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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1927)
the Monitor = NEBRASKA’S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF COLORED AMERICANS THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor. $2.00 a Year—S CenU a Copy OMAHA, NEBRASKA, FRIDAY, JULY 1, 1927Vol. XIII—No. 1 Whole Number 623 Omaha Has Colored Police Lieutenant NEGROES WON HIGH HONORS IN COLLEGES Many Degree* Awarded to Colored Student* in New England School*. Thirty-two Receive Diploma* Boston, Mass.—Thirty-two color ed students have received their de grees and graduated from the col leges and professional schools of Bos ton and vicinity this year. Some of them won distinction in letters, music, and athletics during their school terms. Miss Lola Wilson, daughter of At torney and Mrs. Butler K. Wilson qf Boston, received exceptional mention in music at Itadcliffe College for girls. She composed the choir song of the school. Miss Thedora Boyd of Springfield won her letter on the varsity hockey team of Radcliffe and starred on the basketball team. J. Randy Taylor of New York City was awarded a medal for being the best athlete at Tufts College this year. He was a star on the track and field man, scoring high for his school in all intercollegiate sport competitions. Five colored girls received their LL. B. degrees from Portia Law School. One graduated from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, and was given the Ph. G. degree. W. A. Wallace of Washington, D. C., received his master’s degree from Boston university. Graduates from the professional schools and the schools they took their literary training are those from Harvard Medical, Euclid Ghee of Jersey City, New Jersey, A. B. Har vard; James Whittaker, Darlington, South Carolina, A. B., South Caro lina State College, and Harvard; and Robert Wilkinson, Orangeburg, South Carolina, A. B., Dartmouth; Harvard A. B., Zeus Turner, Atlanta, Ga., and Robert Ford, Baltimore Md., Boston University Law, Fred erick Wheeler, Virginia; Eddie Wil son, son of Attorney Butler R. Wil son, Boston, A. B. Washington, D. C., Freddie St. Clair, Cambridge, Mary land, A. B., Lincoln University, Ches ter, Pa.; H. A. Smith, Boston and Clifford S. Park, Cambridge, Mass., A. B. Howard. Rudolph Francois of Cape Verde Island finished from Tufts Dental. Montressa Harding, Cambridge; Les ter Spaulding Wilson, Windsor, On tario; David N. Thomas, Cambridge, and Howard Olney Reckling, East Providence, R. I. Portia Law School the Misses C. Janet Clarke, who graduated, Cum Laude, Viola Fisher, Beatrice Quarles, Alice Charleston, and Mad eline Eubanks, Boston. Radcliffc College, Misses Thedora j Boyd, Springfield; Margaret Puyea, Cambridge, and Lola Wilson, Boston, all received A. B. degrees. Sargent School of Physical Cul ture, Misses Merna Warfield, daugh ter of Dr. and Mrs. Warfield of Washington, D. C., and Belle Mitch ell, Cleveland, Ohio. Teachers Normal School, Misses Frances Gurrett, Boston, and Colleen Watson, Washington, D. C. New England Conservatory of Mu sic, Mrs. R. H. Wormley (Worces ter; and Miss Ethei Ramus, Provi dence, Ii. I. Harvard Law, J. Edward Hains of Louisville, Ky., A. B. Harvard, and Elliott Turnage, Darlington, S. C., A. B. Shaw University. Willard L. Clayton of Malden, graduated from the Gordon College of Theology with the B. D. degree. THIRTY-SEVEN NATIONS OPPOSED TO SLAVERY Preston News Service— London, England.—According to advices received here the League of Nations has ‘received notification at its headquarters in Geneva that thirty-seven nations have signed the League’s convention for the world wide abolition of slavery. PEON LABOR RESTRICTION ENCOURAGED Would Bar Cheap Labor So That Workers Would Get a Better Chance to Earn Living in South Washington, D. C. — Assertitng that the United States government cannot handle the Mexican immi grant problem on the basis of the needs of a few counties, but must deal with is as a national problem, Congressman John C. Box, made pub lic a statement here Saturday, in which he asserted that while decid ing whether it wanted more Mexican immigrants this country must also decide whether “it wants more peas ants from Europe and coolies from Asia.” Box said that other sections are as intent upon having cheap Euro pean and Asiatic labor as some of the border counties are on having Mexican labor. Three Definite Phaser Box divided the eontrovery into three more or less definite phases: Whether the present immigration laws applying to Mexico and other countries furnishing peon, coolie and peasant labor shall be enforced. Whether parts of the present im migration laws designed to check or prevent the importation of such masses shall be suspended or re pealed. Whether the same restrictions shall be placed upon immigration from Mexico, Cuba, Haiti and other American regions that the law ap plies to other foreign countries from 1 which immigrants come. “The United States government cunnot treat these problems from a local viewpoint,” Representative Box said. “Thoughtful citizens must understand that congress and the executive department must deal with this question, not as arising in a few counties or in certain portions of two or three states, but as nationwide and worldwide in its scope. Those who object to the proper enforce ment of the immigration laws as against the importation of illiterate Mexican peons, und want their most restrictive provisions either ignored, suspended or