in\ The monitor si
t NEBRASKA’S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF COLORED AMERICANS
_ THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS. Editor.
*2.00 a Year—5 Cent.'a Copy " OMAHA, NEBRASKA, FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 1927 Vol. XII—No. 51 Whole Number 621
RACIAL SEGREGATION
MENACES AMERICA’S
PEACE ARDS LITT
William Pickens, Field Secretary of
the Advancement Association
Advises Audience Here
Sunday
INFLUENCE IS FAR-REACHING
Deepens and Perpetuates Prejudice
Which Begets Injustice in One
Group and Resentment in
the Other
William Pickens, field secretary of
the National Association for the Ad
vancement of Colored People, deliv
ered one of his characteristic and
impressive addresses to an apprecia
tive audience Sunday afternoon in
Zion Baptist church, under the aus
pices of the local branch.
Mr. Pickens discussed the ‘‘Effect
of Segregation Upon the Segregator
and the Segregated.” He stigmatiz
ed segregation as the chief battle
ment and stronghold of race preju
dice which is endangering America’s
peace and stability and clearly show
ed that race prejudice and friction
increases or decreases in exact ratio
with segregation. Where there is
the least segregation there is the
least race prejudice and race fric
tion and consequently greater amity
and good will and mutual co-opera
tion for the upbuilding of the com
munity.
The effect of segregation upon the
segregator is to make him look with
contempt upon the segregated and
consequently to exploit him and treat
him unfairly. The weaker and seg
regated group is denied sanitary sur
roundings where he is compelled to
live and public improvements in such
districts are of the poorest and most
meager kind. Educational facilities,
either in buildings or in equipment,
are woefully inferior for the weak
er. The speaker cited in this con
nection statistics from some South
ern states where $10 per capita is
spent for the education of white chil
dren in the grades and $1.00 per
capita- for Negro children. Where
the law says there shall be “separate
but equal accommodations” for the
two races on railroads and public
carriers it iB notorious that such a
provision is never carried out and the
Negro passenger has to pay first
class fare for very inferior accom
modations. The toleration of such
things lowers the moral tone and
deudens the ethical sense of the dom
inant group by developing in them
a superior complex which so blinds
them that they do not perceive the
personality or respect the humanity
of the black race. While not desir
ing to be unjust this superior com
plex begets in the segregator an un
conscious injustice toward the seg
regated which manifests itself in va
rious ways.
Turning to the effect of segrega
tion upon the segregated, Mr. Pick
ens pointed out many racial weak
nesses and plead for their correction.
This superior-complex in one has cre
ated an inferior-complex in the race,
which has been harmful. It has made
the race under-rate its own inherent
powers and abilities. The great
white shadow has made the race tim
id in initiative and skeptical as to
the possibility of any of its members
measuring up to the standard of the
dominant group in business, trade, or
the professions. Exceptions to the
baneful influence of this inferior
complex are rare. It must be count
eracted by teaching our children the
equality of all races, the seeming ad
vantages being due to conditions and
opportunities. The speaker empha
sized the fact that the more than a
million of the race who have crossed
over to the dominant group have
done so for protective and industrial
reasons and not because they are
ashamed of their race. He pointed
out the folly of segregation within
the race, the classifying of groups
by degrees of pigmentation. He urg
ed the race to be broadminded to
ward all men, practising the folly of
segregation toward none and fight
ing to the last ditch all forms of
DELIVERS ORATION AT
152ND ANNIVERSARY OF
BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL
Naval Thomas, Militant Washington
ian, Urges America to Be True
to the Principles for Which
Her Martyrs Died
ALSO SPEAKS IN FANUE1L HALL
Washington, D. C.—Neval H.
Thomas of the National Association
for the Advancement of Colored
People left for Boston, Mass., on
Wednesday evening to deliver the
oration of the day on Bunker Hill
on Friday, June 17, in commemora
tion of the 152nd anniversary of the
Battle of Bunker Hill and the hero
ism of the Negro patriot, Peter Sa
lem, displayed that day. The even
ing before he will be the main speak
er at a celebration in Faneuil hall
under the National Equal Rights
league’s auspices. His subject will
be "Segregation Is War Against De
mocracy,” while at Bunker Hill he
will spe'jk on the subject, “What
Bunker Hill and Peter Salem Should
Mean to America.”
In speaking of the events, Mr.
