E. Haynes, Washington D.C., John Hope, Atlanta, Ga.,{162} Elmer S. Imes, New York City, E. E. Just, Washington, D.C. Clement Richardson, Jefferson City, Mo., L. J. Rowan, Alcorn, Miss., W. S. Scarborough, Wilberforce, O., J. B. Simpson, Richmond, Va., C. H. Turner, St. Louis, Mo., N. B. Young, Tallahassee, Fla., R. C. Woods, Lynchburg, Va., C. G. Woodson, Washington, D.C., R. R. Wright, Jr., Phila., Pa.

Whenever a Colored person makes a phenomenal advancement in any special and worthy field of progress, some jealous enemy of the race silently creeps out at once, loads his donkey cart full of smoked glasses, leather glasses, sun glasses, eye glasses, spy glasses, magnifying glasses, old ladies’ spectacles, microscopes, telescopes, X-Rays, etc., etc., etc., and scoots around examining even the very breath the unsuspecting Colored person leaves upon the air. If the surmised results of that examination and the color of the victim’s skin in any way suggests that he has one drop of Caucasian blood in him; then the credit for all the success he has attained is given to the white race—just as a little patch of white hair on the forehead of an otherwise jet black horse is the cause of that black horse winning a race.

Allowing such enemies of Negroes to retain their foolish beliefs rather than waste valuable time trying to convince them they’re wrong, the writer, for the benefit of well-meaning but easily influenced white people who might be led astray by the above foolish beliefs, picks out just one from among scores of full-blooded Negroes of highest attainments in different fields. This selected and highly gifted Negro scholar is Dr. W. S. Scarborough, A. M., LL. D., Ph. D. about whom there has never been the slightest question regarding his not being a genuine Negro. He was for many years president of Wilberforce University and is a member of at least seven national and international educational societies the majority to which no other Negro belongs. At this writing Dr. Scarborough has just sailed for Europe where he will represent America in several international meetings of educational societies. He is the author of a Greek Grammar and several other original works in Greek.

Talented high school Colored youths who wish to go to college, but hesitate to go as high as possible in education for fear{163} of their learned colored complexions displeasing other races, should remember that:

The highest thing in the world (the sky) is Colored, and who is not at all times over-joyed in spirits and much benefited in hopefulness when seeing blue patches of the elevated sky after it has been hidden for several days behind clouds that may even be of snowy whiteness?

{164}

IN THE SCIENCES

Mat Henson

WHILE the American Negro in the field of science has not yet produced an Agassiz, the Race has already developed two men far advanced along this path in the persons of Dr. Ernest R. Just, Head Professor of Physiology at Howard University and Dr. Chas. H. Turner, Professor of Biology at Howard University.

As the only magna cum laude man in his class of 1907, Dr. Just graduated from Dartmouth College, and in 1916 received his degree, Ph. D. from the University of Chicago in zoology and physiology. Among the many scientific subjects upon which he has written he has chiefly dwelt upon artificial parthenogenesis and fertilization. For ten years he has spent his summer vacations as a student in research work at the Marine Biological Laboratory at Wood’s Hole, Mass. On account of his minute scientific researches and conclusions he has been made a member in the Sigma Xi and Phi Beta Kappa Societies, The American Society of Zoologists, the American Museum, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

In order to further inspire Negro youths who plan to make this particular professional line their work, the writer will cite an incident that fully proves Dr. Just’s recognition and valuation in the world of science. During the summer of 1920, the highest scientific organ in the United States, The National Academy of Sciences, provided a grant to Dr. Just, through Howard University, to cover research work in the field of physiology. As this is the first grant of its kind not only to a Negro but to a member of any race, it further proves that hard study and sweaty work, bull dog grit and grip to never loose your hold, mule stubborness to brace your hind feet in holding your grounds and at the same time flopping your ears to all discouraging sounds, taking tor{165}toise steps slow but always forward, while keeping an eagle eye on some chosen lofty peak, will finally result in any Colored person, although prejudiced handicapped, reaching the highest point in any noble calling.

Aside from the University of Chicago honoring him with the degree of Ph. D. in 1907, the world’s greatest scientists in America and Europe have weighed and found the full value of Dr. Chas. H. Turner as a Biologist of the first order in the special fields of neurology and comparative psychology.

Here and abroad scientific students and teachers alike constantly turn for information and references to his writings on the habits and manner of the Burrowing and Honey Bees, the Common Roach, the Mason Wasp, the Ant and several other species of larger sized and more advanced insect vertebrates. Some other of his research articles that have appeared in some of the best magazines of science are Morphology of the Nervous System of the Genus Cypris; Ecological Notes on the Cladocrea and Copspoda of Augusta; the Mushroom Bodies of the Crawfish, Morphology of the Avian Brain and other subjects along these lines. (Extracts from Southern Workman, July 1920 issue, pgs. 324-26).

Negro boys who read these pages will notice that just as it is the colored bees that are willing to drudge day after day in gathering and laying aside bits by bits of the sweetest thing on earth (honey) for future use; so has Dr. Turner (like all present and future youths must do if they wish to gain success in any calling) been willing to patiently and tirelessly plod ahead gathering and adding little by little of the greatest thing on earth (knowledge) to his store of wisdom. Today his research stack has piled up into such a vast heap that he is now able to scatter it into scientific pastures in such aways as to be of the most fertilizing values therein for the enriching of future young minds and for the growing of reputation and fame for himself.

The most original and beneficial researches and discoveries in the American Negro field of chemistry have been made by Prof. G. E. Carver, Director of Agricultural Research in Chemistry at Tuskegee Institute, Tuskegee, Ala. Chief among his{166} twenty and more discovered chemical products that are today being used as practical farm and household necessites are as follows: dressing for canvass shoes, made from Macon County clays; dyes made from dandelion, black oak, wood ashes, sweet gum, willow, swamp-maple, sweet potatoes, pomegranate, peanuts, sage, orange, muscatine grape, onions, velvet beans and tomato vines; cotton-stalk fibre for rope, cordage, mats and carpets; furniture stains made from native clays and vegetables; feathers for millinery purposes, secured from native wild and barn-yard fowls; laundry blues, 20 varieties; okra fibre for paper, rope, cordage, strawboard, matting and carpet; poplar bark for artificial ribbon; Tonic stock feed, made of snap corn, velvet beans, cotton-seed meal, and china berries, containing protein, 14.5 per cent., fats, 4.5;, crude fibre 12, and carbohydrates 52; Ultramarine Dyes, made from Macon County clays and used for cotton, wool, silk, and leather; White and Color Washes, made from clays; Wistaria for basketry work. One of his chemical products that attracted the widest attention was Prof. Carver’s Sweet Potatoes Flour that was successfully used during the World War by the Tuskegee Institute (which has a population around two thousand students and instructors) as a substitute for wheat flour. (Ref. Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, p. 42).

Quite a number of Colored men and women have graduated in chemistry and physics with high honors from some of the leading universities in America, and are today holding responsible and high salaried positions either as professors in colleges or as consulting chemists in private commercial corporations. Among such professors in colleges are St. Elmo Brady and E. Chandler who have attracted unusual attention to their chemical experiments and for their accurate conclusions have received their Ph. D. degrees from the University of Illinois. Dr. Brady is author of a book on chemistry.

For the past twenty-five years a Colored man by the name of O. W. Collins has been employed by the R. W. Hunt Bureau of Inspection, said to be the largest engineering corporation in America. Mr. Collins is an analytical and consulting chemist for that corporation.{167}

Harry Keelan, a Harvard graduate, during the World War resigned a $300 a month position as consulting chemist in a New York white firm, in order to join some other Colored men in organizing a company for the manufacture of dyes. In this industry he was ably assisted by E. L. Davidson, another Harvard graduate, and the quality of their dyes was of such high grade and standard that their firm was unable to fill the rush orders for their products.

Miss Deborah Henderson graduated from the Central High School, Detroit, Mich., attending the Oberlin College where her scholastic achievements won her the much coveted “key”. Then entering the University of Chicago she attended there until her graduation as a ranking bacteriologist and chemical technician, as well as serving during her senior year as president of the Alpha Kappa Sorority. Miss Henderson is only one among numerous Colored women who have successfully invaded the highest chemical fields. After reaching that stage of advancement, they have experimentally as well as theoretically peeped and peered into many scientific secret lanes and avenues until they learned much of the hidden and inexhaustive mysteries therein. And with the proper encouragements, facilities and surroundings, it is not impossible for some American Colored women scientist some day becoming a second Madame Curie by finally discovering and giving to the world another hidden force of the elements, like Radium, that will greatly benefit humanity and add much to the store of man’s scientific knowledge.

The following quotation is part of an article that appeared in the April 9, 1921 issue of the Chicago Defender:

“In the various fields of learning the race has wrought and has its representatives; but not until now have we had a graduate doctor of metaphysics. The pioneer in this instance is Dr. Adene C. E. Minott, founder and head of the Clio School of Mental Sciences, Inc., 3543 State street, this city.

“While yet a girl in her teens, Miss Minott showed exceptional ability. She graduated first in her class from Grammar School No. 80, New York City, and won the prize for general{168} excellence from her teacher, Miss Mary E. Eaton. Miss Minott then entered the Girl’s Technical High School of that city and, after receiving necessary academic counts, entered the Mac Donnall College of Phrenology and Psychology, Washington, D.C. Because she was a Race woman, she was not permitted to study with the regular classes, but forced to take the course by private instruction. Despite this disadvantage, Miss Minott completed the studies in one-half the regular time, graduated with honors and received the degree of Bachelor of Philosophy.

“Returning to New York City, she next forced admittance into the world-famed American Institute of Anthropology, perfecting herself as a teacher in five branches of anthropology, as follows: Phrenology, physiognomy, practical psychology, physiology and anatomy of the brain. When she graduated from this institution, as a mark of distinction for an excellent record, she was presented with a membership medal and received the degree of Fellow of the American Institute of Anthropology, this making her the only Race woman in the United States to graduate from this institution or holding such a degree.

“Two years ago Prof. Minott began an intensive course in metaphysics and business psychology at the College of Metaphysics, St. Louis, Mo. She completed the courses and took the midwinter examinations recently, passing with honors and receiving the title and degree of Doctor of Metaphysics, being the first again of the Race to receive that degree in this country.

“The first years of Dr. Minott’s practice were confined to an exclusive clientele among the whites of New York City. Five years ago, however, she was prevailed upon to establish a branch of the Clio School of Mental Sciences in Chicago, and to centralize her efforts somewhat upon the developing and improving of her own people. This she did, and her efforts have met with enviable success and gratifying appreciation.”

Miss Minott’s unusually successful career proves that a Colored girl has the same brain power to reach the mental heights a white girl is able to attain, even when that Colored girl is given only half the encouragement, half the privileges and half access{169} to the proper environments. It is true that all Colored girls cannot soar as high in education as Miss Minott, but all Colored girls can improve themselves from day to day if they will only decide to study. A cook can elevate herself to a hairdresser; a chambermaid can elevate herself to a dressmaker; a waitress can elevate herself to a stenographer and typewriter; a factory girl can elevate herself to a bookkeeper and a child’s nurse can elevate herself to a school teacher. But such girls cannot reach such successes if they go to ball rooms and cabarets to elevate their skirts instead of going to night schools to elevate their minds. It all depends upon each girl herself whether she will do drudgery work all her life or whether she will do it a few years as a stepping stone while she is preparing herself for something higher.

Colored cooks, waitresses, etc., who think it is no use to develop their minds, or study for more education just because they are Colored and will not get a chance to use such education, should remember that:

They would never have grape fruits, oranges or bananas to prepare and serve if those fruits refused to grow and develop because of their yellow skins; they would never have coffee to serve if it had refused to grow because it is brown; they would never have steak to broil and serve if yellow alderney or black holstein cattle had refused to develop from calves to cows because of their colors. Thus, if fruits, vegetables and dumb animals keep right on growing and developing into their fullest bloom of power and usefulness regardless of their colors; why should not Colored girls, who have brains to think, hands to work and God to guide them in right, do the same?{170}

IN MEDICINE.

The Medicine Man

IN order to help look after the general health, advise and encourage good physical conditions and thereby save and prolong the lives of the several million Colored people residing in the United States, and to assist in easing the pains and sufferings of all humanity; there are between four and five thousand Colored physicians today practicing medicine in America. While the majority of these professional men are located in parts of this country where they do business exclusively among their own people, there are hundreds of Colored doctors residing in many other states where the number of their white patients is as large as among their own race.

In 1767 there was born in Philadelphia, Pa., a slave by the name of Jas. Derham, who in his early life was taught medicine by his white owner, a practicing physician. After Derham had saved enough money to set himself up in business and had secured his freedom, he moved to New Orleans, La., where in a few years he built up both a large practice and an independent fortune. It is said that Dr. Derham was the first Negro in the United States to be recognized as a practicing physician.

Dr. Daniel H. Williams of Chicago, Ill., not only is spoken of as being in the front rank of the foremost physicians and surgeons of the Negro race but he is also classed with the first medical men of any race or nation. He is the founder of the celebrated Provident Hospital and Training School of Chicago and was Surgeon-in-Chief of the famous Freedman’s Hospital, Washington, D.C., under President Cleveland’s administration. His medical ability became so widely known that he has been called to nearly every important part of the United States for consultation. His skill in being the first surgeon to make a{171} successful operation on the human heart has won him world-wide reputation. As a result of his deep medical studies and most delicate surgical operations he has been honored with the first Negro membership in the American College of Surgeons.

Dr. Algernon B. Jackson, Phila., Pa., has the distinction of receiving a Fellowship in the American College of Physicians, as a result of his great all-around medical skill and especially his first discovery of a cure for articular rheumatism. He is Head of the Mercy Hospital, which is one of the most practically and beautifully located Colored institutions of its kind not only in Philadelphia but in the United States. The results of Dr. Jackson’s medical experiments and discoveries have been published in leading medical journals and have won a name for him here and abroad.

Aside from teaching as a professor in one of the leading white medical schools in Boston, Mass., Dr. S. C. Fuller, a Neuropathologist of nationwide fame, is also serving as a member on the medical staff of the Massachusetts Hospital (white) for the insane. In this capacity he has from time to time made some very valuable discoveries and suggestions that have been accepted and put into practical and beneficial uses for the treatment and care of the insane.

The honor of being the first Colored physician to be accepted as an interne in the Bellevue Hospital, a New York City white institution of world-wide renown, rests upon the capable shoulders of Dr. U. G. Vincent. A few years ago he graduated with such high honors from the University of Pa., that he was not compelled (as is usually the case) to take the interne entrance examination when admitted to the Bellevue Hospital.

Dr. Louis T. Wright, of Atlanta, Ga., now of New York, graduated from Harvard University among the brainiest men of his class. As a young physician both in age and practice, he is making wonderful strides along medical paths and has already discovered a new method of vaccination that has been tested and used by the United States Government.{172}

On account of some extra special and greatly beneficial medical efforts having been spent in their unusually successful careers, the following names have been handed to the writer as belonging to a few of the Colored physicians who are recognized as standing among the very highest in their profession. E. A. Balloch, Washington, D.C., H. R. Butler, Atlanta, Ga., J. E. Cannady, Charleston, W. Va., A. M. Curtis, Washington, D.C., U. G. Dailey, Chicago, Ill., J. J. France, Portsmouth, Va., S. A. Furniss, Indianapolis, Ind., J. H. Hale, Nashville, Tenn., Geo. C. Hall., Chicago, Ill., J. A. Kenney, Tuskegee, Ala., N. F. Mossell, Phila., Pa., H. M. Murray, Wilmington, Del., W. L. Perry, St. Louis, Mo., C. V. Roman, Nashville, Tenn., E. P. Roberts, New York City, N. Y., H. A. Royster, Raleigh N. C., York Russell, New York City, N. Y., W. A. Warfield, Washington, D.C., and A. Wilberforce Williams, Chicago, Ill.

