• 1 *
hh The Monitor
NEBRASKA’S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF COLORED AMERICANS
f THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor.
- a ■ ' — — - - - - -
$2.00 a Year—5 Cents 5. opy OMAHA, NEBRASKA, FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 1927 Vol. XII—No. 38 Whole Number 608
- _ . _ _ _ . . ....... __
■ - O — - ■ -— ■ ■— —■ •■■■■■ - ■- - — — - ■ -* ■■ ■— , fajarc,. Sfcn- ..
Supreme Court Makes Ruling on
Louisiana Statute
Washington, March 14—Louisiana
and New Orleans segregation ordin
ances stipulating conditions under
which residential property may be
occupied by whites and Negroes in
communities where the opposite race
are in the majority were declared
invalid by the supreme court.
Under the ordinances owners of
property have been required to ob
tain the written consent of a ma
jority of persons in a community
before renting for residential pur
poses to persons of the opposite
race.
NEW ORLEANS SEGREGATION
ARGUED BEFORE UNITED
STATES SUPREME COURT
New York, N. Y.—The New Or
leans segregation Case carried
through the lower courts by the New
Orleans branch of the National As
sociation for the Advancement of
Colored People was argued on March
8th, before the U. S. Supreme Court,
Loys Charbonnet and Frank B. Smith
representing the New Orleans N. A.
A. C. P. and Walter White, assistant
secretary, being present in behalf of
the national office.
The N. A. A. C. P. based its op
position to the New Orleans segre
gation ordinance upon the Louisville
case decision of the supreme court
(Buchanan vs. Warley) of 1917.
Both Chief Justice Taft and Jus
tice McReynolds pointedly asked the
New Orleans city attorney how this
case could be separated from the
Louisville decision. The reply was
that whereas the Louisville ordinance
had attempted to legislate segrega
tion, the New Orleans ordinance left
segregation to the will of the majori
ty race in any neighborhood. This
answer amused Chief Justice Taft.
Mr. Charbonnet showed the prej
udice animating the New Orleans
city brief which used the word
“darkey” and stated that products of
mixed marriages were “degenerate.”
Among the prominent colored peo
ple irt attendance at the supreme
court during argument, were: A. S.
Pinkett, secretary of the Washington
branch of the N. A. A. C. P.; Dr.
Carter G. Woodson; Dean and Mrs.
George W. Cook; Dr. T. Price Hurst;
Dr. William Wilson; F. E. Miller and
others.
PREACHERS JOIN HANDS
ACROSS RACIAL LINES
Two Hundred Louisville Minister*
Meet and Formulate Joint Pro
gram—Permanent Organi
sation Effected
Louisville, Ky.—Louisville’s Sec
ond Inter-racial Ministerial Confer
ence within a month was held in the
Warren Memorial Presbyterian
church, March 7th, with 200 minis
ters present, white and colored, rep
resenting most of the ProteBtant
churches of the city. Laymen pres
ent brought the attendance to more
than 300.
The meeting was presided over by
Dr. Lucas, president of the Louisville
Ministerial association, and Bishop
George C. Clemen, of the A. M. E.
Zion church, read a scripture lesson
and offered prayer. Addresses on
“The Ministry and Inter-racial Re
lation” were delivered by Rev. John
Lowe Forte and Rev. G. Walker.
Rev. R. L. McCready and Rev. G. F.
Watson spoke on the “Value of Inter
racial Sunday." Messrs. Britt and
Smiley, evangelistic singers, rendered
a number of selections, which were
greatly enjoyed.
The conference provided for a
joint race relations committee, com
posed of twelve white and nine col
ored ministers, which will meet in
regular semi-annual session and on
call of its chairman. The committee
was instructed also to arrange for a
joint annual conference of all the
ministers of the city.
The conference committed itself
to the observance of Race Relations
Sunday every February and ordered
the preparation of a statement on
Christian principles as applied to race
relations which will be given to the
public through the press.
