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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 5, 1923)
^ the Monitor A NATIONAL WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF COLORED AMERICANS THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor ♦/ - ■ . ■ ■ .■■■■ $2.00 a Year. 5c a Copy OMAHA, NEBRASKA, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1923 Whole Number 430 Vol. IX—No. 14 DEATH SDMM HEAD OF EQUAL RIGHTS LEAGDE Prominent Pastor, Doctor and Fear less Race Leader and Thinker Passes Away In Boston Hospital. LEAD MOVEMENT FOR UNITY Was Leading Spirit in Sanhedrin Call and President of the United Front Conference Which Made Call for All-Race Assembly. (Crusade Service) A hush is over all the teeming lists, And there is pause, a breath-space in the strift; A spirit brave has passed beyond the mists And vapors that obscure the sun of life. And Kthiopia, with bosom tom, Laments the passing of her noblest bom. —Dunbar. Boston, Massachusetts. — Dr. Mat thew A. Neil Sha"', intellectual giant ami fearless fighter in the lists of Ethiopa’s champions, passed away Wednesday, Sept. 19th, at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital after a short illru ss. His death came as a shock to the community for he was apparently in good health up to a few days be fore. Dr. Shaw has been active in the Negro Liberation Struggle for a number of years. He was an indefat igable, unselfish and self-sacrificing worker in the cause. He gave his life for Ethopia as surely as if he had died on the field of battle. He had been busy on the work of the Nation al Equal Rights League up to the very day of hiR death. He had given much of his time, and sacrificed his medical practice and personal inter ests both for the Teague and for the United Front Conference which stands today as a vast, gigantic mon ument in its achievement of a great measure of race unity and its prom ' ise of greater achievements along that line. So long as the United Front Conference stands, or so long as the Negro race produces men and women with intelligence enough to recognize the need of Race Unity so long will stand the name and live green the memory of Dr. M. A. N. Shawl It was through his genius, as Pres ident of the National Equal Rights League, that the organization of the United Front Conference was ac complished and the now famous Con cordat, by which the six leading Ne gro Civil Rights organizations in the United States pledges themselves to harmonious co-operation in the com mon fight against injustice of any kind or degree, was signed as a trea ty of peace and a pledge of self-sac rificing devotion to the highest racial ideals by the representatives of the six organizations gathered in conven tion in New York City, March 23 and 24, 1923. This same convention elect ed Dr. Shaw president of the United Front Conference, and sent out the call for an All-Race Assembly or San hedrin to take place before April 1st. 1924, and appointed Prof. Kelly Mil ler rhnirman of the committee of ar rangements. Dr. shaw was a recognized medical ; authority and a leading pulpit orator, j as well as a indefatigable worker and j self-sacrificing leader of his rare. He has always interested himself in all matters pertaining to the betterment of the race, and has lead the National Equal Rights League, with the aid of his stalwart colleague, Mr. Wil-; liam Monroe Trotter, to many bril liant victories in the civil rights field. Funeral services were held on Sun day, Septemlier 23, at the 12th Rap tist Church, with a huge crowd and many notables in attendance. Prior to the funeral services the body had been on view at the church for sev eral hours, and it was necessary to call in a detail of police to handle the hu e throngs which turned out to do honor to the fearless champion of Negro rights. I'M IDENTIFIED MAN KILLED I*Y PANMENGBR TRAIN An unidentified man, apparently 30 years old, who was beating his way on a freight train, was killed by a passenger train near Elkhorn last Sunday night as he stepped from the freight into the path of the passenger. The remains were taken in charge by the C. A. Chiles & Co. undertaking firm of Omaha. DEDICATE $250,000 “Y” Pittsburgh, Oct. 6.