As the result of often handicapped and hurried researches in the hundred or more following named cities, the writer was only able to secure the few names listed below from among the thousands of doctors unlocated but who are just as skilled in the healing powers and just as learned in the medical science whereever they may be practicing:

Hospitals and Nurses

Although American Negroes own and conduct over one hundred modernly equipped hospitals, even that number of buildings does not afford space enough to properly house the three thousand Colored graduate nurses now practicing in the United States, should all those angels of mercy at the same time apply for accommodations in the above institutions.{175}

The writer regrets that as hard and patiently as he researched he was unable to secure a list of names of the Colored women doctors who are to-day practicing medicine in the United States. It, therefore, affords him great pleasure, at the very last moment on the eve of this publication coming from the press, to be able to rush in his book from the September 24, 1921, issue of the Chicago Defender, the following article regarding the distinguished abilities and works of one of the numerous Negro women physicians to-day following their profession in America:

IN DENTISTRY

The Toothache Man.

Among the five hundred or more Colored dentists in America, who are today practicing in offices furnished with their own surgical instruments as well as gas, electrical and other modern appliances, Drs. Chas. E. Bentley, Chicago, Ill., and Chas. H. Roberts, New York City, according to competent judges are considered two of the most prominent and best all-round authorities in their profession. And in nearly every other large city there are similar expert and successful dentists, a list of whom the writer was unable to get. (extracts from Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, pgs. 422-23-24).{176}

IN INVENTIONS

New Ideas—new Things.

One of the chief reasons why the United States has made such rapid and wonderful progress along all lines of industrial civilization and today stands first among all countries in wealth is due mostly to the original ideas and inventive powers of the American Yankee. And to prove that the original ideas of Negroes have had a very important part in helping to make the United States such a leading and resourceful nation, the following citations are but a few of the two thousand and more inventions that Colored people in America have had patented and put on the market for practical use.

“The first Negro to receive a patent on an invention was Henry Blair, of Maryland, who, in 1834 and 1836, was granted patents on a corn harvester. He is supposed to have been a free Negro.”

“Benjamin Banneker,—Noted Negro Astronomer. Born free, November 9, 1731, in Baltimore County, Maryland. Received some education in a pay school. Early showed an inclination for mechanics. About 1754, with imperfect tools, constructed a clock which told the time and struck the hour. This was the first clock constructed in America.”

“William B. Purvis, of Philadelphia, has inventions covering a variety of subjects, but directed mainly along a single line of experiment and improvement. He began in 1912, the invention of machines for making paper bags, and his improvements in this line of machinery are covered by a dozen patents. Some half dozen other patents granted Mr. Purvis, include three patents on electric railways, one on a fountain pen, another on a magnetic car-balancing device, and still another for a cutter for roll holders.{177}”

“Joseph Hunter Dickinson, of New Jersey, specializes in the line of musical instruments, particularly playing the piano. He began more than fifteen years ago to invent devices for automatically playing the piano. He is at present in the employ of a large piano factory. His various inventions in piano-player mechanism are adopted in the construction of some of the finest piano-players on the market. He has more than a dozen patents to his credit already, and is still devoting his energies to that line of inventions.”

“Frank J. Ferrell, of New York, has obtained about a dozen patents for his inventions, the larger number of them being for improvement in valves for steam engines.”

“Benjamin F. Jackson, of Massachusetts, is the inventor of a dozen different improvements in heating and lighting devices, including a controller for a trolley wheel.”

“Charles V. Richey, of Washington, D.C., has obtained about a dozen patents on his inventions, the last of which was a most ingenius device for registering the calls on a telephone and detecting the unauthorized use of that instrument.”

“The late Granville T. Woods, of New York, and his brother, Lyates took out some fifty or more patents. Wood’s inventions principally relate to electrical subjects, such as telegraph and telephone instruments, electrical railways and general systems of electrical control. Several are on devices for transmitting telegraphic messages between moving trains. According to Patent Office Records, several of Woods’ patents have for valuable considerations been assigned to the foremost electrical corporations, such as the General Electric Company, of New York, and the American Bell Telephone Company, of New York. Mr. Woods’ inventive faculty also worked along other lines. He devised an incubator, a complicated amusement device, a steam boiler furnace and a mechanical brake.”

“John Ernest Matzeliger, born Dutch Guiana, 1852, died, Lynn, Massachusetts, 1889. He is the inventor of the first machine that performed automatically all the operations involved in attaching soles to shoes. This wonderful achievement marked the beginning of a distinct revolution in the art{178} of making shoes by machinery. Matzeliger realized this, and attempted to capitalize it by organizing a stock company to market his invention; but his plans were frustrated through failing health and lack of business experience and shortly thereafter he died. The patent and much of the stock of the company organized by Matzeliger was bought up. The purchase laid the foundation for the organization of the United Shoe Machinery Company the largest and richest corporation of the kind in the world.”

“During 1917-1918, Negroes made a large number of inventions. Many of these related to the war. Charles Stevenson of Amarillo, Texas, invented a glass war bomb. It was reported that L. A. Hayden, a native of Charlotte, North Carolina, invented an airship stableizer which was adopted by the British Government and that he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the British aviation corps. Julius Hart of Columbus, Georgia, invented three war bombs which were reported to be of great military value and that for one the War Department gave him $15,000. Wm. D. Polite, of Charlotte, North Carolina, has patented an anti-aircraft gun.”

“Jacob W. F. Berry of Decatur, Alabama, invented an electrically driven submarine. H. A. Cooper of Sabetha, Kansas, invented a submarine detector. Henry Grady of Westbourne, Tennessee, has had patented a Torpedo-Catcher and a Mine Destroyer.”

“The ‘national safety helmet’ or hood, invented by Garrett A. Morgan of Cleveland, is reported to have been used by the United States and the Allies to combat poisonous gases and as a safety device on Submarines. The ‘Safety Hood and Smoke Protector’ was originally invented for firemen.

“In addition to seven American patents on this device, Mr. Morgan holds patents for Canada, England, Germany and other countries. This invention received a gold medal prize from the American Museum of safety and the first grand prize at the second Inter-National Convention of Safety and Sanitation which was held at New York City. In 1914, the Inter-National Fire chie{179}f’s Association in session in New Orleans, voted Mr. Morgan a gold honorary membership badge. ‘The safety hood’ is manufactured by the Safety Device Company of which Mr. Morgan is the general manager. As a protection for firemen, it is in use in a large number of cities.”

“H. C. Webb of Bradentown, Florida, is the inventor of the Webb Palmetto Grubbing Machine, which removes the stumps from 5 to 10 acres of land per day.”

C. J. Perry, of Cincinnati, O., has invented a hydro-carbon device that saves 10 to 20 percent of coal fuel and also consumes 85 percent of the smoke. This invention is now in use on the Milwaukee Railroad and in the Metropole Hotel in Chicago, Ill. C. H. Jackson has invented a diving outfit with which the world record for deep-sea diving has been broken. Miss Alice H. Parker, of Washington, D.C., has received a patent on a heating furnace. Wm. Solder, Boston, Mass., has been given a patent on a cooking stove and water heater combined.

“The largest number of patents received on inventions, by a Negro, was by Elijah McCoy, of Detroit, Michigan. McCoy obtained his first patent in July, 1872, and his last one in 1917. During this period of forty years he invented one thing after another and has some fifty-eight patents to his credit. His inventions cover a wide range of subjects, but relate particularly to the lubricating of machinery. He was a pioneer in the art of steadily supplying oil to machinery in intermittent drops from a cup so as to avoid the necessity for stopping the machine to oil it. McCoy’s lubricating cup was famous thirty years ago as a necessary equipment for all-up-to-date machinery.” (quotations from Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, pgs. 5-6-7-8-341-2-3-4){180}

IN POETRY

The Poets

THE first Colored poetess in America to win national and international fame was Phyllis Wheatley, who was brought from Africa in 1761 and sold as a slave in Boston, Mass. Finding Phyllis to be an unusually quick and apt child to learn, her owner spared no pains to give her the best of education. Her poetry writing began at an early age. She became so intelligent and self-cultured that the most wealthy and refined white people of the day entertained her. All the time she was writing verses of the highest quality. Finally going to Europe her success was even greater there to such an extent that she appeared before the Royal Courts of England and received high honors. Her literary works were reviewed by some of the best scholars in England where much of her poetry was published in London under the title “Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral”.

The late Paul Lawrence Dunbar, Negro Poet-Laureate, is considered the greatest poet the Negro race has produced. Starting as an elevator boy he struggled through one disappointment after another to get an education. All that time he was writing poetry and finally after his works came under the notice of such great white writers as William Dean Howells and James Whitcomb Riley, the genius of Dunbar and the value of his writings became world known. He traveled all about giving recitals of his poetry that took the country by storm. His prose works won just as much admiration and comment. His writings were based on the American Negro in and out of slavery and the pen pictures he has drawn are masterpieces of literature. Chief among his compositions are; “Lyrics of Lowly Life”, “Lyrics of The Hearthstone,” “Heart of Happy Hollow”, “Folks From Dixie,” “Oak and Ivy”, “Uncalled”, “Love and Landry” and “The Sports Of The Gods.{181}”

William Stanley Braithwaite, as editor of “The New Poetry Review” of Cambridge, author of “The Anthology of Magazine Verse”, editor of “The Contemporary American Poets Series” and annual reviewer of the poetry that appears in the leading magazines of America, is recognized as the leading Colored poet and among the foremost world poets of today. A few of his works are: “The House of Falling Leaves”, “The Book of Victorian Verse”, “Life of Lyrics and Love”, “The Book of Georgian Verse”, “The Book of Elizabethian Verse”, and “The Book of Restoration Verse.” He was awarded the Spingarn Medal in 1918.

James Weldon Johnson is a poet and writer of first note, and his poem “The Young Warrior,” that was set to music by Harry T. Burleigh, almost became the national hymn of Italy during the World War. His poem “Fifty Years” that appeared in many of the leading white magazines and newspapers during the first part of 1913, brought forth high comment from all parts of the country. His poems have appeared in the Century, the Independent, the Crisis and other publications. He has published some of his poetry in a book titled “Fifty Years and Other Poems.”

“Mr. Johnson is a young colored poet of America. Some of his verse is in the cultivated English, some in the broken language of the American Negro. The latter rings true. They express with singular intensity the joys and sorrows of a subject race.” The above comment was made by The London Literary World regarding the poetic abilities of Fenton Johnson, Chicago, Ill. Aside from receiving high mentions from The New York World, and Poetry, a magazine of Verse, some of his works were also included in Braithwaite’s “Anthology of Magazine Verse for 1918” and “The Chicago Anthology”. One of his recent volumes of poetry that attracted praiseworthy attention on both sides of the ocean is “A Little Dreaming.”

While the facts, that short stories of the highest order are constantly flowing from her pen point (or typewriter) and that she is Literary Editor of The Crisis, have gained for her the distinction of being a foremost prose writer among Colored women{182} in America today; Jessie Redmon Fauset, on account of the numerous outputs and unusual high quality of her poems, is also recognized as one of the best verse writers among Colored people on both sides of the ocean.

The father and son poets, Jos. S. Cotter, Sr. and Jr., have produced verse matter that stands among the best in the country among Colored writers. Information regarding the works of these composers will be found else-where in this book. But a praiseworthy mention regarding Jos. S. Cotter, Jr., who died in his early twenties and for several years before that had been confined on a bed of affliction, should be made herein. While other poets have had their health, strength and vigor to do their work, young Cotter was suffering almost constant pain in bed while turning out his poetry that came from the depths of his patient soul, and ring as true as a pure-cast bell.

Georgia Douglas Johnson was born in Atlanta, Ga., was educated in the public schools and at the Atlanta University after which she took a course of music at the Oberlin Conservatory. Her first book, “The Heart of a Woman and Other Poems” with an introduction by William Stanley Braithwaite, was published by the Cornhill Co. of Boston, Mass., three years ago; her second book, “An Autumn Love Cycle,” will be out shortly. Her third book, “Shadow Song” is entirely different to the other two, being entirely racial, treated in the over-tone style of suggestion. This book will appear some months after the “Love Cycle.” The above quotation is in part an editorial note that appeared in the May 1921 issue of Music and Poetry. The high standard and amazing numbers of Mrs. Johnson’s verses that appear in leading magazines are attracting wide attention and have already placed her in a class among the leading Colored writers before the public today.

Claude McKay, a poet of international reputation, enjoys the honor of being one of the first Colored writers to be made an associate editor on the staff of a white national magazine—The Liberator, which is published in New York City. Mr. McKay has for several years been writing poetry for many of the leading magazines in Europe as well as for Colored and white{183} periodicals in America. His book, “Spring in New Hampshire and Other Poems” has brought forth high literary comment from verse critics in both countries.

“Miscellaneous Poems” and “Sketches of Southern Life” are two titles covering some of the verses produced by the poetess, Frances E. Harper, who also wrote first quality prose. Jas. E. McGirth wrote “Some Simple Songs” and other verse matter that has stood the test of the best critics.

The late J. D. Corrothers gained much distinction as a prose and verse writer and for several years his poems appeared in some of the leading white magazines. George R. Margeston’s book of poems “Songs of Life” has brought forth much favorable comment, and stamped him as a poet who is fast forging to the front.

All verse critics who regularly read the close-to-nature, true-to-life, heart-to-heart and cheerful little poems that weekly head the editorial pages of the Chicago Defender, join in acclaiming Alfred Anderson the Edgar A. Guest “Sunshine Poet” of the Negro Race. A few of the many other Colored verse writers whose poems frequently appear in leading magazines are Carrie C. Clifford, Sergt. Allen R. Griggs, Jr., Thos. M. Henry, Sarah C. Fernandas, Leslie P. Hill, Roscoe Jamison, Chas. Bertram Johnson, Winifred Virginia Jordan, Will Sexton and Lucian B. Watkins, the last named writer being considered among the foremost writers the race has produced during the past few years.

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AMONG THE ARTISTS

The Artist.

According to page 331 of the 1918-1919 edition of Work’s Negro Year Book, “Bannister, E. M., of Providence, Rhode Island, was one of the first Negroes in America to achieve distinction as a painter. He was the founder of the Providence Art Club, which is to-day the leading art organization in Providence. “Its membership, mostly, if not wholly white, includes many of the leading citizens of the city and state.” One of Mr. Bannister’s pictures “Under the Oaks” was awarded a medal at the Centennial Exposition of 1876. The picture became the property of the Duffe Estate of New York City.”

Henry O. Tanner, born in Pittsburgh, Pa., and now living in Paris, France, is the greatest artist in the Negro race and among the best of all races. His early life along artistic lines was one of hard struggles, constant ambitions, unshaken determinations and final success, until today his works are known and treasured all over the world. His most successful paintings are those describing different incidents that are taught in the Bible. Among his many pictures that have won fame and fortunes for him are; “The Banjo Lesson”, “Christ Walking on the Sea”, “The Holy Family”, “Hills Near Jerusalem”, “Christ at the Home of Lazarus”, “Mary and Elizabeth” and “The Hiding of Moses.” Mr. Tanner is the son of Bishop B. T. Tanner.

“Mr. William Scott is considered by critics to be one of the foremost artists in America. He excells alike in the difficulties of portrait painting and in the cleverness and subtlety of his cartoon work. In a time when artists are becoming more and more a necessity of modern life, his ability bids fair to lift him even more to the top of his profession. Mr. Scott led his class at the Chicago Art Institute.” This quotation is extracted from the November-December 1920 issue of Fenton Johnson’s Favorite Magazine.{185}

The following extract about Mr. Scott is from Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, page 331: “He took the Magnus Brand Prize for two successive years. He studied in Paris at the Julian Academy and under Henry O. Tanner. Three of his paintings were accepted by the Salon des Beaux Arts at Toquet. The Argentine Republic purchased one of his pictures, La Pauvre Voisine. He has completed Mural paintings for public buildings in Evanston, Illinois; Chicago and Indianapolis. He is interesting himself in Negro subjects and is doing in painting what Dunbar has done in verse.”

The late Wm. A. Harper of Chicago, Ill., although a young man at his death had already won recognition for his paintings and himself. He had spent two year of study in Paris and has been successful in exhibiting his paintings at the Chicago Art Institute. Chief among his works are “The Last Gleam”, “The Hillside”, and “The Gray Day.”