repealed, should know und consider that the labor import ing interests of other sections of the country want to get rid of restric tions which prevent them from im porting from other countries the other classes of cheap and subservi ent labor which they desire. Cer tain interests in Florida during re cent years have urged that greater numbers of Cubans and West Indian Negroes should be permitted to come to Florida to meet the ‘seasonal’ de mands for that labor. WOMAN HISTORIAN "Wonderful Ethiopians of the Ancient Cushites,” a book recently published by Drusilla Dunjee Hous ton, is receiving favorable comment. f (g) A.N.P. MRS. anna M. Malum MRS. MALONE MAKES DONATION Mr*. Anna E. Malone, head of Poro College, St. Louis, Mo., who has contributed $5,000 to Howard Uni versity, according to an announce ment made by President Johnson. EDITORIAL As is generally known, there are several cities in the north ern states where colored teachers are employed both in grades and high schools. These schools are found from Maine to California. Such teachers are part of the public school sys tem and wherever employed are rendering good service, ac cording to the testimony of superintendents, principals, and supervisors. That they are retained in the public school sys tems, where they are employed, year after year, is evidence of their acceptability and efficiency. Among the cities in which they are employed in high schools, as well as the grades, are Cleveland, Chicago, New York and Brooklyn. New York City has nearly 600 colored teachers; Chicago has a large number, but as they are not classified by race, which is also true of New York, the exact number is not known. Cleveland, too, keeps no separate rec ord, but from reliable sources it has been learned that the number is close to 100. The following letters or extracts therefrom, recently re ceived by Mr. H. J. Pinkett, who wrote for this information, will no doubt prove interesting and instructive and ought to convince the most hide-bound reactionary that what other northern cities do there is no just reason for Omaha refusing to do, namely appoint some colored teachers to positions in some of our schools: LOS ANGELES CITY SCHOOLS Los Angeles, Calif., May 17, 1927. Dear Mr. Pinkett: Your letter of Muy 11 relative to the employment of colored teachers in the Los Angeles schools has been referred to my office for reply. I would answer your questions as follows: 1. We have at present twenty-five colored teachers in the Los Angeles City Schools. 2. The increase in the number of these teachers has been ten in the last three years. Of this number, several were added through the annexation of a district. 3. For the most part they teach in the centers of colored population. One school which is attended almost exclusive ly by colored children has a colored principal and an entire force of colored teachers. A few colored teachers are as signed to schools attended by foreign children, mostly Mexicans. 4. The service rendered by colored teachers retained in the system compares very favorably with that rendered by other teachers. A very few, possibly three or four, have been dropped because of unsatisfactory work. 6. There are no teachers of color in our high schools. There are, however, one or two in special lines of work. One is a home teacher whose work is the Americanization of foreign women, and one is an assistant supervisor of attendance in Department of Compulsory Education and Child Welfare. Hoping that the above is the information you desire, I am, Yours very truly, HARRY W. SHAFER, Assistant Superintendent. CINCINNATI PUBLIC SCHOOLS Cincinnati, Ohio, May 17, 1927. Dear Mr. Pinkett: In reply to yours of the 11th instant I am pleased to give you the information you desire. We employ Negro teachers in our two schools for colored chil dren (attendance at which is wholly voluntary), one an elementary school of eight grades and the other a combination elementary and junior high school, grades one to nine. Both schools have a kin dergarten. The number of teacher* in the two schools is 124, as contrasted with 70 five years ago. Both of these schools are located in the center of large popu lations of Negroes, and the teachers are performing the duties cus tomarily performed by teachers in our schools. The great major ity of them are college graduates, and many of them possess Master’s degrees. Very truly yours, EDWARD D. ROBERTS, Assistant Superintendent. BOARD OF EDUCATION Cleveland, Ohio, May 13, 1927. My dear Mr. Pinkett: We keep no separate records of colored teachers in the schools here; therefore, I am unable to answer your questions. I may say, however, that we have colored teachers in both the elementary and high schools, and it is to be assumed that their ser vices are satisfactory as long as they are retained in their positions. Very truly yours, I H. L. SAMMONS, Sec’y. to Supt. DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS Detroit, Michigan, May 27, 1927. Dear Mr. Pinkett: Your letter of May 14th has been referred to this office for reply. At the present time there are 42 teachers of the colored race employed in the Detroit Public Schools. Most of them teach in schools where colored pupils make up 75 per cent or more of the pupils. I cannot say what type of work they do in comparison with white teachers, but I am sure that they must be doing satis factory work else the rules of the Board would automatically place them on probation and a year later if the probation were not