Thomas says, “I shall be glad to
stand in Faneuil hall where Wendell
Phillips, converted like some mighty
Paul, made the great decisions when
he heard the attorney general of
Massachusetts praise the mob that
murdered Lovejoy; where William
Lloyd Garrisan and great Frederick
Douglass thundered against slavery
and all other iniquitous proscriptions
that outrage the very name of Free
dom. It teems with memories of the
gifted Sumner, and remains after
two hundred years a national forum
for free speech. At Bunker Hill, I
shall think of the intellectual giant
and powerful orator, Daniel Web
ster, who delivered the classic ora
tion at the laying of the corner
stone of the huge monument there
102 years ago in the presence of
Lafayette, and his second oration at
the completion of the monument 18
yeurs afterwards. These two labored
efforts gave us two models of fault
less style, skillful generalities, but
thinly-veiled evasions of the over
shadowing issue, human slavery. The
brilliant politician failed to rise to
the heights of statesmanship, and
lost the love of posterity in his
manipulations for the presidency.
At both places I shall ask my coun
try to live up to her Constitution
and the lofty declarations of her
statesmen and politicians, lest Peter
Salem and all of the long list of
martyrs, white and black, died in
vain.”
N. A. A. C. P. FORUM WILL
MEET SUNDAY AFTERNOON
The forum of the Omaha branch
of the N. A. A. C. P. will meet Sun
day afternoon at 4 o’clock in St.
Philip’s Guild Rooms. The program
will be entitled “Echoes of the Pick
ens Meeting,” with an open discus
sion on “Statutory, Mandatory and
Voluntary Segregation.” Public is
cordially invited to be present and
to take part in the discussion.
The funeral of Mrs. Hattie McGee,
4214 North Twenty-sixth street, who
died June 6, was held Wednesday,
June 8, at 2 p. m., at the Lewis fu
neral home. Rev. John Grant offi
ciated. Interment at Graceland cem
etery.
segregation, racial or religious, and
so help America find her rightful
place among the Christian nations of
the earth.
Upon request, Mr. Pickens, after
an appeal for members of the N. A.
A. C. P., told briefly of some of his
observations in Russia, in which he
stated that Russia of today is far
in advance of what it was under the
czar. Social conditions for all classes
are vastly improved.
The meeting was called to order
by the vice-president of the local
branch, Rev. J. A. Harris, ./ho intro
duced Mr. Henry W. Black, as chair
man. Attorney H. J. Pinkett intro
duced Mr. Pickens. Musical numbers
on the program included a piano solo
by Vera Chandler and the singing
of “America” and “Lift Every Voice
and Sing” by the audience.
EDITORIAL
For the past seven years futile efforts have been made to
secure the appointment of some colored teachers in the Oma
ha public schools, of which our people are patrons, and for
the support of which we pay our proportionate share of taxes.
The first efforts were largely individual. Two or three per
sons requested Superintendent Beveridge to recommend or
make such appointments, they being advised by certain mem
bers of the board of education that selections for the teaching
corps had been left almost exclusively and arbitrarily in his
hands and that his recommendations would be approved. This
may have been a case of “passing the buck.” But this was the
information upon which these individuals acted in interviewing
Mr. Beveridge. He was most affable and adroit and gave the
impression that he was not unfavorable or unfriendly, and re
quested that he would like to have data from other cities.
Letters from seventeen cities from Boston to Los Angeles, in
which colored teachers are employed, were subsequently se
cured and placed in his hands. But nothing came of it.
Three years ago individualistic effort yielded to corporate
and united effort. A committee was appointed to interview
the superintendent and members of the board of education.
Again affability and shall we call it duplicity? Or “passing
the buck” were the net results.
Last year a representative committee of thirty of our citi
zens, augmented by prominent and influential white friends
like Mrs. J. H. Vance, Mrs. Palmer Findlay and Mr. S. S. Cald
well, appeared before the entire board of education and pre
sented the cause. It was finally left, we were advised, up to
the Teachers’ committee of the board, three of whom favored
such appointments, one opposed and one was undecided. En
forced reduction of the teaching force because of lack of funds
of course made it impossible last year to make the appoint
ments,' which we believe might have been made.
With the election of several new members of the board,
whom it is believed are fair and broad-minded men, hope was
entertained that this year our just request might be granted.
A meeting was held on Friday morning, May 27, by a large
committee of our people, with a sub-committee of the board of
education, consisting of President Burke, Mr. Miller, treasurer;
Mrs. Fetters, chairman of the teachers’ committee; Superin
tendent Beveridge and Miss Belle Ryan, assistant superintend
ent. Mr. H. J. Pinkett, who has been active in this whole move
ment and had written to several cities for letters, was chosen
chairman. He, the Rev. John Albert Williams and Mrs. Kale
Wilson, were deputized to present the subject to the committee.
Assurances were given that the matter would be presented
to the board of education and that a reply would be sent to the
committee. Here is the reply:
Omaha, Nebr., June 7, 1927.