LEAVES BEQUEST TO
FISK UNIVERSITY
AND CHICAGO CHURCH
Robert Clay Wood*, Former Nebras
kan, Who Recently Passed Away
Makes Generous Provision in
His Will
SISTER A RESIDENT OF OMAHA
Chicago, III.—(Special to The
Monitor)—Robert Clay Woods, a
Christian gentleman, peacefully pass
ed beyond the veil Sunday evening,
March 6th, at 6:30 o’clock, at his
residence, 6068 South State street,
Chicago, where he had been confined
1 since the first part of January, 1927,
! suffering from a complication of
heart and kidney trouble. Through
out his recent illness he had the per
sonal attention and care of his only
sister, Miss Bessie Woods, and other
loved ones, who labored faithfully at
his bedside day and night to keep
him cheerful and comfortable.
Early Life and Training
Robert Clay Woods was born in
Weston, Platte county, Missouri, No
vember 17, 1870. He was the third
of the six children of Robert and
Georgianna Woods. After complet
ing his elementary training in the
! public school of Weston, he went to
Table Rock, Nebraska, where he
later completed his high school work.
He possessed sterling qualities of
character and high and lofty ideals
of education and thrift. In his last
will he bequeathed the sum of $1,000
to Fisk university, also the sum of
$1,000 to his church, St. Mark M. E.,
and the sum of $500 to the Phyllis
Wheatley Home for Working Girls.
When a young lad he became act
ive in the Sunday School and church
of his native town. His entire life
was one of Christian service. He
took delight in assisting all worth
while and construtcive movements of
the various communities in which he
lived. He found his greatest pleasure
in making others happy.
Moved to Chicago in the Early 90’s
Mr. Woods was a man of instinct
ive freedom of thought, habit and ex
pression. He moved to Chicago in
1893—to him Chicago was the city
of greatest opportunity. Shortly
after coming to Chicago he secured
employment with the Pullman com
pany and remained in thiB service
until his death—a period of over 30
years. On one of his first runs to
Los Angeles, California, he met, and
loved Miss Lillian Adams, whom he
later married in the city of Chicago
in the year 1898. He was a faithful
and devoted husband and a loving
father to his stepson, Frank, whom he
assisted in educating, both in acad
emic and musical training, until he
completed the same and became one
of the best known violinists of this
city.
In 1906 Mr. Woods joined the
St. Mark M. E. church in this city
and contributed largely to its suc
cess.
For nearly three years Mr. Woods
had been failing in health but would
not take the much-needed rest he so
richly deserved.
He leaves a sister, Miss Bessie
Woods, of Omaha, Nebr.; a nephew,
Leon Clendellon of Kansas City, Mo.;
a cousin, Mrs. Mamie E. Clark, and
her daughter, Mrs. Irene M. Gaines,
of Chicago.
Funeral Services
Last rites were held in the beauti
ful auditorium of St. Mark’s M. E.
church, Wednesday morning at 11
o’clock with Rev. Mr. Redmond, pre
siding, assisted by Rev. J. H. Winters,
pastor of the People’s Cosmopolitan
church. Music was furnished by the
choir of St. Mark’s church and Mr.
Walter E. Gossette, organist. Mr.
Stusser was soloist. The many beau
tiful floral designs evidenced the
high esteem in which he was held
by his numerous friends. Inter
ment was made in Lincoln cemetery,
Chicago.
ATTENDS BOARD MEETING
Allen Jones, Omaha’s oldest race
undertaker and a member of the
Board of Directors of the Independ
ent National Funeral association, re
turned Saturday morning from a
meeting of the board at St. Louis.