re moved, they would have to be dismissed. The number of colored teachers has doubled within the last seven years. Requirements for teachers are alike for all races. Trusting that this information will be satisfactory, I am, Sincerely, H. J. KAUFMAN, Assistant Director. BOARD OF EDUCATION—CITY OF CHICAGO Chicago, Illinois, May 13, 1927. Dear' Sir: Replying to your letter of May 11th, I beg leave to state that there is no way of ascertaining the number of teachers of the col ored race in the Chicago schools. We do not record such matters in the Record Room, concern ing teachers employed in our system. There is in Chicago a section which is largely occupied by people of the colored race and it is possible that there may be more teachers of that race in that locality, than in other parts of the city. These teachers are mostly employed in the elementary schools but there are several of them in the Wendell Phillips High School. We have no record which would show the increase in the num ber of such teachers during the last five years. Yours very truly, HENRY S. CRANE, Sec’y. Board of Examiners. BEGINS VOLUME XIII This issue begins Volume XIII and marks the beginning of our thirteenth year of publication. May it prove a prosperous one for both our readers and The Monitor. SUBSCRIPTIONS DUE — A large number of subscriptions are now due. Please remit or be ready to pay when the collector calls at your home. COLORED DETECTIVE SERGEANT V" IS GIVEN ADVANCEMENT Harry Buford, Popular and Proficient Police Officer, Receives Well Merited Promition—Evcellent Record Is Cited Omaha now has the rather unique distinction of having a colored lieu tenant of police. Police Detective Sergeant Harry Buford was promot ed to that position Tuesday by the city council, on the recommendation Buford early won a reputation for quick thinking in emergencies and un questioned bravery. He has been in strumental in running down many notorious criminals, including Sam Baxter, for whose capture he was given a gold star; and a desperate gang known as the “black and tan bandits.” He was responsible also for the arrest of the Harding broth ers, Modale (la.) bank robbers, and POLICE LIEUTENANT HARRY BUFORD of Police Commissioner Henry Dunn. High tributes were paid to Buford’s ability and enviable record as a po lice officer by Commissioner Dunn, Chief Van Dusen and Inspector John Pszanowski. Buford joined the po lice force in 1909, serving as chaf feur, just after the police department (had been motorized. In 1917 he was made a detective. In 1923 Police Commissioner Dunn promoted him to a sergeant of detectives. several other notable arrests are credited to him. As head of the bi cycle theft department he has been highly commended for his work. He will still head this department. Harry Buford is the son of the late Henry Buford, well-known head waiter, and his wife, (Elisabeth, and was reared and educated in Omaha. Lieutenant Buford and his mother re side at 2211 Miami street, where they own a beautiful home. HEROISM OF CONVICTS IN FLOOD WINS CLEMENCY Hundred* of Prisoner* Will Be Given Fredom Due to Courage Shown in Dis aster Baton Rouge, La.—Remission of sentences under the most liberal in terpretation of the law will be the reward of several hundred prisoners at the state prison farm here, offi cials declare. In many cases remission of sen tence will amount to dismissal from the penitentiary as the time off in cluded will amount to more than the remaining time to be served, H. C. Pitcher, general manager of the pri j son, said Tuesday. “The reward not only will extend I to those actually engaged in work j on the levees but to the women who did their part behind the lines, work ing early and late providing coffee and food to the men on the ram parts. Practically all of the convicts, many colored, who worked in the flood fight, will be given citation for meritorious service, in addition to the time allowed, Pitcher said. “There was a very fine spirit shown,” he declared, “and the mor ale was good during the whole fight. The men worked under adverse con ditions, in all kinds of weather and frequently had poor housing facili ties at the scene of the work. Their spirit and energy has won the com mendation of all who saw them.” During the whole flood fight only two prisoners attempted to escape out of the hundreds of convicts who were free on the levees and could have bolted for liberty at almost any time. The two were recaptured almost immediately. “It takes 65 muscles of the face to make a frown and 13 to make a smile —why work overtime?” ! “PRICE OF THE WHITE WAY” TO BE REPEATED Those who missed the presentation of the “Price of the White Way” at its first presentation at St. John’s church, where it was most favorably received, will have the opportunity of seeing this beautiful play, which will be repeated Friday night, June 8th, at St. John’s A. M. E. church, under the direction of Mrs. Martha Mayo and Mrs. Hester Porter. Do not fail to see it.—Adv. CARD OF THANKS We cannot adequately express our appreciation to tne many friends who so willingly assisted in service, kind ness, sympatny, and in contributing beautiful flowers during the illness and death of our loving daughter and sister. Mrs. B. J. Whiteside, mother; Susie Whiteside, sister; Val, Kenneth, Har old Whiteside, brothers. Mis* Ola B. Whiteside, who enter ed into rest at her home, 2875 Binnejr street, June 18th, at the age of 22 years, and who was greatly beloved by a large circle of friends.