—Dr. R. E. Jones and Dr. Jesse M. Moorland were the speakers at the dedication of the new $250,000 Y. M. C. A. on Centre Ave. Sunday. Tu 1020 Negroes in North Carolina paid taxes on $53,001,018 worih of property. “GARDEN OF FLOWERS” CHARMS AND PLEASES LARGE AUDIENCE _ Capacity House Witnesses Unique and Beautiful Entertainment Planned and Composed By Omaha Women. One of the most beautiful and orig inal entertainments ever given in this city was “A Garden of Flowers,” pre sented hy the Garden Club of the North Side Branch Y. W. C. A. at its j building last Monday night. The as- ! semhly room and spacious porch was crowded to capacity hy an audience of more than 300, many l>eing unable to gain admittance. The originator of this unique entertainment was Mr. Charles Solomon, the authoress was Mrs. Alfred Jones, and the costumers and designers were Mesdames W. L. Bingham and C. C. King. Mrs. T.' P. Mahammitt was chairman. Twenty-two ladies took part, rep resenting flowers, their costumes be ing made of crepe paper and were beautifully artistic. “The Lady of the Garden," Mrs. Alfred Jones, was the first to appear and in a beautiful sol iloop, plans to plant her flower gar den. “The Goddess of the Garden,” Mrs. C. C. King, the nappeared sing ing a song of the flowers. This ended with her magic wand she summoned the various flowers to come into the garden, which they did in the order subsequently named, each one being greeted hy “The T^ady of the Gar den” nod singing or reciting a de scriptive legend, taking her assigned place. The following flowers were imper sonated: “Jonquil,” Mrs. Eva Pinkett; “Dandelion,” Mrs. Ella Hunter; “Vio let,” Mrs. Anna Moss; “Easter Lily,” Mrs. W. L. Bingham; "Buttercup,” Mrs. Wm. Murphy; “Peach Blossom," Mrs. Eva Gaines; “Iris,” Mrs. Minnie Solomon; “Peony,” Mrs. Mada Des dunes; “Morning Glory,” Mrs. Bertha Adams; “Rosebuds,” Mrs. Lulu Hicks; ^’Carnations,” Mrs. Meda Sey mour; “Sweet Pea,” Mrs. R. K. Law rie; "Bluebell," Mrs. S. Williamson; "Daisy,” Mrs. F. J. McCullough; “American Beauty Rose,” Miss Edna M. Stratton; “Black-Eyed Susan,” ' Mrs. A. L. Hawkins; “Poppy,” Mrs. Nina West; “Sunflower,” Mrs. Eula lia Britt; “Chrysantheum” Mrs. D. W. Gooden; "The Garden,” Mrs. T. P. Mahammitt. Preceeding the presentation of “A Garden of Flowers,” the following musical numbers were given: Sopra no solo, Mrs. R. Dewey Allen; piano solo, Miss Lucy Mae Allen; contralto solo, “Thank God F’or a Garden,” Miss Irene Cochran. Following the program beautiful artificial flowers were sold, each par ticipant being vendor of the flower she impersonated. A neat sum was realized. The ladies spent more than two months in diligent preparation for this very delightful affair. The Monitor would suggest that it be repeated ^it some subsequent time in a larger hall where it can be more advantageously staged. A LIVE WIRE “Y" SECRETARY It gives the Monitor pleasure to in troduce to our readers Miss Edna M. Stratton, who a four months ago csone to Omaha to serve as executive secre tary of the North Side Branch of the 1; m wmk. ■ Hi PH -J MISS KDNA M. STRATTON V. W. C. A., which she has taken hold of with enthusiasm, wisdom, earnes' nous, consecration and vision. Miss Stratton, who is a native of Pittsburg, Penn., has for several years done ad mirable work for our race especially among young girls. She is a young woman of liberal education, decided musical ability and of charming grace and personality. Her character, train ing, experience and personality ad mirably fit her for the important work to which she has been called. Miss Stratten 1s a decided acquisition to Omaha and our citizens owe it to themselves, no less than to her, to give her and her co-workers hearty and unselfish support in the work she is doing for our girlhood and woman hood. Have >uu i-uid your mitiscription 'or The Monitor? __ ■ t -V , _ Along the Concrete I Historical Association To Promote Harmony Between the Races by Acqainting the One With the Other Harmony between the races by in terpreting the one to the other is to ;>e the keynote of the annual meeting >f the Association for the Study of Negro Ijfe and History, to be con vened in Atlanta, Georgia, on the 25th ind 26th of this month. “Ye shall know the truth and the truth will make you free” has been exemplified in this effort to publish to the world :he significant achievements of the Negro contrasted with the best ele nents of the civilizations of other races. Dr. C. G. Woodson, the