Nebraska Newspapers

    s~ The Monitor ie
NEBRASKA'S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF COLORED AMERICANS
THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor.
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U« a Year f ^nU a Copy OMAHA, NEBRASKA, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1927 Vol. XIII—No. 11 Whole Number 633
DELIVERS STIRRING MESSAGE AT
THE NATIONAL BAPTIST MEETING
Detroit, Mich.—Dr. Robert R. Mo
ton stood in Booker T. Washington’s
place last Friday night and the Bap
tist hosts who heard him are shouting
“hallelujah” yet. For years Dr.
Washington delivered the principal
lay address at the convention. Dr.
Moton made those followers of the
cross dig back in their memories of
the departed sage as he talked.
Declaring that the church faced a
crisis as well as its greatest oppor
tunity, he insisted that the church
will never be effective in saving the
world until it is able to practice itself
the gospel which it preaches.
“The Church is facing today,” he
said, “the greatest opportunity in the
world since its establishment by Jesus
Christ. The nations of the earth are
in conflict with each other. The
peoples of the earth are growing in
creasingly restless. Old standards
are being broken down, old ways are
changing, old ideas are giving place
to new. Men and women of every
walk and station of life are thinking
as never before. They are thinking
new thoughts. A great many of
them are revolutionary. It is this
breaking up of old ways and a search
ing out for new that presents to the
Church of Christ its greatest oppor
tunity in history.
“The Church has believed it has
the final solution of the ills of man
kind; it has believed it can put an
end to strife and warfare.
“Now is the chance for it to assert
its poweT, to present its cure and to
give mankind the panacea for its ills.
Its message to the world will not be
a new one. It will be the same old
message of ‘Peace on earth, good will
toward men,' or, as the revised ver
sion has it, ‘Peace on earth to men of
good will.'
“The truth of the matter is that
there is as much rivalry, antagonism
and dissension within the Church of
Jesus Christ itself as there is on the
outside.
"It has been my privilege recent
ly to see many parts of the world
while seeking the improvement of my
health. On those travels I had the
opportunity of making some observa
tions about religious faith and prac
tices. The thing that struck me most |
favorably was that among so-called
heathen peoples their religious faith i
tound them together as a unit what- j
ever their other differences; but
among Christians it seems they are \
divided more by their differenct re-;
ligious ideas than by anything else. ]
“It seems that Christians hang to
gether better in business, in politics,
in secret societies and similar activi
ties than they do in church affairs.
The records show there are more
than 75 different kinds of Baptists,
about 35 different kinds of Presby
terians and more than 25 kinds of
Lutherans. And even in the Cath
olic Church there are at least a doz
en different varieties. Certainly
this is no example to set before the
world by an organization that pro
fesses to teach the unity and brother
hood of all mankind. I do not be
lieve the church will ever be effect
ive in saving the world until it is
able to practice itself the gospel it
preaches.
“This is equallv true for black peo
ple as for white people. I, myself,
am a Baptist and have always been.
I still hold my membership in the
Macedonia Baptist chuhch in Prince
Edward county, Virginia. But I
want to say here and now that I am
not the kind of a Baptist that finds
it impossible to recognize a Methodist
as a brother, nor the kind of a Bap
tist that believes that only Baptists
will enter into the Kingdom of
Heaven. Indeed, I am not one of
those who believes that only the so
called Christians will enter into the
Kingdom of Heaven. For I have met
and personally men and women of
other religious faiths whom I believe
will surely enter into the Kingdom of
Heaven as anybody here tonight.
“Some of those whom I know are
Hindus in India, some are Confucian
ists in China, some are Buddhists in
Japan. Then there is that great
friend and benefactor and lover of
all mankind, Mr. Julius Rosenwald
of Chicago. In religion he calls him
self and is called a Jew. But I do
not know a better Christian any
where in the world than this same
Julius Rosenwald. I do not know
any man who has any more of the
Bpirit of Jesus Christ than Julius
Rosenwald. For myself, I shall be
perfectly content at the last to go
to that place which God himself
should assign to Julius Rosenwald.
“I am just a layman. I am not a
pfeacher. But I believe I am a Chris
tian. And it seems to me that more
than all the hymns, more thun all
the prayers, more than all the ser
mons and all the theology is this
matter of living at peace with one’s
fellows and co-operating with men
and women of all faiths, of all sects
and of all races in making the King
dom of Heaven to come on earth in
every possible way to make this world
a better place for others to live in.
