I §§5 The Monitor ——
V A NATIONAL WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF COLORED AMERICANS
THE REV. JOHN ALBERT YW..UAMS. Editor
$2.00 a Year 5e a vA>py OMAHA, NEBRASKA, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1922. Whole Number 389 Vol. Vni No. 25
“BEHOLD! I BRING YOU GLAD TIDINGS OF JOY!”
_:_■ __-_:_
HENRY 0. TANNER
PAINTINGS ARE ON
EXHIBITION HERE
Opportunity for Our People to See
Masterpieces of the Famous
Colored American
Painter.
ARTISTS RANK ESTAALISHED
Director of Omaha Society of Fine
Arts Plans Complimentary Tes
timony to Tanner’s
Eminence.
Our people should avail themselves
of the rare privilege of seeing the
paintings of the famous American
painter, Henry 0. Tanner, son of the
late Bishop Henry M. Tanner, Bishop
of the African Methodist Episcopal
Church. These paintings have been
brought here by the Omaha Society
TsCFine Arts, and are on exhibition at
the jniblic library, Nineteenth and
Harney streets, where they may be
seen until nine o’clock week days and
also Sunday afternoons. The paintings
will be here until New Year's Day.
They include “Christ at the Home of
Lazarus,” “The Return of the Holy
Women,” “The Miraculous Haul of
F' >hes,” “The Flight Into Egypt,”
and other famous pictures. There is
also on exhibition the painting of the
well-known Australian artist, Hayley
Lever. Lovers of art will enjoy this
exhibit, which iis free and designed to
cultivate the artistic taste of Omaha
citizens. The Society of Fine Arts
in furnishing these free exhibits of
famous masterpieces are doing excel
lent work for the cultural life of our
city.
Speaking of Tanner, Mr. Maurice
Block, director of the Omaha Society
of Fine Arts, said: “Tanner’s place
as an eminent American artist is well
established. Of course he won recog
nition in Europe before he was appre
ciated by his own country. I have
traveled extensively and do not hesi
tate to say that there is no really
worth whi'e and representative collec
tion in America that is considered
complete unless it has a Tanner pic
ture."
UHHOSSES STUDENTS
OMAHA UN IVEKMTV
Mrs. Grille Morris llutlen Spinks Ite
fnrc Sjialiish Class on I'orto Klro
Hint Sings Spanish Songs.
.Mrs. Grace M. Hutlen, commissioner
of tin Colored Commercial Club, who
)ias been a teacher in Porto Rico, re
cently favored the Spanish class of
the University of Omaha with Spanish
songs and an Interesting address on
Porto Rico which elicited favorable
commendation from faculty and stu
dents. Miss Zor.aya, teacher of Span
ish at the university, accompanied
Mrs. Hutten on the piano and Mrs.
Crus Stromberg played the guitar. Mrs.
Hutten described the customs and hab
its of the Porto Ricans and told of a
thrilling experience during an earth
quake. She spoke of the beauly of
the country and the hospitable char
acter of the natives. Mrs. Hutten ad
vises the study of Spanish, saying
that there is much commercial activ
ity between the United States and
I,atin-American countries and there
fore an increasing demand for Amer
icans who are able to write and speak
the Spanish language fluently. Mrs.
Hutten is highly accomplished In tills
language.
COLORED COOIERMAL
rU H ELECTS OFFICERS
At a recent meeting the Colored
Commercial Club elected Its board of
directors, numbering fifteen, and other
officers , for the ensuing year. The
directors chosen were the following:
T. P. Mahamrnitt, A. F. Peoples, VV. G.
Haynes, Dan Desdunes, Craig Morris,
U E. Britt, D. W. Gooden, R. C. Rid
dle, Alfred Jones, Russel Taylor, A.
C. Edwards, H. J. Pinkett, C. H.
Spriggs, Nate Hunter and John Albert
, Williams. The following officers were
elected: Nate Hunter, president; W.