EDITORIAL
The Metropolitan Utilities District is the department of the
city government in charge of water and gas. They give em
ployment to several hundred people. Despite the fact that
thousands of Negroes pay thousands of dollars annually for the
maintenance of these city-owned utilities our people, as we
have pointed out before, are given practically no employment
by these concerns. There have been from time to time one or
two janitors given work, but even so, this is absolutely
NOTHING when compared with our population and the num
ber of persons employed by these concerns. There are scores
of clerks, male and female, working in these offices, and de
spite the fact that we have persons competent for such work,
we have not a single employe in this group. There are me
chanics, and scores and scores of workers, skilled and unskill
ed, employed at the various plants, but dark faces, that is, of
our racial group, are conspicuous by their absence. There are
many swarthy foreigners among those employed but no Ne
groes. Observe the gangs employed in laying or repairing
gas and water mains, or working at ony of the plants for ver
ification of this statement.
Now this is all wrong and the remedy lies largely in our
own hands. We receive not, because we ask not. We are too
timid in making demands. A united demand upon the gentle
men whom we elect to have charge of these public utilities
would undoubtedly bring results, individual effort will get us
nowhere. There must be a well-organized mass attack. That
is the only way to obtain results, it must be united, intelli
gent, determined and uncompromising organized effort. Our
race in mis city, organized and united, can obtain anything
within reason that we go after. We ought to have a pro
portionate number of our people employed by the Public Utili
ties towards the maintenance of which we so largely contrib
ute, and we do not mean only one or two janitors, watchmen,
or day laborers, but also other positions for which our people
are qualified.
ANOTHER VICTORY WON
The United States Supreme Court handed down another
decision last Monday which marks one more decided step in
the protection of the Negro’s rights as a citizen. It is another
victory for the N. A. A. C. P. for which we all should be
profoundly grateful. The residential segregation ordinance,
passed by New Orleans, restricting the residence of Negroes
to certain districts has been declared -unconstitutional. This
great militant organization has carried four important cases to
the Supreme Court and won 3, the Louisville, Ky., residential
segregation case; the Curtis, (Washington, D. C.), segregation
case; the Texas “White Primary” and the New Orleans case.
The Curtis case was not really lost, but the petition must be
amended. All the other cases have been won. Each has been
a decided victory in the safe-guarding of constitutional rights.
Prom the adverse decision of Chief Justice Taney in March,
1857, in which it was declared that under the constitution,
Negroes, being chattels, had no rights as persons, to these de
cisions recognizing us as citizens, entitled to all the rights of
ether American citizens, is a far cry. The legal battle begun
seventy years ago must go on until every right guaranteed to
us under the constitution is won. Let us thank God for every
victory won and prove ourselves in every way worthy of our
citizenship.
SURVEY SHOWS NEGROES
HAVE ATTAINED
WIDE DISTINCTION
Champagne, 111.—According to the
report of the recent invetigations of
the inter-racial committee Negroes
show genius.
Distinctive American Music
“In his folk songs the Negro has
contributed the only distinctive
American music,” the report said.
The spirit of devotion, of aspiration,
of simple truth which breathes
through the Negro spirituals is the
Bpirit of a race naturally religious.
“Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”, “Steal
Away to Jesus" were born out of the
passion of a music loving race.
“Among the Negroes who have
given the world productions of high
order are Harry Burleigh, Nathaniel
Dett and Samuel Coleridge Taylor.
The English government bestowed
upon Taylor a pension in apprecia
tion of his work.
Recognised in Art
“In painting and sculpture the race
has found recognition in the works of
E. N. Bannister, William E. Scott,
Edmonia Lewis, and of Meta Vaux
Warwick. Probably the most con
spicuous success has been won by
Henry 0. Tanner, several of whose
pictures have been bought by the
French government and placed in the
Luxembourg gallery.
Inventor* of Merit
“In the field of invention the
names of Negroes are very numerous.
Recently a Negro, of Newark, N. J.,
invented a new type of oil burner
which is said to produce a large
amount of fuel. Another Negro has
invented a device to regulate the
light of a locomotive so that the head
light will not leave the track when
the engine approaches a curve.