I think this is what Jesus had in
mind when he taught us to pray:
‘Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done,
on earth as it is in Heaven.’ ”
HARLEM FAMILY LIFE
SERIOUSLY MENACED
BY SOCIAL CONDITIONS
Dense Overcrowding, Rent Exploita
tion, Lack of Non-Commercial
Recreations Are
Blamed
New York, N. Y.—Overcrowding,
rent exploitation and the lack of non
commercial recreational facilities are
breaking up Negro family life in Har
lem, according to a report, published
recently of a seven months’ investi
g-.tion into the problem of delinquent
and neglected Negro children in New
York City by the joint committee on
Negro child study.
The investigation, in which thirty
social agencies, the National Urban
League and the Women’s City Club
of New York collaborated, dealt with
social conditions in congested Negro
centers in all five boroughs. It dis
closed that the number of mothers
forced to abandon home duties for
outside work is four to five times
as great among Negroes as among
the white population and the pro
portion of delinquent and neglected
Negro children four to six times
greater.
200,000 Negroes in City
Through migrations from the
South the Negro population of Ne.w
York has increased at a rate nearly
four times as fast as the whole popu
lation, and there are now more than
200,000 Negroes in the city. En
forced parental neglect and lack of
organized recreational facilities are
held largely responsible for the con
siderable increase in delinquency and
neglect among Negro children since
1919 as against a decrease in delin
quency among white boys.
Boy Are Delinquent
Outstanding statements of the re
port are that the most common
charge against Negro boy delin
quents is disorderly conduct and de
sertion of home, while that against
white boy delinquents is stealing and
burglary; that Negro boys in Chil
dren’s Court outnumbered Negro
girls three to one, and 85 per cent of
Negro girl delinquents are charged
with waywardness or desertion of
home; that of fifty cases picked at
random only one was found to have
had any contact with organized recre
ation, and that while there is con
siderable provision for mild delin
quents among white children, there is
less for Negro children and even this
limited provision is decreasing.
YOUNG KNOX PRESIDENT
Athens, Ga.—Prof. N. B. Young,
late president of Lincoln University,
Jefferson City, Mo., has accepted a
position as president of Knox College
here.
EDITORIAL
The public service corporations of this city are most un
fair in their treatment of Negro citizens in the matter of em
ployment. The same is true of the city-owned public utilities
such as the water and gas departments. Among the minor
groups of our citizenship, there is none that approaches ours
in the patronage of these corporations and utilities. Compare
any group of our foreign born citizens with the Negro citizens
in their rental of telephones, for example, and it will be found
that the ratio is heavily in favor of the latter. The same is true,
although in lesser ratio, in the use of electricity and gas. A
large revenue is paid into these corporations and utilities by
Negroes and while practically every other group of our citi
zenship is given employment as laborers, mechanics, clerks,
and operatives of various kinds, the Negro employees in all
these institutions are almost as scarce as the proverbial hen’s
teeth.
The Northwestern Bell Telephone company has an army of,
employees. It is safe to say that there is not less than 3,000
subscribers among our people. We believe the number is
double this, for there are very few colored families which
do not rent telephones. In one congregation of 85 families,
.with which we are familiar, there are only three who have
no telephone, but this is more than overbalanced by the fact
that seven, being professional or business men, have two tele
phones. This one congregation averages more than 100 per
cent in the rental of phones. Of course, this is an unusual aver
age, and is not maintained by other congregations, but it is an
instructive indication of how generally our people are patrons
of the Telephone company. And yet, despite the fact that the
Telephone company employs hundreds of men and women,
the Negro employees reach the astounding total of—ONE!
One man is employed at the garage. We challenge this com
pany to deny that our charge of unfairness in its treatment of
its Negro patrons is true.
The Nebraska Power company is a little better. It employs
three or four janitors. But what is this? There is no question
but that this is unfair.
When it comes to the water and gas departments of the
Public Utilities District the case is no better. Recently, how
ever, two or three janitors have been given employment,
among the hundreds of employees there.
Now there is no just reason why competent members of our
race should not be given employment in whatever departments
of these corporations they are qualified for. We have young
men and women who can serve acceptably as clerks and sten
ographers and some ought to be so employed. We have people
who can fill other jobs and some of these should be given work.
All work is honorable, but those of our people who are quali
fied for other work Want something else besides a janitor job
and these big public service corporations and public utilities
who reap heavy revenue from our people, ought to be fair
enough to see that our people receive a fair proportion of em
ployment.
WHY MUST THEY LEAVE HOME?