Mr. H. J. Pinkett, Attorney-at-Law,
19 Patterson Block, Omaha, Neb.
Dear Mr. Pinkett:
At the meeting of the board of education last even
ing I presentd the matter of the employment of col
ored teachers in the Omaha Public schools. It devel
oped that no additional teachers are to be employed.
In fact, the number of teachers on the payroll next
year will be somewhat less than during the current
year. Inasmuch as this situation exists, the board felt
that no action should be taken on the matter sug
gested by your committee.
I am returning herewith the letters which you left
with me.
Truly yours,
E. R. BURKE,
President of Omaha School Board.
This letter is self-explanatory and shows that again no ac
tion has been taken.
Despite the fact that “no additional teachers are to be
employed,” we believe that the board should have taken some
action. It could have gone on record as favoring the appoint
ment of some colored teachers, just as soon as funds permit the
employment of additional teachers. This would have been
SOme gain and held out some definite hope. Moreover, there
will be vacancies by resignations and perhaps other causes,
and these vacancies will have to be filled. Among a teach
ing corps of nearly 1,200 it does seem that if the present
board of education is really sincere and anxious to do the
right thing, place could be found for at least TWO COLORED
TEACHERS. We ought to have twenty. The present board
like the former one, has failed, we will not say refused, but
failed to put itself on record in this matter.
So far as our people are concerned, it is plain that we must
keep up the fight until victory is won. We are too easy to give
up In this matter, as in others, we are not supplicants humbly
begging mercy or charity but sovereign American citizens de
manding rights to which we are justly entitled, and there must
be no cessation of effort until this just cause is won. for fif
teen years, from 1895 until 1910, there were two colored
teachers employed and they left excellent records. Each re
signed upon her marriage and none has been appointed since.
Whose fault is it?
PROTEST NAMING
NEGRO A MEMBER
OF FLOOD BODY
Jackson, Miss.—A telegram pro
testing the appointment of S. D.
Redmond, Jackson Negro lawyer, as
a member of the flood rehabilitation
commission was sent Thursday by
Gov. Dennis Murphree to Secretary
of Commerce Herbert Hoover.
“It is rumored here,” the telegram
read, “that S. D. Redmond will be
appointed on the flood rehabilitation
commission. As governor of Missis
sippi I protest against this appoint
ment. It will tend to nullify the
good work you have already done in
this state.”
L. J. Folse, assistant flood relief
dictator, said over long distance tele
phone from Greenwood, Miss., that
Redmond would represent Negro or
ganizations out of the state in re
habilitation work among Negroes in
flooded areas.
Mrs. Edith Stewart and daughter,
Evangeline, of Wilmington, N. C., are
the house guests of Rev. and Mrs.
John Adams, 2722 North Twenty
eighth avenue. Mrs. Stewart is a
sister of Mrs. Adams.
Colored Flood Advisory
Commission Is At Work
Memphis, Tenn.—Meeting at the
invitation of Herbert Hoover in
charge of governmental activities in
the flood relief and only a few hours
after the telegraphic summons of its
chairman, Dr. Robert R. Moton, the
colored advisory commission of the
Mississippi valley flood disaster held
its initial session at the Red Cross
headquarters here Thursday and
made plans to immediately invade
the stricken flooded territories on a
tour of inspection.
The commission which included
representative colored men and
women from various sections was ap
pointed by Secretary Hoover for the
purpose of giving President Cool
idge’s Mississippi Flood committee
and the American National Red
Cross, the benefit of their advice on
questions affecting the care of the
colored population in our refugee
camps and flooded territories. The
commission is to receive suggestions
and complaints and make the neces
sary investigations, so as to give com
plete assurance of the proper han
dling of every phase of relief af
fecting colored people. The efforts
at rehabitation of the refugees and
of assisting those who have had all
their earthly possessions swept
away, are to be carefully consider
ed by the commission and out of its
findings it is hoped that a way to re
lieve some of the intense suffering
and privation being undergone by
the victims of the terrible devasta
tion may be found.
Members of te commission ap
pointed thus far include Dr. Robert
R. Moton, chairman; Bishop Robert
E. Jones of the M. E. Church, presi
dent; Joseph S. Clark of Southern
University, Miss Eva Bowles, na
tional secretary of the Y. W. C. A.,
New York; Thomas Hayes, president
of the Solvent Savings bank, Mem
phis; Eugene Kinckle Jones, execu
tive secretary of the National Urban
league; Dr. S. D. Rodmond, Missis
sippi; Dr. J. B. Martin, Memphis;
Jesse C. Thomas, Atlanta; Dr. L. M.
McCoy, president, Rust college; Bert
M. Roddy, Memphis; A. L. Holsey,
Tuskegee Institute, Alabama; Dr.
Roscoe Brown, assistant secretary,
National Medical association; Thom
as M. Campbell, U. S. Department
of Agriculture, in charge of the Mis
sissippi valley states; Miss F. C. Wil
liams, public health expert; Mrs.