A few of the many present day Colored artists who have also become recognized and prominent in this art are; Lulu Adams, Los Angles, Cal.; Ernest Atkinson, Baltimore, Md.; C. L. Boydkin, Boston, Mass.; C. L. Dawson, Chicago, Ill.; Arthur Diggs, J. B. Davidson, Washington, D.C.; W. M. Farrow, Frances Grant, Marcellus Hawkins, Chicago, Ill.; J. Hardwick, L. Harris, Louise Latimer, Brooklyn, N. Y.; Effie Lee, Wilberforce, Ohio; L. M. Rogers, Harvey Roseland, Washington, D.C.; A. A. Smith, New York; Frank Waltz, N. Y.; Hilda Wilkerson, Arthur Winslow, Chicago, Ill.; and Sidney Woodward, New York, (some of above names are extracts from Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, pg. 331.)

Miss Laura Wheeler’s painting “Heirlooms” won first place in New York City among 500 art exhibits at the Water Color Club. Aside from being an instructor in the art department of the Cheyney School, Cheyney, Pa., and illustrator for such national magazines as The Crisis, she is recognized as one of the foremost Colored women artists in America.

At the John Wanamaker Art Exhibition held in Philadelphia, Pa., not many months ago, K. G. Ganaway, a Colored{186} butler in Chicago, Ill., entered his photographic picture “The Spirit of Transportation”, which won first prize out of 900 pictures exhibited by many of the country’s most experienced and expert white photographers residing in different parts of the United States. While other people in going to railroad stations saw nothing interesting there but hurrying crowds of people, truck loads of baggage and black sooty trains and sheds, Mr. Ganaway’s artistic eye and timely focused camera soared above those common place things as he saw and portrayed the wonderful beauty of the dust laden tapering and yellow beams of lights and shadows caused by the sun’s golden rays streaming through the dingy skylights of the Terminal’s high and arched ceilings.

Architects

In nearly every American city of importance where the Negro population is large there are Colored architects of recognized standing and ability. The following are just a few of those names that have come under the hurried notice of the writer: W. T. Bailey, Memphis, Tenn.; A. I. Cassell, Baltimore, Md.; W. C. Cook, Gary, Ind.; W. H. Hammond, Pittsburgh, Pa.; I. T. Hatton, Washington, D.C.; Benjamin and William Hazel, Boston, Mass.; Harry S. James, Seattle, Washington, now in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; H. N. Johnson, Norfolk, Va.; the late J. T. N. Minot, New York City; J. C. Norman, Charleston, W. Va.; J. W. Robinson and Henry Robinson, Hampton, Va.; Chas. T. Russell, A. M. Segoins, Baltimore, Md., V. W. Tandy, New York City, W. T. White, Kansas City, Mo. and P. R. Williams, Los Angeles, Cal.

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AMONG THE SCULPTORS

Magic Chisels.

PREJUDICE against her race and sex did not deter the colored girl, Edmonia Lewis, from struggling upward to honor and fame as a sculptor.” This is what was written about that great genius on page 64 in “Pushing To The Front” one of the books of Orison Swett Marden, who aside from being editor of the New Success Magazine is also known in all lands as the greatest and widest read inspirational white writer in the world today. Among the chief works of Miss Lewis are: “The Death of Cleopatra” that was exhibited in 1876 at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, Pa., “The Freed Woman”, “The Marriage of Hiawatha” and the bust of Robert Gould Shaw.

Residing in So. Framington, Mass., is Meta Vaux Warrick (Mrs. S. C. Fuller) who is considered a leading Colored sculptress in America today. What is known as her masterpiece, “The Wretched”, a sculptured group, was exhibited in Paris in 1903. Some of her other productions are; “The Silent Appeal”, “The Dancing Girl”, “The Wrestlers”, and “The Immigrant in America.”

Standing in the front ranks of this art is May Howard Jackson of Washington, D.C. In both the Vorhoff Art Gallery and the Corcoran Art Gallery the results of her talents have been successfully exhibited. Her recent bust of Paul Lawrence Dunbar, that was unveiled in one of the Washington High Schools, has aroused much interest and favorable comment not only in the national capital but throughout the country. (Ref.: Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, pgs. 331-2){188}

IN VOCAL MUSIC

Heavens Repast.

EACH new day echoes the triumph of some individual who has gloriously bridged chasms of earthly deterrents—racial, financial, mental, physical and moral—during which time that individual has been torn and left naked, bleeding and despondent; but to the brave these vicissitudes never weaken, but strengthen, and they fight with the tenacity of a savage, finally reaping conquest after conquest. Roland Hayes, tenor of Boston illustrates the result of being firm, holding on, fighting, and today he has achieved what every artist desires as a reward of their genius, their years of struggle to excell, the recognition of the world, of kings and queens. And May 2 the cables flashed word that a Negro tenor had been received at the palace to sing for the royal family, and was presented a diamond pin by King George, the significant manner in which royalty pays homage to great musicians of the world. They were delighted with the voice and manner of the singer, and the king observed how different the songs were from what the English were taught to believe were characteristic Negro melodies. We have always been caricatured, always portrayed as the jester for the world’s amusement, and Mr. Hayes did not overlook the opportunity to rescue our folk songs from the debasement they have suffered from the result of pernicious money mongers, and present them as the sorrow songs of a persecuted people filled with weariness and renunciation.

“His sojourn in London has been marked with success after success, beginning with his premiere recital, significant with concurrent praise from the critics. An appearance at the dinner given by the American Society to British women at the Hotel Cecil, on which occasion he sang “The Star-Spangled Banner.” His appearances at two concerts given by the Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Choral Society (Mrs. I. F. Coleridge-Taylor, patron;{189} Sir. Charles V. Stanford, president, and Douglas M. Durston, conductor) in aid of the mayor’s unemployment fund and numerous concerts, the last of which, April 16, was a huge success financially and artistically. The critics said many lovely things of Mr. Hayes anent his voice, his style, his intelligence and manner; but to us who know and love him, who feel his very heart throb as he pleads through his art for his people, recognize and understand that his voice wails in eagerness for deliverance, freedom, the right to breathe and live untrammeled and unoppressed.

“A word is here appropriate in praise of Lawrence Brown, who has been his sympathetic accompanist and collaborator in the settings of a number of spirituals for concert use. Mr. Brown is also an excellent pianist, and the critics recognize his dual talent by always giving him a share in their notes.”

The above quotation is extracted from an editorial that appeared on page 13 in the May 1921 issue of Nora Douglas Holt’s monthly magazine, Music and Poetry, that is published in Chicago, Ill.

Mr. Hayes received his musical education in the New England conservatory of Music, Boston, Mass., and today is acclaimed not only the foremost tenor in the Negro race but one of the greatest tenors in the world.

Colored and white song critics on both sides of the ocean have for many years recognized Harry T. Burleigh as the leading baritone soloist in the Negro race. For the past twenty or more years he has been a soloist in the choir of the St. George’s Protestant Church, which is one of the leading and wealthiest white churches in New York City, having on its membership roll such world-known names as Seth Low and J. Pierpont Morgan. Mr. Burleigh is also a composer of international fame, and his “Deep River” is frequently sung in different parts of the world by famous white singers. More mention of Mr. Burleigh’s celebrated compositions will be made elsewhere in this book.

“Guide to Voice Culture” is a book written by Madame E. Azalia Hackley. This book is soundly based on the ripe and rich{190} experiences gained by Mrs. Hackley after an untiring and extensive preparation under the best voice culture masters in America and Europe. For many years she was the most prominent Colored singer in America. For several years past she has been devoting her time and energies in traveling throughout the country organizing and presenting chorus recitals dealing mostly or wholly with American Negro folklore songs. In thus constantly coming in personal contact with the masses of Colored people in all parts of the United States, Mrs. Hackley is doing more today than any musician in personally meeting and influencing so many Colored people to learn to love, sing, and preserve Negro plantation melodies.

Anita Patti Brown of Chicago, Ill., is today one of the most eminent sopranos belonging to the Negro race. She has made numerous and unusually successful trips throughout America and the West Indies, and those who have heard her remarkable singing instantly fall in love with her full round voice of natural richness and sweetness. Among her most catchy pieces is the one titled “Villanelle” which has been reproduced on Columbia Phonograph records with great success.

Florence Cole Talbert, aside from winning the diamond medal at the Chicago Musical College has also won national reputation as one of the leading sopranos among the American Colored people. Although high up on the ladder of songhood, she is continuing to climb to the top by taking special courses in Chicago under such famed teachers as Oscar Saenger and Madame Valerie. This great singer’s home is in Detroit, Michigan.

Cleota Collins, Columbus, Ohio, is a soprano of note, and, as the editor of Music and Poetry has so well said, “is a young woman with a frail body but such an enormous mentality and a voice that makes you close your eyes and listen to her interpretation of songs that set your senses titilating. But she has worked patiently to acquire this power and now condescends to tell young students how she did it.” She is associate editor of Music and Poetry.

Although he is at present living in New Zealand, where he has endeared himself in the hearts of all music lovers there H. Hodges can be rightly claimed an American product on account{191} of his native home being Boston, Mass. His commanding and well trained talented voice is one of the wonders of Auckland where he conducts one of the most exclusive music studios.

After spending several years of personal sacrifices and hard study in America, France and England, Rachel Walker of Cleveland, Ohio was finally rewarded by receiving personal recognition and praise from kings and queens during her first successful appearance in Europe. And today she is classed among the best of American Colored song birds.

Worcester, Mass., and New England in general is justified in being so proud of Estelle P. Clough who has won for herself first place among great Colored singers. She has successfully appeared in most of the important cities in the United States.

Wm. H. Richardson of Boston, Mass., is one of the best Colored baritones in America. He has made numerous joint recitals with Maud Cuney Hare through the United States and has met with great success on all occasions.

In singing compositions of Negro, French, German, Italian and Russian musicians, Wilson Lamb of Orange, N. J., demonstrates in his recitals that he has a baritone voice of marked agreeableness and unusual control. Each year when he gives his big recitals his voice shows the favorable results of his continued hard study and practice, and white papers are unstinting in giving him praise.

For twenty years Sisseretta Jones has successfully managed a musical company of her own organization known as “The Black Patti Troubadors”. In all the European cities they visited they had over-crowded houses night after night. It must be said to the glowing credit and praise of Madame Jones that she is probably the only woman in America, Colored or white, who has been successful in organizing and keeping together for so many years such a high-classed group of musical entertainers.

During the early eighties Madame Selika better known as “Black Patti”, went to Europe and completely captivated the friendship of music lovers in the “Old Country” by her marvelous birdlike thrills and matchless renditions of her famous “Echo Song.” The great range and sweetness of her voice was a delightful mystery to all who heard her.{192}

It was as far back as 1851, at the time the world-famed Jenny Lind (white) was enjoying her greatest fame, that Elizabeth T. Greenfield a Colored woman came into prominence as a noted singer. She was often called the “Black Jenny Lind” and won fame in America and Europe where she was given the pet name of “The Black Swan.”

In the minds of many people still living there are yet fond recollections of that human song bird, Flora Batson, (Mrs. Bergen) who was born in Providence, R. I.. The music people in America, Europe, Africa, Australia and New Zealand considered it a rare treat to hear her touching and pathetic voice that had such bell-like tones and clarity of enunciation. For ninety-one continuous nights at a revival in New York City her voice held vast crowds spellbound as they tearfully listened to her soul-touching voice sing “Six Feet of Earth Make Us All One Size.” And hundreds of curious and prejudiced white people who first went to those meetings to jeer and make fun had their set minds suddenly converted by listening to the truth and full meaning of that song and had their frozen hearts completely melted by the soulful shocks of that great singer’s voice. (Ref. Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, pgs. 326-7-8).

Anna and Emma Hyers, soprano and contralto; Wallace Kine, tenor; John Lucca and Frederick Louidin, Bassos, of the Old School, were among the foremost singers of their times and proved vocal marvels to all who heard them sing in America and Europe. For years the well trained and talented quartettes of Fisk University, Hampton and Tuskegee Institutes have been winning fame throughout America and even in Europe as unsurpassed singers of Negro plantation songs.

Below are the names of just a few human Colored song-birds of today whom the writer was able to discover among the many flocks that, although now perched very high, are constantly flitting up and up toward the top branches of solo-song trees.

Marion Anderson, Phila., Pa., Martha B. Anderson, sopranos; E. H. Boatner, baritone, Boston, Mass.; Minnie Brown, soprano, N. Y.; Edmonia H. Brown, soprano, Kansas City, Mo.; Arthur{193} Brown, baritone, Mayme C. Byron, soprano, T. Bryant, tenor, Grace Campbell, soprano, Chicago, Ill.; C. Carroll Clark, baritone, New York City; Dessa Clements, soprano, H. Delmore, tenor, Boston, Mass.; L. B. Duppe, baritone, Springfield, Mass.; Isabelle Givens, soprano, Cincinnati, O.; Leroy Goodman, tenor, Columbus, O.; Mrs. H. L. Grant, soprano, Washington, D.C.; C. J. Harbour, tenor, Okmulgee, Okla.; Blanche D. Harris, soprano, New York City; S. Hilliard, tenor, Chicago, Ill.; Revella Hughes, soprano, New York City; Mrs. H. Hunter, soprano, Durham, N. C.; Alfred H. Johnson, baritone, C. L. Johnson, tenor New York City; Marie P. Johnson, soprano, Ella F. Jones, soprano, Lulu R. Jones, soprano, Mary Jones, soprano, Chicago Ill.; Josephine A. Junius, contralto; Paige I. Lancaster, baritone, John T. Lattimore, tenor, Hampton, Va.,; Jennie C. Lee, soprano, Tuskegee, Ala.; Annie H. Lee, soprano, Baltimore, Md., Lawrence Lomax, tenor, C. A. Marshall, baritone, Junious Maxwell, tenor, Lydia McClain, soprano, Phila., Pa.; B. D. McCorkel, tenor, Carolyn Montgomery, contralto; J. A. Myers, tenor, Nashville, Tenn.; W. P. Norcum, baritone, Portsmouth, Va.; Alice M. Pettijohn, soprano, Amherst, Mass.; Mrs. C. Rechley, soprano, Baltimore, Md.; Wm. Simmons, basso, Chicago, Ill.; Maud J. Roberts, soprano, Chicago, Ill.; W. Ryder, basso, Cincinnati, O.; N. Clark Smith, tenor, Kansas City, Mo.; Innis Simpson, tenor, Leon Simpson, soprano, Princeton, N. J.; Luela D. Smith, soprano, Daisey Tapley, contralto, Grace W. Thompson, soprano, Lillian E. Tibbs, soprano, Washington D.C.; S. A. Thomas, basso, Newport News, Va.; Mabel O. Story, soprano, St. Louis, Mo.; Emlyne J. Tindley, contralto, Phila., Pa; Clarence Tisdale, tenor, Chicago, Ill.; Mrs. F. K. Watkins, soprano, Durham, N. C.; Junius Williams, basso, New York City; Mrs. L. Wilson, soprano, Baltimore, Md.; Sidney Woodward tenor, New York City; Mary Stafford, soprano, New York.

Having as its object, “To foster Negro talent; labor for economic and educational betterment”, The National Association of Negro Musicians, under the wise leadership of Henry L. Grant, is wielding a musical influence for good that is being felt and appreciated not only by American Colored and white musicians{194} but by music lovers of both races even abroad. Other nationally known musicians, who, as officers in this organization, are ably assisting their president in furthering the inspirational and elevating work of this organ are; Melville Charleton, R. Nathaniel Dett, Carl Diton, Kemper Herreld, Nora Douglass Holt, Deacon Johnson, H. P. B. Johnson, R. Agustus Lawson, W. H. Loving, Harriet G. Marshall, James A. Mundy, Alice Carter Simmons, T. Theo. Taylor, Clarence C. White and Fred J. Work.