The following young women, born, reared and educated
in the Schools of Omaha and the state, and belonging to fam
ilies who are home owners and taxpayers and have contrib
uted their quota towards the upbuilding of the community,
have gone within the month to teach in other cities: Miss
Gladys E. Brown, M. A., to St. Philip’s Girls’ School, San An
tonio, Texas; Miss Grace Dorsey to Lincoln Institute, Jefferson
City, Mo!; Miss Frances D. Gordon, B. A., to Okmulgee, Okla.;
Miss Ruth Jones, to Fort Smith, Ark.; Miss Dorothy Williams,
B. A., to Sapulpa, Okla. Besides these there are other Omaha
girls teaching elsewhere, Miss Lucile Bivens in Kentucky and
Miss Mabery, in Brooklyn. Why must these young women,
who have fulfilled the conditions for teaching here and hold
certificates certifying that they are so qualified, be compelled j
to find employment elsewhere?
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N. A. A. C. P. FORUM
WILL MEET SUNDAY
The weekly forum of the Omaha
branch of the National Association
for the Advancement of Colored Peo
ple will be held at Pilgrim Baptist
church, Twenty-fifth and Hamilton
streets, Sunday afternoon at 4
o’clock. Mr. R. L. Williams, in charge
of the Free Colored Employment
bureau, will speak on “The Labor
Situation in Omaha.” An open dis
cussion will follow tthe address. The
public is invited.
NEGRO ROMAN CATHOLICS
HOLD BIG CONVENTION
Pop* Pius XI Sends Greetings and
Blessing to Assemblage Meet
ing in Metropolis of
New York
New York, N. Y.—(Special)—The
third annual convention of the Fed
erated Colored Catholics of the Unit
ed States was opened with a solemn
high mass celebration by Bishop John
J. Dunn in St. Charles Borromeo
Roman Catholic church, 213 WeBt
141st street, Sunday morning, Sep
tember 4th. Mgr. Thomas M. O’
Keefe, pastor of the Church of St.
Benedict, the Moor, reacj_a message
from Pope Pius XI, sent through
Cardinal Gasparri. It read:
“His holiness sends to the con
vention his good wishes and fa
therly blessing.”
In his sermon Mgr. O’Keefe urged
the convention to spread the true
faith.
“Let the light of your faith be your
guide,” he said, “and let it shine into
the eyes of others that they, too, may
be attracted by tly> beauty and mag
nificence and the splendor of its
Holy Work. Man’s life must be lived
ever, according to the principle of
piety if his soul is to be saved.”
Dr. James W. Turner, president,
urged educational facilities that
would increase the number of Negro
priests.
The policy followed by the Church
of providing native priests in Mexico,
China and Japan should also be prac
ticed among the American Negroes.
Dr. Turner, who is also president of
Hampton Institute, Hampton, Va.,
said:
“The first Roman Catholic Bishop
consecrated in the New World was a
Negro, at least three of the Popes
were of acknowledged African de
scent, and various saints were canon
ized Negroes,” he asserted. He said
that there are between 200,000 and
1250,000 Negro Roman Catholics in
this country.
Mrs. Lillian Black and youngest
daughter are visiting at the home,of
Mr. and Mrs. James O’Donnell here.
Mrs. Bluck has entered her daughter
in school for a while here, until she
makes a trip east and returns.
ATLANTA VISITORS
VICTIMS OF AUTO
ACCIDENT IN IOWA
Second Accident Within One Week
Near Denison in Which Tourists
From Omaha Are
Injured
Mr. and Mrs. St. Elmo Reynolds,
recently married; Mrs. Ida Reynolds,
mother of the groom; Mr. William
Burch and his son, Brainard, all of
Atlanta, Ga., were in a serious auto
mobile accident two miles west of
Denison, Iowa, last Saturday morn
ing. The members of the party had
spent the week in Omaha visiting Mr.
and Mrs. A. W'. Reynolds, 2829 Grant
street and were en route to Chicago
on their way home.
Rounding a dangerous curve near
Denison, the car went over the em
bankment and Mrs. Ida Reynolds sus
tained two broken ribs and other in
juries; Mr. William Burch had his
arm broken and the others received
cuts and bruises.
Mrs. Reynolds was taken to a hos
pital in Denison where she remained
until Monday when she was brought
to Omaha and placed in Lord Lister
hospital. The other members of the
party returned to Omaha Saturday
afternoon.
Mrs. Reynolds is reported to be do
ing nicely at the hospital. This is
the second accident within a week
near the same place in which tour
ists from Omaha were seriously in
jured.