G. Haynes, vice-president; Dr. Craig
Morris, secretary; Dan Desdunes,
treasurer. E. W. Pryor, former presi
dent, becomes chairman of the execu
tive committee.
A PROSPECTIVE SCHOOL
For some tinte the pastor of the St.
Paul church has had under considera
tion the opening of a school in the
church building with the purpose of
serving anyone and especially those of
more advanced years in obtaining a
practical knowledge of the common
branches of education. While this
will mean very much extra work for
him, yet he is willing to give the time
and talent necessary for carrying on
such a work should there be enough
interest shown to satisfy the sacrifice
necessarily made in such an adven
ture.
We shall be glad to hear from any
who should like to take advantage of
such a school and if the applications
for such, or the interest indicated be
sufficient, steps will be taken toward
the opening of the school.
FOR MRS. R. T. WALKER
The members of the Dames Club
and their husbands gathered at the
home of Mrs. M. E. Overall last Thurs
day night to bid good-bye and God
speed to Mrs. R. T. Walker, organizer
of the club, and her husband, who
after a residence of seventeen years
in this city left Saturday for New
York to make their future home there.
Remarks appropriate to the occasion
were made by Mesdames M. E. Over
all, A. L. Hawkins, Kate Wilson,
Messrs. A. L. Wilson, S. H. Dorsey
and Drs. Britt and Hawkins. As a
token of appreciation the club present
ed Mrs. Walker a beautiful set of
hand embroidered silver cases. A deli
cious repast was served.
16-YEAR-OLD COLORED
STUDENT WINS 1st PRIZE
KImer Simms Campbell (■hen Prize
for host Cartoon In Competition
With 1.2000 Cintestants for
Coveted Honor.
BOY IS FORMER PRIZE WINNER
Chicago, 111., Dec. 22.—Elmer SlinniB
Campbell, slxteen-year-old son of Mrs.
Elisabeth Campbell of St. Louis, Mo.,
a senior in the Englewood high school
of this city, was awarded the highest
honor as cartoonist at the Third An
nual Convention of the Central Inter
scholastic Press Association held un
der the auspices of the University of
Wisconsin at Madison, December 1st
and 2nd. Campbell’s unprecedented
honor is better appreciated when It Is
known that over 1,200 high school
magazines, representing all sections of
tlie United States, entered the contest
and that over 600 ediors of school pa
pers were present
Campbell’s prize cartoon drawn in
commemoration of Armistice Day un
der the caption, “Four Years Ago—
Peace’1, pictures an American soldier
with bowed head resting upon his
crossed hands holding a shovel, anil
kneeling over the grave of his depart
ed comrade while on the wooden cross
which marks his final resting place
hangs his trench hat. From the
heavens above the noble spirit of the
dead hero looks down upon his sor
rowing friend and soothes and sus
tains his with, “We’e won, Buddy.”
The Chicago Dally American, Dec.
8th, said, "Campbell of Englewood
high school was awarded first prize
for having drawn the best serious car
toon at the year of any high school
student in the country.
Upon Its first appearance In the "E”
Weekly, the weekly organ of the En
glewood high school, the cartoon elicit
ed the highest commendation of the
faculty of the school. The Dean of
the girls said: "I do not refer to the
excellence of the drawing, and It was
excellent, but rather to the conception,
the idea, which to me was most ap
pealing.” Principal .1. E. Armstrong
of Englewood high school said: "It
brought tears to the eyes of many peo
ple and that Is best proof of its merit.”
The last Issue of the “E” Weekly, on
which Campbell is a staff artist, says
in a block at the top: “We’re for you,
Campbell, All-American Prep Cartoon
ist.”
Campbell very early showed a deft
aptitude for cartoon work although
tenderly discouraged by his mother.
He has been a student of the Engle
wood1 school for the iiast two years
during which time he has taken spe
cial correspondence course In cartoon
ing at the Federal School In Minne
apolis, Minn. At the latter school ex
hibit at the Minnesota State fair last
October he won third prize for his
comic cartoon. Campbell has won the
highest distinction ever accorded a
Negro boy in this line. He plans to
enter the University of Chicago next
year.