If there be Colored youths who, after reading these inspirational pages, still lack ambition and courage to develop musical talents they possess, because of their race and color, such youths should remember that:—

The most popular and sweetest singing bird in the world (the canary) is Colored. But if hundreds of years ago that bird had ruined his God-gifted voice with discouraged croakings about its yellow feathers, the canary bird of today would be not able to sing so sweetly as to cause its listeners to completely forget it is a bird with a colored complexion. Its singing is so sweet and beautiful that people learn to see beauty and loveliness in its yellow coat that Nature has given it.

{195}

IN INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

Music’s Power.

“THE Negro race has produced two violinists who have attracted national attention as artists, Clarence Cameron White and Joseph H. Douglass. They occupy first rank among American musicians and the race is justly proud of them.” The above quotation that originally appeared in the American artists Review, is an extract from Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, p. 329.

Mr. White, whose home is in Boston, has spent many years of hard studying in both America and Europe, and aside from being a violinist of the first rank, he is also a noted composer. One of his greatest compositions “The Cradle Song” is written for either the violin or piano and has brought praises from all critics who have heard it. “A New System of One Octave Scale Studies for the Violin”, of which Mr. White is the author, is a book that is being used extensively in music schools.

Joseph Henry Douglass, grandson of the great Frederick Douglass, is a native of Washington, D.C. The foundation of his superb playing of today was laid in the New England Conservatory of Music, the New York Conservatory of Music and some of the best music schools in London. During the score or more years he has made annual recitals throughout the country, he, the same as Mr. White, has played before presidents of the United States. Mr. Douglass fills the responsible position of Instructor in Instrumental Music at Howard University, Washington, D.C.

A few of some other violinists of the first order are; Wm. Butler, Walter Craig, Brooklyn, N.Y., Harrison Farrell, Harrison Emanuel, Chicago, Ill., Kemper Herreld, Atlanta, Ga., Edwin F. Hill, Philadelphia., Pa., Louisa V. Jones, New York,{196} Leonard Jeter, New York Hall, Johnson, H. Kerr, Baltimore, Md., David L. Martin, New York, Eugene Mars Martin, New York, A. W. Ross, New York, Prof. Tenyck, Brooklyn, N.Y., Harrison Watts, Baltimore, Md.

Maud Cuney Hare of Boston, Mass., has for years been recognized as one of the leading pianists in America. She is nationally and internationally known and her playing has met the stamped approval of the most critical of critics. She is a member of the Music and Lecture Guild of New England (a white organization) and is also music critic for the Crisis Magazine.

As an accomplished musician, Hazel Harrison is one of the best among the best Colored or white pianists in America. Although a musical prodigy from early childhood, her youthful life has been one constant grind of theory, study and practical application under such world-known pianists and teachers as Busoni, Egan, Petri and Victor Heinne. And still she improves.

Helen Hagan is another pianist who is recognized as being among the foremost musicians in the United States, as the result of her strenuous studies under such noted French masters as Saint-Saens, Vincent D’Indy, Claude Debussy and her playing under the severe criticisms of Gabriel Faure, Paul Dukas, Chaussons and Severac. As one of the associate editors on the staff of Music and Poetry, she is doing great inspirational work in its piano department.

Carl Diton’s transcription of “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” for the organ has been published by G. Schirmer Co., one of the largest white music publishers in America. This composition has a melody of remarkable sweetness and is one of the few pieces that brings into full play all parts of the organ. Mr. Diton has studied in Europe as well as in America and today is recognized as one of the leading pianists, organists and composers in this country.

Melville Charlton of Brooklyn, N. Y., is estimated by knowing critics as being one of the most talented and efficient pipe organist among Colored people in America. He is an unquestioned authority on this instrument that has taken up many of his{197} years in theory study and practical application. The following named are a few mentioned from among the hundreds of other exceptionally trained organists in different parts of the country: Rudolph Grant, New York, William King, Phila., Pa., George Ruffin and Fred White, Boston, Mass., Mrs. Corinne Wilson, Chicago, Ill.

“It Takes Love to Cure the Heart’s Disease”, “Loveless Love” and “Caroline Shout” were among the first player-piano rolls that were recorded by Jas. P. Johnson, a Colored pianist, who has signed a contract to make recordings for the Q. R. S. Music Company, which is the largest player-piano roll manufacturers in the world.

One of the greatest musical wonders, Colored or white, America has ever produced was Thomas G. Bethune, who was born a blind slave at Columbus, Ga., He became known throughout the world as “Blind Tom”. He played difficult pieces on the piano when only four years old and began giving concerts when eight years old. Although he had never received any instructions he could correctly imitate the most difficult piece after hearing it played but once. He was taken to Europe where he won fame and honors playing before the crowned heads in all of the important countries. His audiences would sit spellbound and entranced as he imitated on the piano nearly every imaginable sound. Especially were they moved and seemed to feel they were going through the actual experience when he played “The Shipwreck.” At such times his magic fingers drew from the ivory keys the far and low rumblings of fast coming storms; the clanking of rattling chains among hastening crews; the weird moans of increasing winds; the blood-curdling shrieks of swooping sea-gulls; the distant booms of beach-breaking waves; the flapping slaps of wind-whipped sails; the creaking timbers of tossed-about ships; the soft murmurs of praying voices; the sudden crashes of lightning bolts; loud rolling peals of overhead thunder and the splashing sounds of down-pouring rains.

Another piano prodigy of the race is J. W. Boone of Columbia, Mo., who became blind in his infancy. He is known as “Blind Boone” and although he has been touring the country{198} for forty years, he is still giving piano recitals that hold his audiences in wonder and awe. He has such a wonderful memory for musical details and such a delicate ear for detecting musical sounds that he frequently listens to the playing of a recognized pianist who has the sight of both eyes, and when that person has finished, “Blind Boone” will go to the piano and amuse the audience by showing the mistakes made by the other player and then presenting the piece correctly. By many critics he is considered today as the equal if not the superior of the famous “Blind Tom”. (Ref. Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, pgs. 327-28-29).

Named below are a few of the many Colored pianists in America today, many of them having studied under some of the best masters in Europe as well as in America, and all of them being finished musicians, and several of them of national renown.

Nettie C. Asberry, Tocoma, Wash., S. N. Arter, Neola Bailey, Hampton, Va., Bertha Beaumann, Boston, Mass., “Eubie” Blake, Lawrence Brown, Boston, Mass., J. H. Buchanan, Durham, N. C., Mrs. L. E. Cain, Princeton, N. J., Mae Clements, Mrs. R. N. Dett, Hampton, Va., Cleo M. Dickerson, Chicago, Ill., N. Doxey, Eva Dykes, Washington, D.C., J. H. Hebron, Phila., Pa., Mary Gibson, Washington, D.C., Clyde Glass, Wilhelmina Harrison, and Mildren B. Jones of Chicago, Ill., E. Aldama Jackson, N. Y., William King, Phila., Pa., Mrs. E. Lambert, Princeton, N. J., Wm. S. Lawrence, Boston, Mass., Andradas Lindsay, A. Matthews, Cincinnati, Ohio, Susie McDonald, Newark, N. J., Martha Mitchell, Nellie M. Mundy, N. Y., Josephine Muse, Washington, D.C., Portia W. Pittman, Maud Powell, A. W. Quarles, Cincinnati, Ohio., Helen H. Price, Brooklyn, N. Y., C. Luckeyth Roberts, N. Y., Arthur W. Ross, Ruth Rowan, Durham, N. C., Amy Steffens, Milwaukee, Wis., Samuel Stewart, Columbus, Ohio, T. T. Taylor, Chicago, Ill., Roy Tibbs, Washington, D.C., Hazel D. Thomas, E. Torney, Baltimore, Md.

The Pace Phonograph Corporation, New York City, is the first of its kind in the world to be composed only of Colored people. It is presided over by Harry H. Pace, a Colored man{199} who founded it, and it is turning out records reproducing only Negro music sung or played only by Colored musicians. All of its officials and employees are Colored, and its chief purpose is to preserve in vocal form such as are left of the slave-songs of America. Its records are known as the “Black Swan Records,” that are already in much demand and finding large sales.

Today the original and unique, singing of Perry Bradford’s “blues” by Mamie Smith, is attracting admiration and endless praise on both sides of the ocean. Her successful singing for the reproduction of her voice on the records of the Okeh Phonograph Co., has made her the first Colored female singer to so suddenly achieve world fame along that line. It is said that the royalties from her records amount to such a sum that it would gladden and look big in the eyes of even prima donna singers in the operatic world. The records containing her voice are in such demand by the public that the manufacturers turning out the disc have to put on night shifts in conjunction with day shifts in order to fill the orders piled up on their desks. In the fall of 1920 Miss Smith’s stage singing had become so popular that she had to table engagements from Paris and London in order to fill a thirty week touring engagement in the United States.

Band Musicians throughout the world heard of and learned to admire the late James Reese Europe, who was one of the greatest “jazz” musicians the world has ever heard. Of the four best bands overseas during the World War and representing the four greatest nations, James Europe’s American Colored bandmen were in demand more than any of the others, especially in England and France.

At the St. Louis World Exposition of 1904 and at the Panama Exposition held at San Francisco, Cal., in 1915, Major W. H. Loving, as conductor of the famous Philippine Band, was among those who were awarded the highest band honors for being among the greatest bandmasters of the world. Other Colored musicians who have achieved success and recognition as band leaders are quite numerous in America, and a few of them are mentioned herewith; Lieut. Tim Bryan, F. L. Drye, W. H.{200} Howard, W. L. Jackson, C. Wesley Johnson, N. Clarke Smith, A. J. Thomas, W. H. Vodery, and P. G. Lowery who has developed such a great band that yearly throughout the seasons it is to be found with the Ringling Bro. Show as one of its most important bands. W. H. Graham, as well as a great band leader is a talented composer of band music. His home is in Denver, Colorado.

According to the determinations of one of America’s nationally recognized authorities and critics on Negro music composition, the following ten named Colored composers are among the foremost in the United States:

The “blue song” compositions of W. C. Handy are known and sung all over the world. He is president of the Handy Music Co., of New York City, which is the leading firm of its kind among Colored people in the world. Perry Bradford is composer of the “Crazy Blues” that have made himself, Mamie Smith and the Okeh phonograph records nationally and internationally famous.

N. Clark Smith is second to none among American Colored musicians as a composer of instrumental, especially, band music. For several years he was band leader of the Tuskegee Institute expert band and also served for a long period as bandmaster of the famous Old Illinois 8th Regiment. Today he is Director of Music at the Lincoln High School, Kansas City, Mo.{202}

The following list contains the names of some of the leading musicians who are foremost composers of different lines of music: Mrs. B. Consuelo Cook, J. E. Dowell, E. Edmonds, W. H. Farrell, Harry Freeman, Jessie L. Gaynor, A. P. Grant, H. P. Gilbert, L. Godfrey, Nora Douglass Holt, Edwin F. Hill, E. A. Jackson, Scott Jolpin, E. T. Jenkins, Joe. Jordan, Turner Layton, Therwold Otterstrom, Dave Payton, J. S. Pollen, Alex Rogers, H. E. Stewart, Dekiven Thompson, Clarence Williams, Spencer Williams, Geo. Hoff.

{203}

IN ATHLETICS

Some Man.

THE main thing every boy and girl should have or begin to acquire in early life, and then continue to keep during his manhood or her womanhood, is a clean, healthy, supple and well-developed muscular body that is guided and governed by a pure thinking and self-controlling mind. And such a body is mainly built up and preserved by taking plenty of out-door playful exercises in early childhood; by taking frequent parts in athletics games played in a fair and honest way against friendly rivals while in young manhood and womanhood; and by regularly and systematically going through a good drill of setting-up exercises, gymnastics or calisthenics throughout both middle and old age. These same childhood games and youthful athletic sports have their good effects upon the young and tender minds by early teaching them courage in times of facing big odds and developing self-control during the angry moments of an exciting game when temptations so often come up to strike an unfair blow or say some mean and rude thing. And these same out-door activities have their purifying results upon those minds in that they are nearer to Nature and thereby prompt more Godly thoughts, words and deeds among such minds than do certain in-door pastimes that are not so wholesome. No country in the world surpasses America in the general suppleness in movement, gracefulness of carriage and all-round muscular development and physical prowess of the bodies belonging to its people. And the following named records show that American Colored youths have played large and valuable parts in helping to build up the physical reputation of the United States that is today recognized as the leading country in international athletic sports.{204}

In Football

W. H. Lewis (one of the ablest Colored lawyers in America today) before graduating from Harvard proved to be the greatest football center, Colored or white, in his college and of his time. Every fall when Harvard now faces her, Brown University heaves a loud sigh of regret that Fritz Pollard, a Colored All-American Half-back, is not on her football team to again and mostly alone carry the brown and white pennant to a crushing victory over the almost unbeatable crimson and white colors. Williams has since made such a football record at Brown that he was given a place on an All-American team by the New York World. It was Johnny Shelbourne, All-American Fullback, who was one of the four stars on Dartmouth football team that so smoothly steam-rollered the team of the University of Pa., with a score of 44 to 7 on Franklin Field, at Philadelphia, Pa., November 13, 1920. Shelbourne is also such a sprinter that he is able to “fade-away” over a 40 yard stretch in 4 4-5 seconds. Calloway not only made the Varsity team of Columbia but has proved one of its most valuable men. All football teams that have recently played against Northwestern University have felt the brawn and held the weight of “Buddy” Turner. Washington & Jefferson in their latest football games have fully relied upon the punting toe of their Colored player, West. Athletic writers and critics on the staffs of both the Chicago Tribune and Colliers Weekly have given Duke Slater, the Iowa tackle, a place on an All-Western football team. Leon Taylor was made All-Ohio Conferee fullback at Oberlin, Ohio. Smith’s tricks of going completely wild when turned loose on the gridiron of Michigan Agr. College caused them to put him on an All-American team for safe keeping. When knocking men right and left on the field of Minnesota University, Marshall acted so much like a Minnesota Indian on the war path that they had to do something to sort of tame him down, so they put him on an All-American team. Beside winning his letters in baseball, basketball and track athletics, A. Hamblin of Knox College was made captain of his 1918 football team. M. Richmond, on account of his excellent defensive and offensive playings was made captain of the{205} Des Moines College 1917 football team. Sol Butler, when playing on the Dubuque College football team, came in such close contact with and made such lasting impressions on his opponents that they will until their dying days remember having met a Sol Butler at some time and at some place. W. E. Morrison and W. Brown were two of the outstanding stars who played on the Tuft College varsity eleven at the times it beat Harvard and gave Princeton one of the toughest battles and one of the worse heart-stop-beating scares it has ever had on a football field. In New England, the names and pigskin deeds of those two charging warriors, especially that of Morrison are still fondly remembered and always referred to with admiration and pride. Paul Robeson of Rutgers College was made an All-American End. Walter Camp (white) of Yale University in selecting his All-American Football Team of 1918 said, “There never was a more serviceable end, both in attack and defense than Robeson—the 200 pound giant of Rutgers. Defensively this team is remarkably strong with Robeson and Alexander backing up the line as secondary defense; Taking turns at this they would be employed in a line of work to which they are thoroughly accustomed and in which they have had no peers in many years.” (quotation from Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, page 44). Other Colored youths who have won distinction as football players in white universities and colleges are; Taylor at the University of Pa., Bullock at Dartmouth, Gray and Pinkett at Amherst, Ayler at Brown, Chadwell at Williams, Craighead at Massachusetts Agri. College, Jones at Harvard, Ransom at Belout, Young and Wheeler at Illinois, Johnson and Ross at Nebraska, Tibbs at Syracuse, Green at Western Reserve and Roberts at Colorado Reserve, Niles at Colby.