John Hope, Morehouse college; R. R.
Taylor, vice principal, Tuskegee, and
Claude A. Barnett of the Associated
Negro Press.
The commission plunged immedi
ately into its work and after listen
ing to the detailed plan of procedure
which the Red Cross has instituted
in handling the 550,000 people whom
they have served or are still caring
for in this disaster, made plans to
visit every one of the 25 camps now
functioning in the three states hard
est hit, Mississippi, Arkansas and
Louisiana. The members of the
commission with the authority and
support of the Red Cross will have
full access to all activities and are
concentrating on a definite program
of surveying the conditions at the
camps, the treatment of refugees,
their living accommodations, food
sanitation, conditions under which
they work, isolation camps and medi
cal care.
They are to contact the civic and
financial* organizations handling the
location of families returning to the
plantations and to interpret to them
the needs and viewpoint of the col
ored people. The commission ex
pects to make its investigations of
the most sweeping and searching
character, meeting at New Orleans
at the crest of the flood district to
make their first report to Secretary
Hoover and Vice-Chairman James L.
Fieser of the Red Cross, both of
whom have expressed the heartiest
interest in the work and were instru
mental in initiating it. The body,
Dr. Moton said, will be divided into
four groups, so as to make the camp
visits thorough and at the same time
expedite the work as much as pos
sible so as to make their recom
mendations available for action at
the earliest date possible.
PEONAGE DISCOVERED
AT NATIONAL CAPITOL
Washington, D. C.—The Mothers'
Civic Protective Union of which Mrs.
Thornton is president has discovered
a case of peonage here at the nation
al capitol. A white man from Mary
land found a colored boy there sev
eral years ago, brought him to Wash
ington, hired him out, appropriated
his wages for himself, and forced him
to do menial work at his home. Af
ter these years of wage earning and
additional hard work at his master’s
home, the boy has absolutely nothing.
Mrs. Thornton invited Neval H.
Thomas, president of the Washing
ton branch of the National Associ
ation for the Advancement of Col
ored People and members of its na
tional board of directors to meet the
league and receive the facts for fur
ther investigation. Mr. Thomas vis
ited the engraving establishment
where both the master and his peon
were working, and secured the state
ment of the boy. He demanded the
release of the boy under threat of
putting the police power of the state
on the case. The Mothers’ Civic Pro
tective Union then secured a good
home for the boy and placed him
there, where for the first time he is
able to secure the benefit of his
earnings. Mr. Thomas states that
both the league and the N. A. A.
C. P. are endeavoring to secure evi
dence in the case to recover the earn
ings of the boy, and to prosecute
the man who has wronged him and
violated the law. Mr. Thomas ap
peals to the other branches of the
N. A. A. C. P. throughout the coun
try to be vigilant for this crime, and
to co-operate with all other agencies
in their communities, both north and
Bouth, for there are many poor col
ored people who are suffering sim
ilar handicaps. White people mov
ing into the north are bringing nn
known Negro boys and girls with
them and hold them as peons. Five
years ago the association discovered
a similar case here.
ST. PHILIP’S GIRLS'
SOCIETY PRESENTS
PLEASING PROGRAM
St. Philip’s branch of the Girls’
Friendly society gave a delightful
entertainment in the Guild Rooms
of the church Monday night, which
was thoroughly enjoyed by a good
sized crowd. The program was plan
ned and carried out by the girls
themselves, without advice or sugges
tion from the associates or directors,
it being the policy of the society to
encourage initiative in the girls. The
program was in charge of Catherine
Williams and Vera Walton. A very
clever feature was the “broadcast
ing” of “the deluxe program from
Station GFS, St. Philipsburgh, Epis
copalian,” by Louise Scott, the wit
and originality of the announcement
of each number creating laughter.
The program consisted of an opening
chorus by all members of the branch,
accompanied by Miss Catherine Wil
liams on the “Who’d a Thunk It
Grand,” according to the announcer;
a brief address explanatory of the
G. F. S., by Mrs. John Albert Wil
liams, associate and member of the
diocesan board; a piano solo, by
Willa Hayes; a recitation, “A Girl,”
by Mary Ann Williams; a duet, “An
Indian Maiden,” by Sylvia Adams
and Margaret Dickerson; a recita
tion, “The Party,” by Catherine
Williams, and a clever one-act play,
“How a Woman Keeps a Secret,” by
Celestine Smith, Olive Jackson,
Vera Walton, Lillian Avant, Mar
garet Bell, Rachel Hartley, Helen
Jenkins, Sarah Brown and Ellen
Richardson.
Following the program refresh
ments were served and needlework
of the girls was placed on sale.