HUNT FOR YOUR NAME
Each week the name of some
paid-up subscriber is inserted in
one of the “ads” appearing in
The Monitor. If that subscriber
finds his or her name and will
bring his copy of the paper to
The Monitor office before the
following Friday he will be paid
One Dollar.
WOMEN OF SOUTH
ERN M. E. CHURCH
DENOUNCE LYNCHING
Call Upon State Authorities to Make
Good Their Claim That They Are
Competent to Abolish
America’s Shame.
—
REPRESENT THIRTEEN STATES
Place Responsibility Upon Each State
of Removing This Hideous
Blot From Our
Civilization.
(By the Associated Negro Press)
Atlanta, Ga., Dec. 22—Pointing out
■that the Dyer Anti-Lynching BUI had
been defeated, a group of prominent
white women connected with the
Southern Methodist Church, have is
sued a vigorous address to the public
calling upon the authorities in the
South, the citizenship, the pulpit and
the press for their united support for
the complete suppression of lynching.
Women were present, representing
thirteen states. Each pledged to serve
in an official capacity and take an
active part in a persistent campaign
for law enforcement and for the pass
age of anti-lynching laws in the
Southern States.
•
Mrs. Kobt. R. Moton of Tuskegee
Institute, Mrs. John Hope of Atlanta,
and Mrs. Jennie Porter Barrett of
Peake, Va., were present.
The statement issued by the South
ern Methodist women after a three
days’ conference on Christian prin
ciples in race relations follows:
“Whereas, the defeat of the Dyer
Anti-Lynching Bill, which provided
for the Federal control of lynching,
has thrown the whole responsibility
back upon each State for removing
this hideous crime, therefore,
“Be it resolved, that we, the Com
mission on Race Relations of the Wo
men’s Missionary Council, Methodist
Episcopal Church, South, the confer
ence social service superintendents and
other officers in conference at Atlan
ta, Ga., December 4-6, 1922, do now
demand of the authorities of the sev
eral States that they make good their
claim proving their competency to
abolish mob violence and lynching.
“That we assume our responsibility
as citizens for the protection of hu
man life and hereby call upon all the
people of all the states, upon the
pulpit and upon the press to join in
an insistent and persistent agitation
against this barbarous practice.
“That we formulate plans for an
organized movement in behalf of ade
quate state laws and law enforce
ment.”
VMI ALI'IIA PHI ALPHA
DELEGATES EXPECTED
SL Louis, Mo., Dec. 22.—All St.
Ixtuis awaits with growing delight the
coming of the representative colored
students from the leading colleges and
universities of the United States for
the annual conclave of the Alpha Phi
Alpha Fraternity to he held at St.
Ivmis, Mo., December 27th to 31st, in
clusive. The annual convention of
the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, wilh
a membership of over 2,500 and with
44 chapters stretching from Harvard
University at Cambridge, Mass., to the
University of California at Berkeley,
and Including such schools as Cornell,
Columbia, Yale, Howard, Lincoln, the
University of Pennsylvania, Virginia
Union University, Moorehouse College,
West Virginia Collegtote Institute,
Wilberforce University, the University
of Iowa, Chicago University, Denver
University, and practically every lead
ing Institution of learning In America,
has now become the meeting place of
the flower of the Negro college men
and a place where discussion is had
by these men of the problems con
fronting the Negro of today. It was
out of a convention of the Alpha Phi
Alpha Fruternity that sprang the idea
of the “Go to High School, Go to Col
lege’’ movement which has done so
much to arouse great interest in
education and which received com
mendation and approval on all hands.
According to Information received
by the national secretary oi the fra
ternity, Norman L. McGhee of Wash
ington, D. C., not less than 500 mem
bers of the Alpha Phi Alpha are ex
pected to take advantage of the red
uced rates recently granted by the
railroads of the country to the mem
bers of the fraternity who attend the
St. Louis convention.