On The Track and Field

Howard P. Drew, the present holder of the Official A. A. U. world record of 9 3-5 seconds for 100 yds, was selected in 1918 as a member of the All-American Athletic Team and in 1919 as a member of the All-American Track Team. In writing of Drew in the Philadelphia North American of July 17, 1920, Law{206}son Roberston (white) Coach of Athletics at the University of Pa., said: “Just before Drew broke down eight years ago in Stockholm he showed enough speed in his trial heat to warrant the belief that he could beat any man in the final by 3 yards. In the semifinal heat he “pulled” his tendon when he had covered about 80 yards and limped in the remainder of the distance. Even at that he won his semi-final heat by about eight yards from Thomas of Princeton, the 1912 intercollegiate champion.” The following quotation on Drew is extracted from Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919, page 44: “At the 1918 Western Conference College Outdoor Track and Field Championship Events, Howard Drew, the world’s famous sprinter staged a comeback by winning against a very fast field the 100 and 220 yard dashes. A comment on Drews’ performance said: “By winning the 100 and 220 yard dashes from the fastest fields that the middle western colleges could boast, Drew demonstrated that his victories were not due to accident or lack of formidable opponents. If any further proof were needed, the time would amply attest the high standard of Drew’s sprinting as he ran the 100 in 10 seconds. When it is taken into consideration that Drew is 28 years of age and has been competing for thirteen years, during which time he has won numerous victories and equalled the world’s record time in both of these events, it can be seen that his latest triumphs are little short of athletic marvels.”

Beside being one of its best football players, Sol Butler was also one of the best all-round athletes Dubuque College ever turned out, and was holder of the American A. A. U. broad jump record of twenty-four feet and eight inches. In July 1919 Butler (now of Drake College) won the broad jump in the Inter-Allied Games at Pershing Stadium, France. He was one of the athletes selected to represent the United States in those games. Butler also won the broad jump event at the Relay Carnival of the University of Pa., by leaping 23 feet 5 3-4 inches. Even in his youngster frolics while attending the Hutchinson, Kan. High School, Butler showed his unusual speed by getting loose at Evanston, Ill., on March 28, 1914, and pushing 60 yards of air out of the way in 6 2-5 seconds. When he finally slowed{207} down at the end of that affair and kept still long enough to listen he learned those boyhood runaway wild steps had established the best United States Inter-Scholastic Track Record for that event.

Edward Orval Gourdin

The field sensation among the white colleges during the past two years has been E. O. Gourdin, the Harvard all-round star athlete. This Colored athlete is at this writing unquestionably the backbone and mainstay of the Harvard track team, and throughout their competitions with other colleges, Gourdin has been in the majority of cases the highest individual point scorer for his college. And yet, his victories have been under the most trying conditions and circumstances. Being a star in many events and the chief one upon whom Harvard depended, in numerous meets he has repeatedly been called upon to skip from one event to another and back again without stopping to catch his breath or get a rest: even fates, especially during the spring of 1921 seeming to be against him, for it usually rained the day before or the day he had to perform. As his best work is done on dry ground, and he fully knows it, his wet, muddy and slippery events were of course entered with a certain amount of mental depression, but his courage never faltered nor his willingness halted. During the spring of 1921 when Harvard and Yale met in their annual track meet, the track was soaked from a former rain; yet, Gourdin won the 100 yard dash from Yale in 10 2-5 seconds. Although the runway was uncertain from dampness, the take-off risky for the same reason and the pit wet from holding rain, he won the broad jump from Yale by hurling himself through the air 24 feet and 4 inches. In the shot-put under favorable conditions he clears 41 feet and in the 220 yard dash he hugs 22 seconds so tight that it can’t get away from him.

Extra! Extra! Extra! Special Delivery Red Rush Telegram!

At last, fates and the atmospheric elements smiled down upon the Colored athletic world wonder and marvel, “Ned” Gourdin, by giving him “A Perfect Day” (no drizzling rains, no wet slippery grounds, no damp heavy airs) on July 23, 1921.{208} On this date, that hilariously kissed the sun “good night” and joyously embraced the moon “good morning”, was held a dual track meet between the Harvard-Yale teams and the Oxford-Cambridge teams of England, at the Harvard Stadium. Regarding the results of that meet, the writer quotes the following extracts as part of an article that, according to the Chicago Defender of July 30, 1921, appeared in the July 25, 1921 issue of the Boston Daily Post:

“By Wilton Vaugh”

“Edward Orval Gourdin now goes down in the Harvard annals as the greatest track athlete ever to represent the Crimson.

“His record-breaking jump of 25 feet 3 inches in the running broad jump last Saturday at the stadium international college meet was just a climax to his amazing achievements on the cinders.

“Amazing Record”

“But that particular feat alone would have been enough to rank “Ned” with the elite of Cambridge, because the world has been waiting twenty years for a man capable of matching Peter O’Connor’s leap of 24 feet 11¾ inches. The Harvard idol accomplished it, and with such a margin that it now seems hopeless of developing a greater jumper for a number of years, anyway.

“His all-round prowess on the track would have been sufficient to rate him with the best. Had he chosen to specialize in any one of the eight events it is not beyond the scope of human thought to see him shatter different marks. His best winning records in the matches he has already tried are:

{209}

During his athletic career, the late J. B. Taylor of the University of Pa., was a track wonder in both America and Europe. When in action he had the easiest and prettiest carriage of body and the smoothest clocklike movement of limbs of any sprinter seen on the cinder path for years. When making his 440 yard and other records he used a remarkable sprinting stride of nine feet—about two feet longer than the average sprinter takes.

While at Harvard, T. Cable won fame as a hammer thrower; L. V. Alexis was a star trackman, and E. L. Davidson won the 125 pound-class wrestling Collegiate Championship in competing against the best white wrestlers of his class from the other six big colleges that had entered the match. A. L. Jackson was one of the best hurdlers Harvard ever turned out. B. Dismond of the University of Chicago and Lee Umble of Colorado University made records for their schools, and Umble is today one of the best wrestlers of his class in the West. J. T. Carter has won recognition as a crack sprinter on the Brown track team, Dewey Rogers is a star trackman on the University of Pa. track team and his ability to push 440 yards back of him in 50 2-5 seconds shows he has a pair of heels that must be closely watched or they may some day on some cinder path get fast ideas to elope from their owner. Rogers in one of his 440 yards sprints defeated the captain of his own track team—Earl Eby.

Roy Morris has won a national reputation as a sprinter of note. R. E. Johnson of Pittsburgh, is one of the best 5,000 and 10,000 meter runners in the country. Little Charley Mitchell of the St. Christopher Club, New York, is one of the pluckiest and ablest marathon runners in the land and has finished eighth out of a string of sixty. G. L. Brashear, now coach of Straight University, New Orleans, La., was at one time one of the best all-round athletes in California. E. Niles has repeatedly shown that he is one of the best 440 and 880 yard sprinters in New England.

“The New York Athletic Club games saw another promising Negro athlete come into prominence. Billy Parker, representing the St. Christopher Club, raced to an easy victory in the 1,000 yard run. He won about as he pleased in 2:10. Parker{210} is one of the best-looking runners that the Colored clubs have developed in years. He is big, rangy, and a good strider.” The above is what Howard Valentine, a sport writer, had to say in a white paper, the New York Globe, about Wm. S. (Billy) Parker who so easily defeated some of the fastest Colored and white runners in the East. Parker is also one of the foremost basketball players in the East. Young men who are interested in bicycle riding might be encouraged to learn here that little Major Taylor, a Colored man, during the year 1900 held the championship as the fastest bicycle rider in America.

Track and Field Records Held by Colored Youths

Track Amateur World Records

100 Yards, 9- 3-4 seconds by H. P. Drew at Berkley, California, March 28, 1914.
130 Yards, 12 4-5 seconds, H. P. Drew at Brooklyn, N. Y., Nov. 22, 1913.
220 Yards, 21 1-5 seconds, H. P. Drew at Clearmont, California, Feb. 28. 1914.

Colored Youths Who Have Won Unusual Distinctions in Track and Field Work in White Colleges.

{211}

Howard and Lincoln at the University of Pennsylvania

At the University of Pa., Relay Games held April 29 and 30, 1921, on Franklin Field, Phila., Pa., the Howard University track team took a one mile relay race away from Bowdoin College, Carnegie School of Technology, Tufts College and several other white colleges of that stamp. The Lincoln University track team in a one mile relay race also romped away from the teams of George Washington University and a number of other such white institutions.

Beside gaining honors in winning those only two events in which they were entered, each of these two Colored teams was presented with a banner and each member of the teams was given a gold watch. The outcome of those two events not only brought encouragements to athletes in all Negro schools and pride to members of the Race throughout the country, but it convinced the athletic world of two truths. First, the brotherhood and true sportsmanship feelings between white and Colored schools in America are slowly but surely increasing and becoming closer and more friendly. Secondly, Negro universities, colleges and schools are today turning out athletes who can hold their own when competing with athletes developed by white schools of the same class.

Colored Athletes in Colored Universities and Colleges.

Those Colored youths mentioned in the preceding chapter are but a few of the Colored athletes who while attending white schools successfully matched the stamina, endurance and strength of their muscles, bones and will powers against those of Caucasian youths. The following named Colored athletes are those who studied and competed among themselves in Colored Universities, colleges and schools under instructions of their college trained Colored Athletic coaches, and who would have carried away many athletic first honors had they attended white schools and taken parts in sports:

{213}

BASEBALL

“Play Ball.”

Cris Terriente, Colored champion home-run hitter and out-fielder, and known as the Cuban “Babe Ruth”, was a marvel even several years ago when he played in the United States with the famous Colored teams, American Giants of Chicago and the All-Nationals of Kansas City. This Colored ball player has been frequently estimated by white baseball critics as being an equal home-run hitter to the celebrated “Babe Ruth”, whose services were sold by a Boston team to a New York team for over one hundred thousand dollars. And one of those well-meaning white critics, when commenting on the wonderful baseball playing of Terriente, so far forgot his “square-deal” and one hundred per cent Americanism as to allow some of his grayless brain matter and stagnant watery thoughts to soak through his system and overflow into his pen point that splashed little puddles of poisoned ink. In his article he lamented the fact that it was impossible to “indelibly white-wash” Terrente so as to make him white enough to be accepted as a playing member on one of the Big League White baseball teams.

Now, if that same baseball critic had entered the United States Army as either a volunteer or a draftee in the World War and had been dying of thirst on the bloodsoaked and bone-strewn plains of “No Man’s Land”, it is wondered if he would have thought it necessary to “indelibly white-wash” Colored soldiers before accepting from their black lips, and greedily pressing to his own parched white lips, the begged-for water canteens of the Colored soldiers? For such exchanges of canteens between generous Colored and dying white soldiers occurred thousands of times and in not one instance did those famished white men allow color prejudice to stand between them and a few mouthsfuls of left-over Colored water that meant the saving of their lives. Nevertheless, a majority of those soldiers{214} whose lives had been saved by the timely swallows of water from the canteens of black soldiers, immediately resumed their persecution of and discriminations against the Negro race even before they got back home to America.

Thus while history shows that the majority of white people, when in the jaws of threatened or actual death, become too “color-blind” and “near-sighted” to see the hue of the hand or the shape of the face that comes to its help and vital rescue; history also shows that a great many white people, while in the pink of life, health and prosperity, allow their visions to become so magnified and their minds to become so overrun and soaked with vile race prejudice that they constantly see imaginary color-lines that really do not exist. They also are constantly building up before law-abiding, clean-living and progressive classes of Colored people certain racial barriers that are not only proving a stain but also a shame (in the eyes of the rest of the onlooking world) upon this land of freedom, civilization and Christianity. But at this time and place the writer will not go further into this particular phase of this color-line subject, as it is being more fully dealt with in the writing of one of his other books.

Fair-minded white people are justly ashamed of the words and actions of such members of their race as the above mentioned reporter, and already bright rays of hope are beginning to shine in the Big League for Colored baseball players. In this direction The Continental League with headquarters at Boston, Mass. and formed by the white baseball magnate, Andrew Lawson, has really wedged the first opening. At the formation of this league, Lawson admitted two Colored teams, one from Providence, R. I. and the other from Boston, the latter team having both Colored and white players. This is the greatest bit of encouragement Colored professional baseball players in America have ever received. The chairman of the Board of Directors of The Continental League is R. T. Murray, a Colored man. This league’s influence for the spreading of broad-mindedness and fair-play is already being noticed among the officials of other white Big Leagues. At the end of the baseball season of 1920,{215} Colored teams were allowed to play against many of the big white league teams on their barn-storming tours.

During that season Bolden’s Hilldale team played against Connie Mack’s team of All-Stars at the National League Park, Phila., Pa., in which game Bolden’s team lost by a score of 2 to 1.

Bolden’s team also played against the famous “Babe” Ruth and his All-Stars at the National League Park, Phila., Pa., in which game Bolden’s team won by a score of 5 to 0. In this game, Flourney the Hilldale pitcher not only kept “Babe” Ruth from getting one of his famous home-runs but struck him out twice. “Babe” Ruth was also struck out at Shibe Park, Phila., Pa., during the same season by “Cannon Ball” Redding, star pitcher on the Atlantic City Bacharach Giants team.

Tesreau’s Bears played against Carl May’s All Stars at Dyckman Oval at which place the Yankees defeated the Colored team on both ends of a double-header by scores of 10 to 0 and 5 to 3.

The Lincoln Colored Giants played and defeated the New York Giants (white) in New York by a score of 4 to 1. Williams the Colored pitcher struck out thirteen men on the white team.

As far back as the early eighties, M. F. Walker proved himself such a good pitcher that he played on a white league ball team in Toledo, Ohio, and a Frank Grant also played on big white league teams in Connecticut, New York and Pennsylvania. William B. Matthews, during his college days at Harvard caused quite a sensation throughout the country by his unexcelled ball playing and mainly through his star playing his college nine won sweeping victories all down the line of their engagements.

In taking hurried glances over past performances of present day Colored baseball players, the following named are but a few picked from among those who think, dream, talk and act so much over the diamond that baseball has become their middle names:

T. Brown of American Giants, Cockerell and Flourney of Hilldale, Holland of Detroit Stars, Leblanc of Cuban Stars{216} Redding of Bacharach Giants, Rogan of St. Louis Giants and J. Williams of Lincoln Giants put forth the same kind of energy and earnestness in making moundmen fan the wind and think holes are in their bats as did Mathewson, Shawkey and Alexander, the great white pitchers, against their players.

Duncan of Chicago Giants, Ray of Kansas City Monarchs, Rodguez of Cincinnati Stars, Rojo of Bacharach Giants, Santop of Hilldale Quakers and Webster of Detroit Stars use the same kind of stickability in freezing onto hot balls as the white past masters in backstop, Schalk and O’Neill.

Bost of Oakland Braves, Grant of American Giants, Jeffries of Chicago Giants, Pettus of Bacharach Giants and Richards of Godfrey’s California All-Stars go through the same kind of successful limber-jointed jumping-jack antics on first base as McInnis and Kelly in the big white leagues.

Crowell of Tesreau Bears, Holloway of Indianapolis A. B. C’s. Holtz of St. Louis Giants and Thomas of Columbus Buckeyes have the same love for and show just as much jealously over the second bag as the crack second basemen, Collins and Hornsby don’t try to hide.

Day of Indianapolis A. B. C’s, Dinan of Tesraeu Bears, Fial of Lincoln Giants, Francis of Hilldale Quakers, Brown of Norfolk Giants and F. Hill of Detroit Stars are just as busy nailing and crucifying the last hopes of runners at third base as Groh and Gardner, who are about the best among white third basemen.

Dobbins of Hilldale Quakers, Hewitt of St. Louis Giants, Lloyd of Columbus Buckeyes and Lundy of Bacharach Giants while panning the same kind of red-hot frying sizzlers at shortstop as the celebrated Wagner and Bancroft, also usually salt and pepper those frying sizzlers with most amusing capers and comedian stage acts.

Briggs of Hilldale Quakers, Gans of Lincoln Giants, P. Hill of Detroit Stars, Jenkins of Chicago Giants, Kemp of Norfolk Giants, Thomas of Baltimore Black Sox, and Weeks of Pitts{217}burgh Stars have that same knack of vamping the sun straight in the face without blinking an eye while pulling down a twenty-two story sky-scrapping fly, like the rangy outfielders Speaker and Burns.

Meadows of Godfrey’s California All-Stars, Santop of Hilldale Quakers and Torrenti of American Giants are just as much interested in astronomy and scientific research as “Babe” Ruth and Sisler when they start a message to the planet Mars by way of a home-run baseball.