Director of ,he Association, does not believe that •verything is to be gained by the mu ual recrimination and vilification in which leaders of both races too often ndulge. Heeding the exhortation,! ‘Come and let us reason together” he ras enlisted the support of many chinkers of the North and South, who lelieve that a scientific presentation >f the claims of both races will do nore for the re-adjustment of their Inferences than all the firebrands which have been or will be hurled rrom either side of the controversy. Vlany white persons have said that :hey have changed their attitude to ward the Negro since they have earned from the publications of the Association so many significant ichievements to the credit of the race. The Association urges the minister ,o warn the people against the dire mlamities which must inevitably re mit from racial antipathy kept alive jy ill-designed propaganda. The so- 1 :iety entreats the press to array itself igainst the publication of inflamma ,ory matter which easily destroys the ueace of communities before truth i ■an get a hearing. The cause appeals | :o teachers for their co-operation in .ising facts scientifically set forth to ' ’radicate from the minds of the youth that bias which stifles the develop ment of liberal-mindedness and so narrows one’s vision as to blind him to the beauty of the world and the good in everything. This organization solicits farther the support of pro fessional and business men whose in fluence properly exerted may do as any other group in developing in the public mind a sane attitude toward social problems. This has been the appeal of the As sociation during the last eight years sinoe its organization in 1916. Though discouraged by numerous difficult problems, the Association has steadi ly grown from the inpecunious posi tion of no income at all to that of rev enue amounting to about $20,000 a year, from an occasional investigation to that of serious research work pros ecuted by a staff of well trained scholars permanently employed to de vote all of their time to this all im portant problem of unearthing the salient facts of Negro life and history that the race may not become a negli gible factor in the thought of the world. Kepresentatives from clubs study ing under the direction of the Asso ciation are expected to attend and schools are urged to send teachers de sirous of knowing more about the Ne gro and to learn the proper methods of disseminating such information. Any person with an intelligent inter est in the race will be welcomed as an active participant in the deliberations of this only organized body in the world devoted exclusively to the sci entific treatment of the record of the Negro. The day session, will he held at the various schools in Atlanta and the evening sessions at the Wheat Street Baptist Church. On the program will ■nnonr nch distinguished speakers as Mr. Eugene Kinkle Jones, Executive Secretary of the Urban League; Dr. George E. Haynes, Secretary of the Race Commission of the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America; President Lucy H. Tapley, of Spelman Seminary; President John Hope, of Morehouse College; Profes sor E. Franklin Frazier, of the School of Social Workers; Dr. Peter J. Bry- , ant, of the Wheat Street Baptist Church; Mr. A. A. Taylor, an Asso ciate Investigator of the Association; Dr. C. G. Woodson, the Director of the Association; Dr. James H. Dil lard, of the John F. Slater Fund and Bishop John Hurst, of the A. M. E. Church. Dr. W. E. B. Du Bois and Dr. R. R. Moton have been invited also to de liver addresses. The Association has already achieved much. For eight years it has published the JOURNAL OF NEGRO HISTORY in which have appeared more than 4,000 pages of valuable documents and scholarly dissertations by some of the most learned men of our time. Inasmuch as this magazine circulates as a serious library publica tion throughout the civilized world, it has directed the attention of a large number of thinkers to the study of the Negro as a neglected field. Furthermore, it has demonstrated the possibility and the wisdom of ap proaching the question in a dispas sionate way. The administrative staff consists of the following: Professor John R. Hawkins, President; Mr. S. W. Ruth erford, Secretary-Treasurer, and Dr. Carter G. Woodson, Director