Pilgrimage to LoveJoj’s Monument.
This year the program for the con
vention includes, in addition to the
business sessions, a pilgrimage on
Saturday, December 30th, to the mon
ument erected to the memory of the
noted abolitionist, Lovejoy at Alton,
Illinois, and a public session to be
held on Sunday afternoon, December
31st, at the Poro College building. Ad
dresses will be delivered at the public
session by Dr. E. P. Roberts of New
York City and Mr. Aaron A. Malone
of St. Louis.
The social side of the convention
program provides for a smoker and
symposium on the evening of the
opening day, Wednesday, December
27th, at the Pine Street Branch Y. M
C. A.; an informal reception by the
entertaining chapter, Epsilon Lambda,
on Thursday evening at the Pythian
Temple; a formal reception by the
Gamma and Omega chapters of the
Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority given in
honor of the visiting delegates on Fri
day evening; the annual fraternity
dance, and the annua) fraternity ban
quet.
The Ladies Aid Society of Bethel
M. E. Church are especially thankful
to Mr. C, Wilkinson, editor of the
New Era, for the printing bill of the
cantata story of Ruth. Mrs. Mar
garet Brown, the President; Mrs. Ma
mie Dodson, Secretary.—Adv.
INSURANCE CO.
PROMPTLY RELIEVES
VICTIMS OF FIRE
Bankers’ Insurance Company Comes
Into Favor by the Promptness
Wiith Which It Pays
Fire Claims.
STRENUTHEN RACE BUSINESS
Prompt Action Raises Status of Race
by Increasing Respect for
Business Enterprises
of Group.
(By the Associated Negro Press)
Durham, N. C., Dec. 22—The Bank
ers’ Fire Insurance Coriipany scored
decisively last week. It was the two
million dollar Newbem fire that gave
this strong Negro company its chance
to jump overnight into the business
limelight of this section of the coun
try. Less than 48 hours after the big
conflagration the representatives of
THE REV. L. K. WILLIAMS, D. D.
Pastor of Mt. Olivet Church, Chicago, who was elected president of the
National Negro Baptist Association at St. Louis last week.
He is well-known in Omaha.
DEMORALIZING EFFECT OF TEACHING
RACE PREJUDICE AT THE FIRESIDE
Full Text of the ThQughtful Address Delivered Friday Night,
December 8th, Before the Women’s Convention Auxiliary to
the National Baptist Convention in the First Baptist
Church, St. Louis, Missouri, by Senora Mae
Wilkinson of Omaha, Nebraska.
WEAKER IS GIVEN AN OVATION AT CLOSE OF ADORESS
St. Louis, Mo., Doc. 22.—Among the ]
many outstanding features of the |
great National Iiaptist convention.
which recently closed its sessions here
were the sesions of the Women’s]
Auxiliary convention. The work of
race women in religious and social
uplift loomed large. Many able ad
dresses were given by some of the
foremost women of the land, but no
address during the whole convention
was more enthusiastically received or
made a deeper impression upon the
immense audiences before whom they
were delivered than the address of
Mrs. M. if. Wilkinson of Omaha, Ne
braska, whose topic was “The Demor
alizing Effect of Teaching Race Prej
udice at the Fireside”. Mrs. Wilkin
son said:
The origin of the Negro is definite
ly known. Some very wise men have
endeavored to assign the race to a
separate creation and deny its kindred
with Adam and Eve, but historical
records prove the Negro as ancient as
the most ancient races.
History, traced from the flood,
makes the three sons of Noah—Ham.
Shem and Japheth—the progenitors
of the three primitive races of the
earth. The Mongolian descended from
Shem and settled in southern and
eastern Asia. The Caucasian descend
ed from Japheth and settled in Eur
ope. The Ethopian descended from
Ham and settled in Africa and ad
jacent countries. “God hath made of
one blood all nations of men for to
■dwell on all the face of the earth,”
thus saith the scriptures.