DIES FROM INJURIES
RECEIVED IN AUTO WRECK
Henry Fletcher, one of tin four
men injured in the automobile wreck
near Denison, Iowa, September 5,
died at Lord Lister hospital Friday
morning as a result of injuries sus
tained. The funeral was held Tues
day afternoon at Mount Moriah Bap
tist church and the body was shipped
Wednesday morning by Undertaker
Myers to Winsboro, Texas, for burial. 1
PROMOTED
_
Miss Eva Williams
After six years of loyal, efficient
service in the home office of Poro
college and more recently as branch
manager of the Omaha Poro branch
office and supply station, one of the
25 such stations in principal cities
throughout the country, Miss Eva
Williams has been promoted, having
been called to take charge of the
Model Poro Beauty Parlor, ground
floor, Poro college building.
Congratulations have poured in to
Miss Williams from the splendid peo
ple of Omaha who were very co-op
erative and hospitable during her so
journ in their midst. Taking an ac
tive part in the St. John A. M. E.
church, of which her father, the Rev.
C. A. Williams, now of St. Louis and
Wayman chapel, was the pastor for
two years, she made a host of friends.
She was president of the Church Im
provement club and vice-president of
the Junior Matrons’ club.
Through the vacancy created by
Miss Williams’ promotion, which is in
line with the Poro college policy of
awarding members of the organiza
tion, in the field or at the home of
fice, for meritorious service, Mrs.
Azalia Mills, formerly of Detroit, has
been placed in charge of the Omaha
station.
BROOMFIELD RITES
ARE ATTENDED BY
VAST MULTITUDE
Funeral of Former Third Ward Poli
tical Leader One of Largeat and
Moat Pretentioua Ever Held
in City
PALLBEARERS OF BOTH RACES
The funeral of the late John H.
“Jack” Broomfield, held last Satur
day afternoon, was one of the most
pretentious and largest in the his
tory of Omaha. Hundreds passed in
and out of Myers’ funeral home prior
to the Elks’ ceremonies, to view the
remains and hundreds, unable to gaim
admittance, thronged the streets in
the immediate vicinity #f the chapel
during the services. Other hundreds
thronged the street in the vicinity of
the Episcopal Church of St. Philip
the Deacon, and crowded the church
to overflowing, and for blocks the
throngs lined the streets through
which the long cortege passed. Vari
ous estimates are given of the num
bers attracted by the funeral, hun
dreds of whom came to pay sincere
tribute to the deceased and other
hundreds who were drawn by curi
osity. But it was a great throng.
Among those who came to pay re
spects were people of various na
tionalities, city commissioners, poli
ticians, business and professional
men, sportsmen and others were in
attendance.
The pallbearers, active and hon
orary, were in equal numbers from
both races. They were: Active—Dr.
J. H. Hutten, James Banks, and Otto
Mason, colored; Tom Dennison,
Frank Housky and George Yeager,
white. Honorary—Police lieutenant
Harry Buford, Sergeant Isaac Bailey,
Henry W. Black, James G. Jewell,
W. H. “Bob” Robinson, Frank Doug
las, Dr. John A. Singleton, Dr. W. W.
Peebles and Paul Holliday, colored;
City Commissioners Dean Noyes and
John Hopkins, County Commissioner
Charles H. Kubat, Morris Milder,
Fred Myers, Charles Williams, Harry
Pullman, Tony Hoffman and Frank
O’Callahan, white.
The first service was held at Myers’
funeral chapel, Twenty-second and
and Lake streets, where the Iroquois
Lodge of Elks, Attorney A. P.
Scruggs, exalted ruler, conducted
their rites.
Following this service a cortege
formed and moved to St. Philip’s
church. The procession was headed
by Desdunes’ band, which played a
funeral march the entire way. Next
came the Elks, marching, and then
the pallbearers on foot, with a long
line of automobiles following. Two
automobiles were needed to carry the
floral set pieces and wreaths.
The service at the church was the
regular order for the burial of the
dead, according to the use of the
Episcopal Church, without sermon or
eulogy. Three hymns, “Rock of
Ages,” “My God, My Father, While
I Stray,” and “Lead, Kindly Light,”
the second a solo by Mrs. Cecelia
Jewell, were sung.
From the church the band and Elks
club marched as escorts in a proces
sion to Twenty-fourth and Cuming
streets, from which point the auto
mobiles proceeded by way of Thir
tieth street to Forest Lawn cemetery
where the body was interred.