While big Jeff Tesreau has tried so hard and done so well, he has not yet become so big a thief as Ty Cobb in stealing bases and pawning runs at home-plate.

All of the other players, on these Colored teams, whose names have not been mentioned are also A-1 baseball jugglers and would make good showing to their credits in any of the white Big Leagues that would give them a fair and square chance to play on their teams.

And Colored boys who are talented and aspire to become great ball players should not lose ambition and hang back because of their race or color: They should take on new courage by reading here; that the most youthful and hopeful things (the grass and leaves) in the world, are Colored, and no one who looks “green” with hate and envy is able to stop Dame Nature each spring from stepping boldly out and, without apologies to men of any race, drapping the woods and fields with her colored shades of green.

{218}

BASKETBALL

George Gilmore.

Among Colored schools, Hampton, Howard and Lincoln form the big basket-ball right-angle triangle whose three angles each year are usually so constantly and rapidly twisted and turned to equal elevations of degrees, that it is not until the end of the season, when the three-sided affair finally settles on a steady foundation, that the spectators are really able to see and tell the base of this triangle from its hypothenuse and altitude.

Johnny Johnson, the Colored right-forward on the Columbia University varsity basketball team, in playing against the teams of Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Pennsylvania and other big colleges, in nearly every case scored the majority of points for his college team. His playing against these colleges was so brainy, spectacular and effective that it caused the leading white sport pages to give him glowing compliments relative to his being one of the best basketball players in the country.

In several large cities Colored athletes have organized and wonderfully developed some of the swiftest and most efficient basketball teams in America. Among the leading teams are: Dr. Johnson’s Forty Club of Chicago, Cum Posey’s Loendi Club of Pittsburgh, Chas. Bradford’s St. Christopher Club of New York, Manager Accoe’s A. C. Lightning Five of Brooklyn, C. Cain’s Vandals, of Atlantic City, “Babe” Thomas’ Alpha Big Five of New York, Douglas’ Spartan Braves of New York, Moss’ Center Five of Toledo, Ohio, All-Scholastics of Harrisburg, the Alcoes of Washington, D.C., the Athenians of Baltimore and the Pioneers of Cleveland, Ohio.{219}

Among those players on these teams whose names, through observation and information, the writer was able to get are: Betts, Blueitt, Sol Butler, Brown, Bundy, Capers, Cooper, Duff, Fial, Fields, Forbes, Gumbs, Howard, Hubbard, Jenkins, Moss Posey, Ricks, Sessons, Slocum, Young and Winters. The other players on these teams were always doing such tricky feinting dizzy ducking, dazzling dodging, sudden blocking, slippery sliding, magic dribbling, lightning shooting and bull’s eye caging that the writer was not able to corner them in, so as to trip them up and hold them down long enough to get their names.

{220}

PRIZE FIGHTING.

“Jack” Johnson.

The decisions the United States Government made during the World War, regarding the urgent necessity of including boxing in its all-round training in preparing the soldiers and sailors for war, at last brought the art of self-defense into its own and accorded it the proper recognition and value it should have officially received years ago. In private life prize fighting had its followers in both America and Europe as far back as a hundred years ago. About that time a Virginia Negro slave by the name of Tommy Molineaux whipped all American boxers who met him after which he went to Europe where he was beaten by the Englishman, Cribb, who was at that time the champion of Great Britain.

Along in the 70’s, George Godfrey was in his prime and became known on both sides of the ocean on account of whipping the famous white fighter, Lannon, in one of the greatest prize fights ever “pulled off” in New England. Godfrey fought seventy-six rounds with the great fighter, Jake Kilrain and he also staid twenty rounds with the “Australian Black Wildcat,” Peter Jackson. As John L. Sullivan, known as the greatest white slugger of all times, was then in his prime and zenith, Godfrey repeatedly tried to meet him in the ring but Sullivan always managed to evade a fight with him.

Peter Jackson, although an Australian by birth, spent his best fighting years in America. He fought with, came out even or on top of all the best men of his days. It was he who fought a 61 round draw with James J. Corbett, who is known as the most scientific heavyweight champion boxer the world has ever seen. Jackson was considered by many as the quickest heavyweight foot worker in the game. It is said that he was so uncanny quick on his feet that many times when an opponent made a{221} lunge at him, Jackson would dodge the blow, circle to the rear of the fighter and pin him one back of the ear before the opponent could regain his balance, face around and throw up his guard to block off the blow. During all the time he was meeting the best heavyweights, Jackson held out a standing challenge to John L. Sullivan, who never would meet him in the ring. But John L. was always truthful enough to admit that he did not consider himself champion of the world because he had never whipped Peter Jackson. (for proof of this statement write to the Editor of Everybody’s Column, Philadelphia Inquirer, Phila., Pa.) According to an article that appeared in the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin of January 26, 1921, and which was written by Hughey Fullerton a white sport critic, John L. Sullivan also side stepped another Colored heavyweight prize fighter, who was known in Louisiana as “Black Zeke”. This “Zeke” who weighed 220 pounds and was six feet two inches tall, could lift a bale of cotton weighing five hundred pounds. In reference to this fighter a paragraph in the above mentioned article read as follows: “After the Sullivan-Kilrain fight Mr. Carrol tried to arrange a bout between “Zeke” and John L. The latter refused and the planter followed Sullivan over the country, but to no avail.” So while Sullivan was truthfully champion over the world of white fighters, there were at least three Colored fighters, George Godfrey, Peter Jackson and “Black Zeke” over whom John L. never was champion, because he had never whipped any one of them although all three had repeatedly followed and challenged him after they had met and held their own with the other best men of their times.

Of all prize fighters, Colored or white, the world has ever known, George Dixon was declared the most wonderful of them all. Being a little over four feet tall, weighing less then 130 pounds, with small tapering legs that seemed to sweat tears of pain under the weight of his gigantic chest and unusually broad shoulders from which dangled muscular arms of such thickness and length that they looked unnatural, Dixon presented a most uncanny and formidable foe when stripped in the ring waiting for action. He always proved just as formidable as he looked;{222} for when he warmed up and got into real action, it seemed to his opponent that Mr. & Mrs. Satan and their entire brood of little Satan imps from Hades had been turned loose in the ring. During a period of ten years (1890-1900) Dixon at different times held both the Bantamweight and Featherweight championships of the world. And one of the main reasons why his name will ever go down in ring history as the “Wonder of Wonders” is that he did something no other world champion has ever done—he “came back” three times and regained his lost championship. It is said that he made a record of over a thousand clean knockouts during his fighting career. His three “Come backs” were staged as follows: Benny Jordan took the title from him and he regained it from Eddie Santry; Frankie Erne gave Dixon a good spanking one year and the next year he thrashed that same Frankie Erne; Sol Smith gave him a good lacing, and the same year, Dixon in a return battle took back his title and in doing so (to use a frequent and amusing expression of one “Tommy” Howard, a jolly fellow and Virginia old-time friend of the writer’s) “nearly shook the living life out of him.”

Because Dixon always went into the squared-circle to give his best in manhood fighting and not his worse in childhood playing and faking, he was respected and beloved by fight fans of all classes and colors, which was proved by the most celebrated sport followers of the day, including ex-Heavy-weight Champion James J. Corbett, acting as pallbearers at his funeral.

Joe Walcott and Dixie Kid were two other great little fighters and they both became Welterweight world Champions, Walcott from 1901 to 1904 and Dixie Kid from 1904 to 1908. It is said of these two fighters, that, like Dixon, they became famous in their readiness to meet top-notch fighters who were nearly twice their height and weight. When they could get such big men in the ring with them, they usually jumped clear off the floor to land a mighty crushing paw upon some rival’s tempting jaw that then and there felt nothing more.

But the “Old Master” of them all, who even today is conceded to have been one of if not the cleanest hitting, quickest moving, gamest staying and most scientific boxers, Colored or white,{223} big or little, who ever one-stepped, two-stepped, waltzed and Virginia-reeled into and around a roped-circle, was the ring’s national favorite, Joe Cans of Baltimore, Md. This great little fighter, who was as much a pet of the white sporting faction as of the Colored element, took the Lightweight championship away from Frank Erne in 1892 and kept it for six years. During that time he defeated all the best men in his field and jumped over the fence into the Welterweight pastures where he gored and tossed into the air several human beings and caused many to climb up on the fence in order to keep out of his way, until they saw that his constant mad rushes had weakened his stamina and tore down his system. It was during the zenith of his fighting career that whenever Gans started from home to engage in a fight his mother would laughingly say, “Bring home the bacon, Joe.” The boy fully understood and appreciated his mother’s encouraging joke and never returned home, when in his prime, without bringing along the winner’s roll of money. Joe Gans was as game as any game rooster that ever threw defiant crows from a barnyard gate and when he was in great need of money, to get a fight he would make such vitality sapping and strength weakening weights that people wondered how he was able to stand up much less jump around and fight. And to the very last, poor, broken-bodied, but not broken spirited, Joe Gans put up one of the gamest losing battles ever fought against that greatest champion—of all times among all peoples—Death.

“Panama Joe Gans” a Colored fighter of today has added laurels to the name he has adopted by becoming Middleweight Champion. Like his late namesake he is willing at all times to give the best of them in and out of his class chances to win his title. Just because he is a champion he does not draw the “color line” against any white fighter but fights as often as four and five times a month with his championship at stake every time.

Other Colored fighters who were among the best in their times and who no doubt would have won championships in and out of their classes, had the “color lines” not been drawn around them, are; Bob Armstrong, Jack Blackburn, Bobbie Dobbs,{224} Sam Hopkins, Young Peter Jackson, Joe Jeanette, Sam Langford, Sam McVey and Fred Morris.

Some of the present day Colored fighters who are most frequently heard about are Jeff Clark, Leo Johnson, Jamaica Kid, Kid Norfolk, Benny Ponteau, Bill Tate, Jack Thompson, Jack White and Harry Wills, challenger and dreaded foe of Dempsey.

From 1908 to 1914 the world heavyweight champion fighter was Jack Johnson, the only Colored man who ever wore that crown of ring glory and belt of fighting fame. Unlike any of the white heavyweight champions, Johnson won the title twice: first from Tommy Burns in 1908 and secondly on that memorial Fourth of July 1910, from Jim Jefferies, who along with the American public disputed Jack’s right to the title. After his complete whipping of Jefferies, the Colored fighter, proved to the entire world that he was not only the rightful holder of the title but that he was also one of the best champions the ring had ever seen. Because of his having the pantherlike movements and quickness of a Peter Jackson, the straight-arm punch of a John L. Sullivan, the scientific hit-and-get-away style of a James J. Corbett, the ring generalship and craftiness of a “Bob” Fitzsimmons and the gameness and stamina of a “Jim” Jefferies, plus his own level-headedness and cheerful fighting disposition, the best fight critics in America and Europe considered “Jack” Johnson when in his prime, as being the best all-round and equally balanced heavyweight fighter who ever crawled through the ropes to battle in a prize ring.

Regarding the Johnson-Willard fight in Havana, Cuba, at which time the heavyweight title passed from Johnson to Willard the writer quotes here an extract that is taken from the article, “Jack Johnson Tells The Truth” that was written by Juli Jones, Jr. in the August 6, 1921 issue of The Chicago Defender.

“The sporting editor of the New York Sun printed an article which stated that Jack Johnson said the Willard fight was on the level; that he did not lay down to Willard in Havana, Cuba. This statement coming from Johnson, printed in one of America’s first-class dailies, is the first good step that Johnson has taken{225} to win the favor of the real sporting public. The present public will not stand for a crook or a bad loser. It killed Fred Fulton, a very likable man.

“Johnson in part made it quite plain when he stated if he was going to lay down to Willard he would have done so in the seventh or ninth round, and not wait until the twenty-sixth to flop. He also stated he had always fought square and that was the reason he got to the top. Johnson gives a good reason for his failure to whip Willard, a very good reason. First, he had underestimated Willard, hadn’t proper training, ran around on the ocean looking for a battle ground. These had their effects on the fight.”

Throughout his marvelous fighting career, Johnson was climbing to success under most unfavorable conditions. White fighters in winning championships have only to fight against and beat down the opponent in the ring before them. But before he even got a chance to fight for the titled belt, “Jack” had always to mentally fight race prejudice on the outside of the ring at the same time he was physically beating down his white opponent in the ring. It would be hard to find proper words to describe the great fistic career Johnson would have made for himself if he had received the same kind of unprejudiced encouragements and boostings all white champions receive. And if up to this date nearly one hundred million of white Americans consider it wonderful to have produced out of that number seven white heavyweight champion fighters—Sullivan, Corbett, Fitzsimmons, Jefferies, Burns, Willard, and Dempsey; or in other words a champion for ever fourteen million of their population: then it must be most wonderful that less than thirteen million of Colored Americans, under most unfair and persecuting conditions, have produced one heavyweight champion fighter of the world—John Arthur (“Jack”) Johnson.

For the benefit of those people who, on account of their jealousy and envy of Johnson’s fighting ability, try to defame and lower his character to the lowest, the writer would suggest the reading of the logic article—“Jack Johnson, Self-Made Man” that was written in the May 15, 1920 issue of the Chicago Defender by the able sport scribe, Juli Jones, Jr. The following is an extract from that article:{226}

“Both races got Jack wrong. His aim in life was not to be a doctor, preacher, lawyer or Race Leader. He set out to be the best man with his fists, which he did beyond all question of doubt. We cannot find one case where Jack ruined any young girl’s future or broke up any man’s happy home; neither was he mixed up in any barroom fights. Never was he found in the gutter drunk or making a disgraceful fellow of himself, throwing away his money. On the other hand, since Jack has been self-exiled from his country, press reports from England, France, Spain and Mexico tell us that he has conducted himself in the most gentlemanly way and is welcome back in their countries at any time. How many, men who have been born under any flag could have stood what Jack has stood for the past six or eight years and still be in the limelight, handing the world a golden smile, saying, “Good will to all men.”

Now, not for one moment is the writer, in dealing with this subject, attempting to shield or cover-up any short-comings that may have occured in the private life of Jack Johnson. But, if after reading the above quotation there still be those people who continue to sneer at and belittle the upward struggles and crowning success of this professional fighter, the writer would kindly suggest that each one of such people ask himself or herself the following question:

Have I (with all my good birth, pleasant and elevating home life, early encouragements, full privileges, unnumbered opportunities, unchecked enthusiasms, unshaken determinations, wide preparations, various abilities, friendly boostings and perfect living) ever stood for one whole day upon the top round of world recognized success in my chosen life work; as “Jack” Johnson stood for six years on the top round of world recognized success in his self-selected life calling?

{227}

ROWING

To Whom It May Concern:

Thus far have Colored athletes pushed onward. But the following are a few mentioned fields of athletics in which Colored youths have not become very active or efficient mainly because of the lack of certain facilities and sufficient appliances and accommodations for proper and seasonable trainings.

Rowing crews have not been developed in any of the Colored universities, colleges and schools to any outside recognized extent. This fact is quite explainable and excusable when it is taken into consideration that few of these institutions are located near natural and adequate bodies of water for such purposes. Bordentown School, Bordentown, N.J. and Hampton Institute, Hampton, Va., are perhaps the two most favorable exceptions in this case. Both of these schools have peaceful streams of gurgling waters that flow so near as to softly caress the oft kissed lips of their water-edged lawns.

Calmly setting upon the banks of the Hampton River, an arm of the Merrimac-Monitor famed-Hampton Roades, Hampton Institute has running before its very doors a half mile of nearly straight and unusually smooth body of water that is wide enough to float at least three crews abreast. Peacefully nestling on a high projecting hill, Bordentown School can look miles either way upon the historical Delaware as it gently flows below making a wide, graceful bend from upward Trenton to downward Camden.