This is ter/ied the doctrine of
monogenism. 'there is a new doctrine
called poligenism that teaches that
the different races of men have ab
solutely different origin, that they
are different in blood and that all
men are not brothers. To my mind
this is one of the greatest breeders of
race prejudice. The world seems un
willing to accept the doctrine of the
Fatherhood of God and the brother
hood of men. The belief in the super
iority of blood and the wicked ambi
tion for race supremacy have filled
the earth with hatred, oppression and
opposition. Retrospecting a taint of
race prejudice can be seen in the ear
ly history of races. We read where
Miriam and Aaron spoke against Mo
ses because of the Ethiopian woman
whom he had married.
As a retribution Miriam was strick
(Continued on Page Four)
the Bankers’ were on the scene ami
adjusting the claims and making ar
rangements for immediate settlement
of losses. This was a record busi
ness achievement and has made a
profound impression throughout the
State of North Carolina.
One of the interesting features of
the situation is the fact tliat the
prompt action of the Negro company
caused a hardship to other companies
facing the payment of big claims due
to the fire calamity. So acute was
the dilemma in which these others
found themselves that they called up
on the Bankers’ to call a temporary
halt in its speed campaign so as to
give their brother business companies
a chance to catch up with them. The
request was complied with but not
until the Negro Company had paid
out something more than $20,000 in
claims. This action was not a delib
erate attempt to cause other insur
ance concerns embarrassment but for
the simple reason that a large num
ber of colored people were big losers
in the fire which covered forty blocks
and destroyed more than 1,200 homes,
and needed immediate help.
This humane attitude of the Bank
ers’ Fire Insurance Company has done
much to improve the position of the
colored business men here. Aside
from the effect the company’s action j
has had on the general business world j
of this State it does the greater thing
of increasing the respect which the
colored folks themselves had held to
ward their own business enterprises.
A big business gain is the sum of the
total gain for teh race.
FOUR LYNCHINGS IN EIGHT
DAYS--DECEMBER 4 to 12
One Lynching Every Two Days la the
Record in This Country Since
Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill
Failed to Pass
RESTS SQUARELY ON SENATORS
New York, Dec. 22—The National
Association for the Advancement of
Colored People, 70 Fifth Avenue, has
made public an “Open Letter to Every
United States Senator” setting forth
that four lynchings have occurred in
the eight days from Monday, Decem
ber 4, when the Senate dropped the
Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill, to Dec. 12.
The letter charges the Southern
Senators with being directly respon
sible for “the outbreak of barbarism,
anarchy and degenerate bestiality”
which followed the abandonment of
the Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill, unu ex
presses the hope that there will prove
to be sufficient statemanship in the
Congress of the United States to cope
with this threat to civilization. The
letter follows:
An Open Letter to Every Senator
of the United States
December 13, 1922.
Sir: From December 4, the day the
United States Senate abandoned the
Dyes, Anti-Lynching Bill, to December
12,'there have been four lynchings in
this country, one for each two days,
one of the victims being publicly tor
tured and burned at the stake.
This outbreak of barbarism, anar
chy and degenerate bestiality and the
blood of the victims rest upon the |
heads of those Southern Senators who!
have obstructed even discussion of the
measure designed to remedy this very
condition. And the responsibility
rests equally with the Republican ma
jority who surrendered with hardly a
struggle to the lynching tactics of the
Democrats.
The failure of the United States
Senate to consider this measure could
be interpreted only as a license to
mobs to lynch unmolested. Every
United States Senator knows that in,
more than thirty years the states!
I have failed to check lynching or to
punish lynchers Every United States
Senator knows that in failing to stand
firm for federal protection and guar
antee of trial by law to United States |
citizens within their own country he
1 was acquiescing in the continuing and
increasingly brutal rule of the mob ini
America.
The National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People had
hoped there would prove to be in the
Congress of the United States suffi
cient statesmanship to make a stand
against this threat to civilization it
self and to cope with the actual situ
ation rather than quibble about the
fiction of reserving to the states a
right which they have shown them
selves unwilling or unable to exercise.