of Re search and Editor, together with these members of the Executive Council; Mr. Julius Rosenwald of Chi cago: President Henry C. King, of (continued on page four) The Old Folks Ilume, 923 North Tweivty Fifth Street, Which Will Be Formally Dedicated at 4 O’clock Sunday Af ternoon and Opened for Inspection From 5:00 Until 11:00 P. M. OLD FOLKS HOME TI BE DEDICATED The Old Folks Home will be for mally opened and dedicated Sunday afternoon at 4 o’clock. An interesting program has been provided. Ad dresses will be made by appointed speakers and Desdunes famous band will play. The public is cordially in vited. After the dedicatory exercises the Home will be open for inspection from K o’clock until 11. Through the kindness of many of the members and friends the Home has been furnished and decorated. Mrs. William Crutchfield gave the living room suite in memory of her husband. Mrs. Lillian Black gave a bed room suite, book cases and books ..Pr~or-. of her father, the late George Dickinson. Mr. John H. Broom field furnished five hospital beds for ither rooms. NORTH END BRANCH FORMALLY OPENS ITS SEASON’S WORK A Large Attendance Marks the “Get Acquainted Meeting” Given By the Young Women’s Christian Association. Last Thursday night the assembly room of the North Side Branch Y. W. C. A. was comfortably filled by a large audience which had assembled in the first Get-To-Gether meeting of the season, which was virtually the formal opening of the work. In fact it was a Get-Acquainted Meeting in cluding an acquaintance with the ex ecutive secretary, Miss Edna M. Stratton; with the ideals, purposes and aims of the association; with the heads of the committees; with the Central “Y” secretary, Mrs. Camp bell; with the chairman of the colored work, Mrs. Offutt, and with the mem bership of the branch. Several rep resentatives from the Central Branch were also present attesting thereby their sincere interest in the work. Mrs. M. H. Wilkinson, chairman of the membership committee, presided. The Rev. William Franklin, pastor of Pilgrim Baptist Church offered the invocation. “Onward Christian Sol diers” was sung by the audience. A duet by Mrs. Kate Smith and Miss Ethel Harris, a soprano solo by Mrs. Pearl Reese, and a violin solo by Clarence Desdunes, the two latter re sponding to encores, were the highly appreciated musical numbers. Addresses were made by the Rev. John Albert Williams, rector of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, who stressed the need of such an organiza tion as the “Y” and urged hearty co operation in and enthusiastic support of all its activities by an enlarged membership on the part of the women and girls and generous support by the men; and by Mrs. Ada Carrie Camp bell, secretary of the Central branch, who emphasized the high purposes of the association, told of some of the difficulties which had been met and overcome, and expressed the hope that the North Side “Y” would be able this year to specialize in the work of the Girl Reserves. Mrs. Offutt, chairman of the Colored work, whose interest is deep and sincere, and has been substantially demon strated, was called upon for remarks. She confined herself to the brief statement that the ground had been so thoroughly covered by the previ ous speakers that she would simply say “Amen” to what had been said. Mrs. Ada Stone Anderson, associate pastor of Plymouth Congregational Church, through whom a gift had been made which was used for a ten nis court for the girls, was presented and spoke briefly, expressing pleas ure at having been of service in a cause in which she is deeply interest ed. Miss Stratton presented the chair men of the respective committees to the audience, briefly explained the educational classes and other plans and asked for the co-operation of our people in the work to which she has been called. Mrs. Wilkinson closed the meeting with an appeal for mem bers to which there was a satisfactory response. A delightful social hour was then spent during which refreshments were served. MISS FRANCES D. GORDON A Junior at the University and one of our best young pianists. JOINT RECITAL BY PROMINENT ARTISTS Under the management of Mrs. John Albert Williams, music lovers are to be given the privilege of hear ing two of the foremost of American artists in a joint recital at Brandeis Theatre, Monday, November 