A Texas Negro has devised a car
rail joint designed to prevent the
spreading of rails. A Negro from
Grand Rapids, Mich., has invented
the “type-o-phone,’ designed to re
cord at the other end of the wire an
exact duplicate of the message which
the sender writes on the machine be
fore him. In the field of invention
the Negro has won and is stilll win
ning large honors.
Practical Scientific Contributions
“A Negro, Prof. George Carver,
has made invaluable contributions to
the science of agriculture and there
are today sculptors, Negro poets and
Negro actors who have won wide dis
tinction. This is a remarkable record
for a race only 70 years out of slav
ery and only a century and a half
out of the jungles of Africa. Small
wonder that the late Lord Bryce re
marked that no other race in history
had made an equal amount of prog
ress in an equal length of time.
Although hedged about by great
limitations the Negro has shown him
self a worthy citizen. He has fought
on every battlefield of the republic.
Today the Negro does not ask for
charity. He wants only justice, a
man’s chance in the battle of life.”
MARRIED OMAHA GIRL
Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Bell announce
the marriage of their daughter, Mar
garet Bolivia, to Mr. Herman R.
Stewart, Saturday evening, March
12, at 8 p. m. in Chicago, Rev. C. J.
Clarke officiated. Reception was
held at the residence of Mr. and
Mrs. A. Williams, 4536 Michigan
avenue. The bride and bridegroom
may be found at home at 4420 Michi
gan avenue, Apartment 148, after
March’ 19th. Many beautiful and
useful gifts were received. Miss Bell
was born, reared and educated in
Omaha.
Negro Pupils Win Honors
In Spite of the Handicaps
(By Lester Walton, in N. Y. World)
Three Negro public school pupils
during the last semester materially
helped to prove that physical disabili
ty is not a barrier to the attainment
of high scholastic honors.
The young folk to achieve signal
success in their studies and turn the
handicaps under which they labored
from a liability to an asset were Jos
eph Himes of the mid-year graduat
ing class at East high school, Cleve
land, Ohio, and two New York girls
—Ruth L. Stevenson, who finished
Wadleigh high school in January, and
Martha Washington, winner of the
Rebecca Elsberg Memorial Scholar
ship.
Himes It Blind
Himes is blind and his hearing is
slightly defective. Miss Stevenson
is a cripple. Eight years ago Martha
Washington could scarcely see and
was stoop-shouldered. Instead of be
coming discouraged, their physical
plight whetted their ambitions and
spurred them to make enviable repu
tations as honor students.
Joseph Himes cannot see to read,
or write, yet the youth, who is eigh
teen, made the highest average in
his class and established the Oest rec
ord in the school’s history. At the
East high school’s graduating exer
cises he was given a special medal.
The only reason he was not made
valedictorian was that the conferring
of this distinction is based on four
f years’ work.
Three years ago Himes was at
tending a chemistry class in an Ar
kansas school. There was an explo
sion and he lost his sight. A year
and a half ago he left the school for
the blind in St. Louis and entered
East high school, Cleveland.
The Cleveland Board of Education
requires 12 points for a year and a
half. Joseph Himes had 15. His av
erage on the whole 15 was 95.5.
Commenting on the boy’s unusual
record, Daniel W. Lothman, principal
of East high school writes:
“It is the most remarkable incident
in the history of the school, and I
question whether Joe’s record has
been beaten any place in Cleveland
or in the United States. The boy is
in every sense a genius. People have
asked me: ‘How did he manage to
do it?’ My answer invariably is: ‘I
don’t know.’ In addition to being a
scholar he is a gentleman every inch
of him and is entitled to all the
fcredit that is coming to him.”
Here is the blind student’s explana
tion of how he managed to make an
average of 95.5 for a year and a half:
“Most of the subjects are easy for
me. Science and Latin are my fa
vorites. It is just as easy to figure
out a problem in physics or mathe
matics in your head as it is on paper.