In behalf of twelve million colored
citizens I write to ask you what you
propose to do to end this intolerable
situation. Yours respectfully,
JAMES WELDON JOHNSON,
Secretary, N. A. A. C. P.
I • . V
I
t
NEGRO COLTORE
HAS INFLUDNCED
PAST CIVILIZATION
Howard University Provides Courses
on Civilization of Ancient Africa
Which Helps Status
of itace.
INFLUENCE IS FAR REACHING
Only School in America and One of
Few in World Offering Definite1}
Outlined Courses in This
Specific Field.
Washington, D. C., Dec. 22.—For
several years past the authorities of
Howard university have recognized
the need and possibility of a more ex
tensive study than is at preesent being
given to the history of the Negro peo
ples of the world. For quite some
time beginning with the establishment
of the Moorland Foundation and
through it the acquisition of Negro
Americana the study of American
Negro life and history has constituted
an important part of the work of the
university, but until now It has not
been able to extend this study In any
intensive way into its African begin
nings. The authorities, however, now
take pleasure in announcing a pro
gram designed to meet, in part at
least, this important need. During the
winter and spring quarters of this
year three definitely outlined courses
dealing with Negro civilizations in
Ancient and Medieval Africa will be
established and given as an integral
part of the work of the School of
Liberal Arts. These courses, which
will be under the general supervision
of the History Department will be
directed by Mr. William Leo Hans
berry, a graduate and graduate stu
dent of Harvard university. Mr. Hans
berry is a young man of African de
scent and has devoted considerable
time both in and out or college to In
vestigations in this field.
The following is an official state
ment of the scope and general nature
of the courses to be offered:
History 12: Negro Peoples in Civiliza
tions of the Prehistoric nnd Ancient
World.
This course is a provisional eurvey
of the part played by Negro peoples in
the origin, development and distribu
tion of the higher cultures and civil
izations of man in the prehistoric and
early ancient world. It is based in
the main upon authenticated archaeo
logical discoveries and documentary
evidence bearing upon the relation of
Negro peoples (a) to the palaeolithic
and neolithic cultures of Africa and
Europe; (b) their position and in
fluence In the civilizations of pre
dynastic and early dynastic Egypt;
and (c) their relations 'to the pre
historic and early historic civilizations
in the regions of the Aegian sea and
western Asia, including Arabia and In
dia.
History 13: Negro Civilizations in East
Central Africa from Hie Eighth Cen
tury B. C. Until the End of the Six
teenth Century.
This course is a continuation of His
tory 12. It aims to give a general
acquaintance with the Negro civiliz
ations in the Egyptian Sudan and
Abyssinia from the Ethopian conquest
of Egypt in he eighth century B. C.
until the coming of western European
influence in the sixteenth and seven
teenth centuries. Special attention
will be given to the origin and devel
opment of the distinctive features of
the civilizations of these countries be
fore the coming of Christianity, and
the effect of Christianity and Islam
respectively upon their subsequent
history.
History 14: Negro Civilizations In
West Central Africa from A. D. ItMMI
to the End of (lie Eghteentli Cen
tury.
This course will be a survey of the
political and cultural conditions in the
three great Negro states of the Wes
tern Sudan—the Kingdom of Ghana,
the Mellestine and the Songhay em
[ plre—from about the year 1000 A. D.
S until the end of the eighteenth cen
; fury. Special attention will be given,
(a) to the distinctive character of the
I social institutions and the material
culture of these countries previous to
the coming of Islam; (b) the Influence
of Islam upon these institutions and
this culture, and (c) the effect, direct
and indirect, of western civilization
upon the civilizations of this part of
Africa. In addition, the cultural
status of the Negro peoples of these
countries during this period will be
critically compared with that of their
contemporaries In the Teutonic coun
tries of Europe.
Change of Opinion Coming.
As a result of archaeological dis
coveries and ethnological studies in
various parts of the world and espn*
(Continued on Page Four)