19th, in the person of Florence Cole Talbert, the celebrated lyric soprano, whom critics class with Galli Curci, and Helen Hagan, the famous pianist, winner of the Yale Sanford scholar ship. Each of these artists has been heard here before in individual recit als, to the delight of their audiences. A program by these two artists will indeed be an event in local musical circles. Tn ->,e Negroes of CJeorgh: owned 1,838,129 acres of land valtiec at $20,808,694. WEATHER HALTS MI6RATI0H TO HORTHERR STATES Advent of Cold Weather Means That Fewer Crowded Trains Are Leaving the South WOMEN SEEKING FREEDOM Southern Girls Seemingly Prefer Em ployment in Indnstrial Establish ments to Job’s In Some • body’s Kitchen Washington, October 5.—The big rush is over. No more solid trains of twenty coaches denaly packed with colored humanity from the South to roll into Union Station carrying its human freight into Northern industries. Not that the movement of colored workers from the South to the North has stop ped completely, for every day a few hundred are noticed sprinkled among the other passengers stopping over here. Workers will continue to trickle North all the winter, but the big stream of northward migration is tem porarily stopped. Reason for this is the advent of cold weather, one thing the Southerner fears more than anything else. He knows that it takes time to get a house, have it furnished and get some coal m the cellar. For this reason he prefers the spring for hie big ad vanced movement. Another reason is that big industries are not pushing out for men so strong ly as they did last spring. Jobs pay ing good money are open in Pittsburg, Cleveland, Detroit and Chicago, but the rush to fill all orders is over. How fast colored people have come northward in the past ten years can be seen from the colored population in the big centers. Chicago has grown from 44,000 to 120,000 in the past ten years; Cleveland from 8,400 to 35,000; Detroit from 5,000 to 50,000. Women migrants, generally speak ing, are not going into domestic em ployment. Instead, they are increas ing in the industries, in Chicago many of them are now in the needle work trades. Numbers are in factories mak ing lamp shades, while in the laundries they are extensively employed. Many work as charwomen and' cleaners, waitresses, cooks, milliners and dress makers, but at the employment offices comparatively few seek positions as domestics. TENN. LEGION FAVORS NEGRO PERSONNEL AT TUSKEGEE Memphis, Tenn., Oct. 5. — Colored and white delegates to the State Con vention of the American Legion act ing together, went on record for en dorsing the appointment of a com plete colored personnel at Tuskegee Hospital. Geo. W. Lee headed the col ored delegation. The resolution as adopted follows: “Whereas, Tuskegee Institute has been successfully manned by Negro personnel; Whereas, the success of making full citizens for every walk of life can be claimed by the Negro race because of a complete corps of Negro instruc tors; Whereas, the Veterans’ Hospital at Tuskegee, Alabama, is an adjunct of that institution; Whereas, this hospital is the only one in seventeen elected by the Gov ernment exclusively for the hospitali zation of disabled ex-service men of color; Whereas, the loyalty and devotion of the Negro soldier has been a house hold word from Lexington to Ar gonne; never broken by a traitor; Whereas, the Negro physicians served on the firing line and in the rear during the war with Negro units and proved beyond a per-adventure of a doubt their competency; Re it resolved, That the State Con vention of the American Legion as sembled endorse a Negro personnel for the Tuskegee Hospital. & "■ i ■ PRESIDENT WARNS DEPARTMENT HEADS Washington, Oct. 5.—It is reported here that President Coolidge has is sued an order to all bureaus and de partments of the government that “there must not be any discrimina tion in the treatment of employees or citizens on account of color during hia administration. WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENT Mrs. Lillian Black announces the marriage of her daughter Lillian Pauline to Woodley C. Lewis of Loa Angeles, Calif., on Wednesday after noon, October 3rd at half past three o’clock.—Mr. and Mrs. Lewis will be at home after October 15th at 1320 West Thirty-fifth Place, Los Angeles Calif.