“Pupils have been kind enough to
read to me at school and my mother
reads to me at home. I carry a port
able typewriter from class to class
on which I write exercises, themes,
or examinations. When I take exam
inations the teachers arrange to have
the questions read to me.”
If Joseph Himes were not blind he
would study electric engineering, but
as there would be little or no demand
for his services because of his afflic
tion he contemplates studying law.
“I know I can make good at that,”
he confidently asserts.
It is his intention to enter Ober
lin college in the fall.
Infantile Paralysis
Several years ago Ruth L. Stev
enson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John
W. Stevenson of No. 865 East 224th
street, was a victim of infantile par
alysis. When she recovered from her
illness she was a cripple. But this
did not weaken her in her determin
ation to make good in school.
On Wednesday evening, January
26th, she was awarded the Alfred A.
Bossom medal at the graduating ex
ercises of her class in the Wadleigh
high school auditorium.
The Observer, published by the pu
pils of the school, commented on the
honor as follows:
“Throughout her course she has
given a great deal of service in the
English and vocation offices, in hall
and traffic duty and in helping the
blind. All that she has done has been
marked by a most unobtrusive spirit
of helpfulness.”
Ruth L. Stevenson is very much in
terested in poetry. One of her ori
ginal poems is “At Even,” and reads:
When sinks the earth to sweet re
pose,
The soul from toil is free,
The peal of the evening bell
Brings peace and hope to me;
Upon the clear and starlit night
Its echo warms the heart
And gives me strength that I may
still
Be brave against the dark.
When Martha Washington, fifteen,
of No. 148 West 144th Street, was
graduated from P. S. No. 119 short
ly after the Christmas holidays she
was recommended for the Rebecca
Elsberg Memorial Scholarship of
$160 by Miss Anna E. Lawson, prin
cipal. The award is given to the
most deserving girl in the graduating
classes in the Manhattan elementary
schools.
The committe in making the award
paid this compliment to Martha:
“She has ben the most helpful girl
in school, taking all the other chil
dren whose eyes needed attention to
the clinic each week.”
Eight years ago, when Martha
Washington entered the sight conser
vation class at P. S. No. 82, she was
entirely blind. Her vision was 6-200.
Once a week she faithfully attended
the Chidren’s Eye Clinic and her
sight became so improved that her
vision is now 20-100. She was stoop
shouldered but is not now. The su
pervisor of physical training marks
her posture “A”.
She maintained the highest aver
age in scholarship at P. S. No. 119,
and her deportment was always “A”.
Martha Washington is a student at
the Wadleigh high school. She says
she is going to be a school teacher.
$100 IN PRIZES FOR HIGH
SCHOOL BOYS AND GIRLS
Inter-racial Commission Wishes Pa
pers on Negro Progress Since
Civil War—Correspon
dence Invited
Atlanta, Ga.—The Commission on
Inter-racial Co-operation, with head
quarters here, has announced the of
fer of three cash prizes of $50, $30,
and $20, for the three best papers
by high school students on Negro
progress since the Civil War. Ac-1
cording to the announcements, the
papers submitted must bear the
name, address, school, and grade of
the student submitting it and must
not exceed one thousand words in
length. The contest closes May 1st,
and all papers must be handed in or
postmarked not later than that date.
The Commission has prepared a pam
phlet embodying suggestions and
charge to teachers and students in
terested. In announcing the com
petition the Commission says:
“Ambassador James Bryce has said
that in an equal length of time no
other group has ever made so great
progress as the Negroes of America
have made since the Civil War. The
record is highly creditable to both
races, and should be to both a source
of pride and of mutual appreciation
and good will. The Commission’s
purpose in offering these prizes is to
encourage the study of this subject
by high school boys and girls of both
races. To this end, the co-operation
of principals and teachers of high
schools and leaders of high school
groups is earnestly requested, in the
effort to enlist as many young peo
ple as possible.’’
Any one desiring further informa
tion is invited to write to B. B. Elea
zer, Educational Director, 409 Palm
er Building, Atlanta, Ga.