There are already hopeful signs appearing which show that both of these institutions in the near future will take full advantages of their natural and wonderful water facilities by developing rowing crews that some day will be second to none in the country. By the time this stage of their rowing development{228} has been reached, it is hoped that the racial, and sportsmanship feelings between white and Colored colleges will have become so brotherly and peacefully allied, that, the rowing crews of Annapolis will be friendly competing against Hampton oarsmen, and the shellmen of Princeton will be friendly churning the Delaware waters against the crews of the Bordentown School. And when such times do come about, the writer feels sure that the oarsmen of Hampton and Bordentown will guarantee to keep enough water between themselves (either at the bow or stern) and the shells of Annapolis and Princeton to wash away and keep down any waves of “color line” that might suddenly arise to dampen the sportsmanship and one-hundred percent Americanism atmosphere of the occasions.

SWIMMING

Diving-Treading-Floating.

General swimming as a recreation and pastime by the Colored people in the United States has in the past been sadly neglected for some excusable and some unexcusable reasons. The chief excusable reasons have been that with few exceptions they have not had access to the places where they could indulge in this sport and that they did not have the money with which to promote and construct such places for themselves. The main, unexcusable reason has been that they, with but few exceptions, were too timid and scared of drowning to enter water deep enough and stay there long enough to learn how to swim.

For instance, the writer several years ago made personal investigations among many Colored fishermen, oystermen and crabmen who live along the shores of and spend the biggest part of their lives on the Chesapeake Bay in little boats that every{229} year are numerously overturned by sudden squalls and storms. And to his great and painful surprise he learned from those men themselves that the majority of them could not swim a stroke, while among those who had learned to swim, but few had confidence enough in themselves to believe they could even swim a half or one mile. And yet those men daily risked their lives and ventured out upon that deep and uncertain body of water without attempting to revive and develop that valuable and necessary instinct that is born in every human being and every dumb animal. As the result of such thoughtless neglect of their own personal welfare, many of those cheerful, honest, frugal, hard-working, plain-living and law-abiding people are drowned each year because of their not knowing how to swim.

But today, through the cities’ public recreation ponds being opened to Colored youths, the increased erections of Y. M. C. A.’s and Y. W. C. A.’s of the Colored branches with modernly inclosed pools, Colored universities, colleges and large schools gradually constructing gymnasiums containing up-to-date natatoriums, and business men of the Race buying and improving seashore hotel resorts with beach bathing privileges such as Dale’s at Cape May, N. J., Bay Shore near Old Point Comfort, Va., Fitzgerald and Ovington Hotels and Walls’ beach at Atlantic City, N. J., and Idlewild, Ill., a new interest in learning the art of swimming is being increasingly aroused among Colored people throughout America. When fine swimming centers such as the Chicago Wabash Avenue Y. M. C. A. puts before its Race boys the placards and advertisements—“One Thousand Boys Wanted To Learn How To Swim”, it shows that Colored swimming instructors are using every persuasive means to get their youths interested and skilled in this most useful and refreshing pastime. These teachers fully realize that when their art is rightly learned and properly performed it not only brings into exercise practically every muscle of the body but also enables its possessor when necessary to save his own as well as the lives of others. Thus, with these encouragements, interests, facilities, privileges and proper instructions rapidly increasing; it is not “building castles in the air” to prophesy that within a reasonable{230} length of time the Negro race in America will produce a Colored Norman Ross and a Colored Ethelda Bliebtry as champion swimmers.

SKATING.

Dutch Roll Figure Eight-Grape-vine Twist

When in future winters young men and women of the Race are justly admitted to the ice-skating rinks; they sensibly decide to spend less of their time in hot-stuffy parlors, etc., and with ice skates stay out more in the free, fresh, health renewing air upon the parks’ frozen lakes and streams: they will certainly find among themselves a talented skater who may later build up to a white Chas. Jewtraw, short distant; a Mrs. F. F. MacMillian, fancy; or a J. F. Donohue, long distant, ice skating champions.

TENNIS

It’s All in The Game

As they are constantly laying out and regularly using new private and club tennis courts all over the country, the Race will in due time mould one of its Tally R. Holmes into a Wm. T. Tilden or Jay Gould championship quality; just as it will some day take one of its Miss Slowes or Miss Channels and bloom her into a Mrs. Molla Bjurstedt Mallory top-rung record holder.{231}

GOLFING

“Tee-Off” and “Fore”

When the Colored people become enough interested in golf to take advantage of the privileges that are today granted to them on several public links, and which privileges will increase as time goes on; they will then begin to forward one of their Jim Barnes or Robert Balls into a champion Jock Hutchinson, just as they will some day discover and begin to develop a Colored woman into a championess Aleca Stirling.

An Athletic Dawn of To-morrow

The writer recently received from Mr. Chas. H. Williams, Head of the Physical Culture Department of Hampton Institute, a graduate of that institution as well as Harvard University and one of the most successful Colored athletic directors in the country, official letters and architectural drawings relative to a campaign having already been launched by Hampton Institute to raise funds for the construction of a thirty thousand dollar modernly equipped athletic field. When this pioneer movement for Negro field sports is completed and opened for general inspection and national track meets; it will then, as the Mecca in America for Colored field sports, most certainly arouse unbounded interests, inspirations and determinations in the minds of visitors from other Colored schools that do not possess such advantages. And as those visitors turn homeward bound their{232} enthusiasms are going to be elevated to such high and lasting hopes and longings that they will dreamingly hear, until materially heeded, conscience voices from the clouds above that will softly and encouragingly whisper; “Go thou likewise and do the same.” Thus a real athletic dawn will eventually light up and spread over many Negro schools in such ways as to enable them in due time to turn out athletes who will surprise the world by making unheard-of and unbelievable new track records. For instance, as Edward O. Gourdin, the Colored and greatest track athlete Harvard University has ever had, did July 23, 1921 at the Harvard Stadium when, in competing against Great Britain’s best athletes, he made a new running broad jump world record by leaping 25 feet 3 inches. In making that wonderful jump he beat Peter O’Connor’s then world record of 24 feet 11¾ inches that track athletes all over the world for the past 20 years had repeatedly tried but always failed to beat until Gourdin, a Negro, came along and did the trick by over a clear margin of 3 inches.

After reading the foregoing pages of Negro success in athletics, Colored youths have every right to become inspired to redouble their efforts in trying to win even more first places along these lines. But if a Colored athlete should at any time just before entering a severe, critical and history making contest suddenly become discouraged and heavy-hearted, because of his race and color; he should remember that:—

The swiftest and most valuable piece of horse-flesh in the world (Man-O-War) is not white, but is a light-red bay, and from the firm tread of his feet, prancing swing of his legs, proud carriage of his body, beautiful arch of his neck, graceful poise of his head, and fearless look in his eyes, shows he is neither ashamed of his horsehood nor his well-colored natural coat. So this three-year-old colt did not fret and worry about his brunette complexion nor the odds in years against him as he nearly divorced his body from his shadow in winning the Canadian race that gave him the title, “King of the turf”, seventy-five thousand dollars in money, and a five thousand dollar gold cup that otherwise would have gone to the four-year-old British colt, Sir Barton.{233}

ON THE STAGE

Charles L. Gilpin

Bert Williams

REINOLD Wolf, (white) one of the leading stage critics of today, wrote of Bert Williams as being “The greatest comedian on the American Stage.” Years back this noted actor was a partner in the famous “Abyssinia” Williams & Walker Company. For several years he has been a star actor in The Zeigfield Follies, a leading white high-class Vaudeville Company. The instant that Williams appears before the footlights, whether he moves, stands still or doesn’t do either, he captures his audience, and when with a word-speaking look, a suggestive motion and a life-pictured song he is always able to bring down a most dignified house in uproarious laughter; it is no wonder that he has been titled the Harry Lauder of the Negro race. For years the Columbia Phonograph Co., has been reproducing Mr. Williams’ songs on their records that are in great demand, especially his ever-popular songhit “Parson Eatmore”.

Aida Overton Walker, at the time of her death, was mentioned by some of the New York papers as having been the Lillian Russell of the Negro race. Appearing first as a chorus dancer in “Isham’s Octoroons” she through untiring and ceaseless work improved her acting until she reached her highest dancing feature in the interpretation of “Salome”, which acting was said to have been of a Mary Garden standard. In their primes and times, Aida and her talented husband, George Walker were the dancing Castles of that period, and no couple, Colored{234} or white, before or since, have been able to excel them in their world-famed “Cake Walks” that they executed by invitation before most of the kings and queens in Europe. Her singing of “Why Adam Sinned”, “It’s Hard to Love Somebody When Somebody Don’t Love You”, and “If You Ain’t Got No Money, Well, You Needn’t Come Around”, had not been equaled by any singer in that line until our present and famous Mamie Smith first daintly tripped forth and with those hypnotizing smiles of hers caused the audience to quiver and tremble from the crown of its head to the sole of its feet while listening to her life-action singings of “That Thing Called Love”, “You Can’t Keep a Good Man Down” and “It’s Right Here For You.”

George Walker, the one-time partner of Bert Williams and the late husband of Aida Walker, was the real “Bon Bon Buddy” singer and starred with Williams in “Sons of Ham”, “Bandanna Land”, “In Dahomey” etc. “Bob” Cole, as leader of the renowned Cole and Johnson Company, won a great deal of his stage glory in the presentation of “The Red Moon”. As well as an actor he was a composer of note and among his best productions that attracted wide attention and afforded much amusement for the theatre goers were “A Shoo Fly Regiment”, “Katydid” and “I Must Have Been A Dreaming.”

Before going any further mention ought to be made of the world-famed Ira Aldridge, who was born in Bel Air, Maryland in 1810 and therefore can be rightly classed as an American product, although he spent most of his years and died in Europe. Even today he is considered as one of the greatest actors the Negro race has ever had. Going to Europe when young and studying at Glasgow University, Scotland, he excelled in composition work and won many prizes. Winning one success after another, he finally reached his zenith in the playing of Othello, the Moor. From that time until his death he was without a peer in portraying that character, and few have equaled him since. His acting was infused with so much intelligence, personality, naturalness and composure that he was always assured of over-crowded theatres and was constantly entertained and awarded gold medals of honor by the crowned rulers of England,{235} Prussia, Austria, Russia and many other important countries in Europe. As Mr. Aldridge made his home in London, his widow and two talented daughters, Luranah A. Aldridge, a contralto singer of European fame, and Amanda Aldridge, a celebrated composer known by her professional works as “Montague Ring”, continue to reside in that city.

(Ref.: Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, pgs. 335).

The name of Samuel Milady (better known as Sam Lucas) will ever go down in Thespian circles as one of the greatest performers in the old school of Negro actors. He not only wrote the sensational play of his day, “My Grandfather’s Clock”, but played its leading role. But his world popularity and fame were mostly won through his impressive playing of “Uncle Tom” in the original white “Uncle Tom’s Cabin Company.”

S. Tutt Whitney and J. Homer Tutt, with their “Smarter Set” Co., are to stageland today what Williams and Walker were with their Company years ago. The team work of Whitney and Tutt is without doubt the most wonderful combination of versatile comedy acting put forth over the footlights within the past ten years. They produce and act their own compositions to full houses whenever and wherever they perform, and one of their latest hits is “Bamboula.”

A Colored comedian who is in a class by himself is the many-sided Billy King. His ability to make people laugh without tickling them in their ribs or even on their knees is nationally known. Beside being a genius in acting, he is versatile composer of over a hundred stage productions in which he has played the leading parts in scores of them. His show is such a financial success that it is said he annually pays over two hundred thousand dollars as salaries to the half hundred or more people in his employment. Billy King is without doubt the greatest individual producer-performer of high-class musical comedy in the Negro race today. He is also one of those (scarce-as-hen-teeth) human beings on earth who seems to have been born under certain stars whose horoscopic influences magnetize dollars from every place and steadily drop them into his pockets whether he is{236} working or playing. For Mr. King is just as financially successful in his insurance company and other business seriousness as he is in his theatrical fun making.

Two of the leading moving picture actors among the American Colored people are: Noble Johnson who has appeared in such national reels as “Intolerance” and “The Death Warrant”, and Donald Lashley who has acted and posed for pictures with Alice Joyce, played forty-five weeks with Billie Burke in “Caesar’s Wife”, and took part in “The Passion Flower” with Norma Talmadge. During the four years he has been acting for the screens he has played in company with many other white moving picture stars.

According to an article that appeared in the May 27, 1921 issue of the Negro Star of Wichita, Kansas, Colored people in America own and operate seven film companies producing pictures with Negro casts. One of these companies is The Lincoln Motion Picture Company, which is incorporated in California and has been producing moving picture films for the past five years. Negro actors and actresses are wholly featured in its reels that are shown in Colored theatres and other institutions throughout the United States. Among its star reel features are: “Realization of a Negro’s Ambition”, “The Trooper of Troop K.” “Law of Nature” and “By Right of Birth.” The Micheaux Film Corporation, Chicago, Ill., is another nationally known moving picture producer. The founder and president of this company is Oscar Micheaux, who is recognized as America’s foremost Negro producer. His chief productions are “The Brute”, “The Homesteader”, “The Gunsaulus Mystery”, “The Symbol of The Unconquered” and “Within Our Gates”.

Some of the leading Colored moving picture stars of today are: Dick Abrams, Jack Austin, L. De Bulger, Jim Burris, Lawrence Chenault, Louise Dunbar, Iris Hall, Evelyn Preer, E. G. Tatum, Walker Thompson, Lee Whipper and Mattie Wilkes, W. H. Herman.

Right here before the facts again slips from the writer’s mind, must be mentioned two actors, the late Tom Brown and Ernest{237} Hogan. On account of their seemingly unlimited theatrical abilities, their earnestness in performing and their cheerful and lovable dispositions, those two were among the best and most popular actors during their times.

S. H. Dudley aside from having shone in the center of the actor’s spotlight when taking active parts on the stage, has become one of America’s leading Colored theatrical promoters, builders and managers in the country. He is owner or part owner of theatres in Washington, D.C., Petersburg, Va. and other cities. In theatrical circles the name of Dudley is as familiar and popular among Colored people as the name of Keith is among white people.

“The King Pin of ’em all” (A humorous and fitting description made by the “Old Roll Top Desk Man, With the Million Dollar Smile”) is Charles S. Gilpin the world-famed dramatic actor, who was given the highest thespian honors of the season on Broadway.

“Never in the history of the stage has an actor been accorded the class of press notices handed Gilpin during his present engagement. What he did in a dramatic way in “Abraham Lincoln” attracted the plaudits of the critics of the metropolitan press; but his wonderful work in “The Emperor Jones” has more than eclipsed anything seen on Broadway in many years. Indeed, some writers claim that never before has a character been portrayed in as graphic a manner as is the title role in Gilpin’s present vehicle.” The above is an extract taken from an article that appeared in the March 26, 1921 issue of the Chicago Defender and which article was written by Tony Langston, Dramatic Editor and Advertising Manager of that paper.

To the thoughtless observer the sudden leap to fame by this Colored actor looked like a streak of good luck: but not so. Years ago when Gilpin was working as a coal miner, butler, porter and many other menial jobs he was, perhaps unknown to even himself, making preparations to face some big event that his elevating aspirations pushed him on to meet. He was an actor then, but he had not found himself and his talents were undeveloped. When he organized the first Lafayette dramatic{238} players in New York many years ago he was beginning to find and unfold himself. This unfolding continued for sometime until he was given a cast in John Drinkwater’s “Abraham Lincoln.” Then (what Gilpin knew for years but did not get a chance to show) the nation learned that in this man were the qualities and abilities of a great actor. So when the big opportunity came for Gilpin to play the principal actor in Eugene O’Neill’s play, “The Emperor Jones”, this Colored man’s previous years of hard struggles in and out of his avenues of cherished hopes had well equipped him for the place. Chance may have put him there, but luck did not keep him there. Only long preparations and the proper qualifications that are allied with those preparations can balance and keep a man on such a high and dizzy steeple point as that, and also enable him to hold a Spingarn Medal.

Some of the other Colored actors and actresses in America who have mounted high enough upon the Thespian ladder to catch glimpses of its topmost rung and are rapidly climbing thereto, are; Dick Abrams, George Allen, Mrs. Chas. Anderson, Chas. Anderson, Emmett Anthony, Austin & Delaney, “Chick” Beaman, Andrew Bishop, “Eubie” Blake, Laura Bowman, Clarence Brooks, Shelton Brooks, Teressa Brooks, Ida Brown, L. De Bulger, Jim Burris, H. B. Carter, Estelle Cash, Lawrence Chenault, Inez Clough, Lulu Coates, Julian Costello, Amon Davis, Hazel Davis, A. B. DeComathierre, Cleo Desmond, Evelyn Ellis, Ada Forman, Charlotte Freeman, Lottie Ghee, Ella Goodloe, Alice Gorgas, Richard Gregg, Lawrence Griner, Iris Hall, Harper & Blank, Grace Howell, Maud Jones, Joe Jordan, Sidney Kirkpatrick, Margeurite Lee, Tom Lemonier, Florence McClain, Irvin C. Miller, Abbie Mitchell, Lionel Monogus, Frank Montgomery, Francis Mores, Moss & Frye, Clarence Muse, Chas. Olden, Laura Prampin, Harry Prampin, Ethel Pope, Evelyn Preer, Gladys Price, Arthur Ray, “Bob” Russell, Gertrude Saunders, Seamore & Jeanette, Arthur Simmons, Nobble Sissle, “Bob” Slater, Mildrew Smallwood, Eddie Stafford, Susie Sutton, E. G. Tatum, Walker Thompson, “Babe” Townsend, Andrew Tribble, Lee Whipper, Maybelle Whitman, Fannie Wise, Eddie Brown, Marie Lucus.{239}

Elocutionists

Some of the foremost dramatic readers and elocutionists of today are; Hallie Q. Brown, who is also president of The National Association of Colored Women, Wilberforce, Ohio, Fannie H. Clint, New York, Madame Coppage, Norfolk, Va., Henrietta V. Davis, Washington, D.C., Richard B. Harrison, Chicago, Ill., Madamme Johnson, Berkley, Cal., Maud Jones, New York, Frances E. Motin, St. Louis, Mo., Elmer L. Payne, Bethlehem, Pa., Theodore Shackelford, New York, Ruby Pelleford, Sabina, Ohio, Anna Teney, Chicago, Ill., Charles W. Wood, Tuskegee, Ala., and Alonzo Jackson, Phila., Pa., who is Founder and Principal of the Garrick Dramatic School in that city.

Red Blooded Airy Plays

“According to J. A. Jackson, of the Billboard, Negroes support 328 Vaudeville and 611 motion pictures theatres in 21 States. The smallest theatre seats 200 and the largest 1,800. Since September, 1920, 25 new acts, 14 companies and 12 theatres have entered the field.” The above quotation is an extract from the July, 1921 issue of The Crisis. John T. Gibson, Phila., Pa. owner of the New Standard and Dunbar Theaters in that city, and Rufus G. Byars, Washington, D.C. owner and promoter of a chain of theaters, are recognized as two of the most successful theatrical owners and promoters in the Negro Race today.

The writer presents the following names as being only a few belonging to the many many foremost Colored theatrical owners, managers, promoters, editors, writers and critics, who are using their utmost talents and energies to inspire and present intelligent entertainment and clean, wholesome amusement for the Colored theatre goers:

C. P. Bailey, Clarence Bennett, E. C. Brown, Romeo L. Dougherty, E. B. Dudley, S. H. Dudley, C. H. Douglass, Hubert H. Harrison, H. J. Huey, Jas. A. Jackson, Geor{240}gia H. Jones, Tony Langston, F. M. Murray, A. B. Nordecai, E. L. Pankey, Sam E. Reevin, W. S. Scales, Jesse Shipp, Milton Starr, E. S. Stone, W. J. Styles, C. H. Turpin, Lester B. Walton, and G. Grant Williams, Deacon Johnson.

Perhaps the greatest collective sign of the rapid and wonderful progress made along executive lines by Colored theatrical promoters and performers in America is seen in the formation of at least three big organizations pertaining to their own management and welfare.

The National Managers’ Protective Association is an organization to encourage the progress and promote the welfare of all connected with the Negro stage. Three of its chief duties are; first, to see that Negro players be encouraged in every way to entersperse their acts with clean, worth while offerings in songs and new material; secondly, to agree to such arrangements that the booking exchange, will give acts contracts that will be played as given, eliminating lay-offs, with shortest possible jumps, and salary in keeping, and thirdly, to arbitrate all complaints of managers, actors or agents, and see that a just settlement is given the parties, each case to be decided upon its merits. The officers of this organ are as follows: President C. H. Turpin, of the Booker T. Washington Theatre, St. Louis, Mo., Vice-President, E. B. Dudley, of the Dudley Theatre, Detroit, Mich., and Secretary-Treasurer, T. S. Finley of the Lyceum Theatre, Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Theatre Owners’ Booking Association by its own name implies what its chief duties are, and it is only necessary to say that the rapidly increasing numbers of theatre managers who are joining this association in order to be assured of regular and best plays being booked for their houses, vividly shows the necessity and value of such an organ. Its President is Milton Starr, Nashville, Tenn., Vice-President, C. H. Turpin, St. Louis, Mo., Secretary, W. S. Scales, Winston-Salem, N. C., and Treasurer-Manager, S. E. Reevin, Chattanooga, Tenn.

A most recent organization along these lines is known as The Actors’ Legion with headquarters at Cincinnati, Ohio. Its membership is to be composed of actors and actresses.., and one{241} of its chief duties is to see that matters of importance to performers will be speedily and properly adjusted. The writer was not able to get a list of the names belonging to the officers of this body.

Tony Langston, born in Detroit, Michigan, (fortunately several years after Noah’s Flood and a few years before Volstead’s Drought) and today living in Chicago never very far from nor out of sight of “Dear Old State Street”, is without question the most popular Colored theatrical writer not only in America but throughout the world. He writes the widest variety of subjects of any present-day penman in that line and is read by more than one million people each and every week. Nine years ago he entered the establishment of the Chicago Defender by way of its back door and on a salary less than the devil (printer’s) himself receives. To-day, he (Tony, not the devil) walks in and out the front doors of this firm as the highest paid writer in the history of Colored journalism.

When he first took hold of the dramatic sheet of this paper and held it up before the sun (son—excuse the pun), he could see just about as much matter on it as is seen in the hole (whole) of a doughnut. Since then he has been constantly thumping and pounding on Colored theatrical Boards with such hard and well-aimed blows (not with hammers and nails, but with ability, hard work, tact, cheerfulness, sympathy, friendliness and a “Million Dollar Smile”) that to-day the dramatic construction of the Chicago Defender averages over thirty thousand dollars yearly in advertising.

Aside from being Advertising Manager of the above mentioned journal, which is popularly known as the “World’s Greatest Weekly”, this all-round journalist, who is fondly called the “Old Roll Top Desk Man,” holds similar positions in connection with the Avenue, Grand, States, Phoenix, Lincoln, Atlas, Monogram, Owl and Pickford Theatres. He is also President of the Langston Slide and Advertising Company.{242}

“REAL WHITE” FRIENDS

Hopefulness and Gratefulness.

FROM the year 1619 when Negroes were first brought from Africa to the American Colonies, Colored people had from the very first a few of the truest kind of friends among a certain class of broad-minded, clean hearted and Christian white people. This group of people never was in favor of slavery but they could not stop it because their numbers were so much smaller than those who wanted and did have slaves. But white friends of those shackled human beings rapidly increased in numbers until 1861 when they felt that at last they were not only evenly matched but also had the sentiment of the rest of the world with them against the Southern white enemies of the Negro in freedom. Even during the darkest days of slavery there were white men and women in both the North and South, who after having slaves given to them by their parents, became so heavy of heart and worried in mind because of their parts in such soul damming sins and crimes that they would not longer keep their Colored people as slaves but set them free. Then again on account of some valuable deeds or services they had performed, many slaves were made free outright or were allowed to work their freedom out on easy terms. Some owners, while they were not quite Christianized or civilized enough to free their slaves, were in several ways quite kind to them and sometimes secretly (for the laws of the land forbid owners educating their slaves) taught them to read and write in somewhat the same amusing and pitying manner that tender-hearted boys and girls of today are kind to their pet birds and rabbits and teach them several smart tricks but yet will not open the cage doors and turn them loose.

Thus in the above ways there were during the whole period of slavery in the colonies a certain number of Negroes who had{243} secured their freedom as well as good educations in many instances. This explains how it is possible for the writer to truthfully mention within these pages historical facts relative to certain Colored people becoming noted teachers, preachers, doctors, newspaper editors, etc., long before the Civil War and the freedom of all Negroes in America.

Through the agencies of such organizations and societies as named below thousands of Northern white people either by means of their money or through actual service among the Colored people in the South showed their unquestioned friendships for the Negro race. Some of the most important of those friendly organs were as follows:

“Freedman’s Bureau, American Missionary Association, The American Freedmen’s Union Commission, The Baltimore Association for the Moral Educational Improvement of the colored people, The Western Freedmen’s Aid Commission, National Freedmen’s Relief Association of the District of Columbia, The Soldiers’ Memorial Society of Boston, Old School General Assembly Presbyterian Church, American Baptist Home Mission Society, The New England Yearly Meeting of Friends, and The Pennsylvania Friends’ Freedmen’s Relief Association of Philadelphia.

The two Presidents of the United States who have proved themselves, through both words and deeds, truly to have been the greatest white friends the Negro race has ever had in the White House were Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant.

The following are a few names handed to the writer by capable estimators as being among the many thousands of America’s “real white” people, who, either before or during the Civil War, Reconstruction Period or during the present times, have shown by their encouraging and fearless words and their generous and helpful deeds that they had or have within them the deepest brotherhood interest for the truest humane welfare and progress of the Negro Race:

{244}

(Some names in above list are extracts from Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, p. 34.)

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has its headquarters in New York City. This organization was fittingly originated in 1909 at a banquet celebrating the one-hundredth anniversary of the birth of the immortal Abraham Lincoln. The one who made the first move for its organization{246} was a white woman, Miss Mary White Ovington, who is recognized today as the Harriet Beecher Stowe of her race. She is a graduate of Radcliffe College and is the author of several books. It has been greatly through her untiring and helpful efforts that this organ now has in America, Canada, Canal Zone and Philippine Islands nearly four hundred branches that have a membership of over one hundred thousand. At this writing the association is conducting a campaign for the securing of two hundred fifty thousand members. The true steering rudder of this tremendous ark of safety is in the steady hands of Moorfield Storey, who as its pilot is being ably assisted in accurately compassing all rightful courses by his keen-eyed lookout crew that is composed of Robt. W. Bagnall, Dr. W. E. B. DuBois, Archibald H. Grimke, Rev. John H. Holmes, Mrs. Addie W. Hunton, Bishop John Hurst, Jas. Weldon Johnson, Miss Mary White Ovington, William Pickens, Arthur B. Spingarn, J. E. Spingarn, Mrs. Mary B. Talbert, Oswald Garrison Villard and Walter White.

The work of this association is best explained in the following matter which is a copy of one of its programs:

Done in 1920

Program for 1921

National Urban League

Another organization that is second to none in its usefulness and helpfulness to the America Colored people is the National Urban League for Social Service Among Negroes. This body was formed in 1911 and is also under the guidance of one of the staunchest white friends the Race has in the person of L. Hollingsworth Wood. His keen foresight discovers and leaves no stone unturned in bringing about for Colored people throughout the country fair chances to work in new lines of industry and be accorded just privileges to live in sanitary and comfortable quarters. This league has branches in more than thirty cities where thousands of Colored people yearly receive social and industrial helpfulness of the most encouraging nature. Few people know the full value of the tremendous work this league is doing and of the rapid growth it is making.

Those who are, as the chief officers in this league, wisely and unstintingly giving their time and efforts to aid Mr. Wood in this great work are W. H. Baldwin, A. S. Frissell, A. L. Jackson, E. K. Jones, Dr. R. R. Moton, Kelly Miller, John T. Emlen, J. C. Thomas and Lillian A. Turner.{249}

Praiseworthy and thankful mention should be made on these pages regarding the backboned manhoods and Christian stands for protection and justice to Colored people three Southern governors have fearlessly taken within the past two years.

In July 1920, Governor Thos. W. Bickett of North Carolina sent the State Militia, under Capt. M. P. Fowler, to Graham, N. C. with orders to halt and prevent a white mob from breaking into jail and lynching three Negro prisoners. After the troops had arrived and were placed on guard the mob advanced on the jail to secure the prisoners but were halted and scattered by the militia’s machine gun that killed one and wounded three of the would-be lynchers.

During March 1921, Governor Edwin P. Morrow of Kentucky removed from office the white jailer, J. H. Edgar for allowing a white mob to enter the jail and lynch Richard James a Colored prisoner. This Governor also offered a reward of one thousand five hundred dollars for the capture and conviction of each member of the mob.

Right on the heels of the exposure and arrest of the Georgia white planter, J. S. Williams, who was convicted in April 1921 for the murder of Lindsey Peterson, a Colored laborer on Williams peonage plantation where the murdered bodies of at least ten other Colored laborers were found; Governor Hugh M. Dorsey, of Georgia had published and freely circulated a pamphlet entitled, “The Negro in Georgia.” In this publication the Governor bravely and in detail tells of 135 incidents of cruelties committed upon Georgia Negroes. In only two of these cases were the victims accused of crimes against white women. The remaining 133 exposures tell of the whippings, shootings, lynchings, and the enslavement of Colored laborers under the forced labor systems, as well as the driving away of wealthy Colored people from their homes by bodily abuses or threatened tortures.

When it is taken into consideration that those officials fully knew that their stands against and exposures of such savage behaviors of their own people would without doubt mean their political deaths, as well as making for themselves state wide{250} enemies who would not hesitate to do them physical harm; the acts of those Governors were really those of heroes. In performing their full official and Christian duties, they have already influenced many other Southern officials to come forward like real men and help to wash away from the South (especially Georgia) its world-wide stain and shame.

During the past twenty years, Hon. Joseph C. Manning of Alabama, because of his continued courageous stands and his mighty platform and pen fights for justice to the Colored people, especially in the South, has constantly proved himself one of the most fearless and truest white friends the Negro race has in America today. In the April 23, 1921 issue of the Chicago Defender there was republished the article “Let Him Have Due Credit” that appeared in the April 16, 1921 issue of The Washington Bee. The article in part says:

“The peonage conditions in Georgia and the trail that has been going on down there recalls that it was Hon. Joseph C. Manning of Alabama who first brought peonage conditions in Alabama and the South to national attention and into national discussion.

“A letter written by Mr. Manning to the New York Evening Post in 1903 not only assailed this condition but named the peonage perpetrators. The Literary Digest made a review of the newspaper comment the article aroused. The papers in Alabama, some of them, vilified Mr. Manning unmercifully. He was denounced as a “defamer of his state”, branded as a liar, the peonage conditions were denied; but, in not a great while, the citizens he named were prosecuted and convicted through the operations of the Department of Justice when Mr. Moody was Attorney General.

“In the matter of peonage, as well as in the showing up of “black belt” frauds in the South, it was none other than Hon. Joseph C. Manning who took the initiative and has stood the burden to follow for having stood for right.{251}

“Precisely as he fought “black belt” frauds, helping to unseat Southern members of Congress in 1897, he has kept on fighting disfranchisement and arraigned lynching and all sorts of mobs and mob government.

“President Harding, when in the United States Senate, was called on frequently by Mr. Manning, who discussed these wrongs with the man who was to become President. The Bee then followed the work being done, in 1917, right here in Washington by Mr. Manning. No man, more than the President of the United States, knows about this self-sacrificing labor of Mr. Manning for right and for justice.”

{252}

CORRECTED FRATERNAL INFORMATION

In order to prevent possible misleadings or misunderstandings on the part of any reader, the writer quotes below, from pages 457-8 of Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, the relative positions of officers in different divisions of the Orders of Masons, Odd Fellows and Pythians, which detailed information he found it impossible to put on pages 128-9 on account of lack of space.

“MASONS”

{253}

“ODD FELLOWS”

“KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS OF NORTH AMERICA, SOUTH AMERICA, EUROPE, ASIA, AFRICA, AND AUSTRALIA.”

“KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS (EASTERN AND WESTERN HEMISPHERE.)”

{254}

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