Nebraska Newspapers

    i sr~ The Monitor m
J | NEBRASKA’S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF COLORED AMERICANS
5 §' THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor.
— — • - ^ .- - ' - " " — . 1 - - -
I $2.00 a Year—S % U a Copy OMAHA, NEBRASKA, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1927 Vol. XIII—No. 14 Whole Number 636
RACE CONGRESS IS CALLED TO
MEET IN THE RATION'S CAPITOL
_
Boston, Mass.—Announcement was
made today by the national headquar
ters of the National Equal Rights
League, at 9 Cornhill, that the twen
tieth annual meeting of the league
will be held in the John Wesley A.
M. E. Zion church, Fourteenth and
Corcoran streets, N. W., Washington,
D. C., from October 26 to 28, and is
to be a national race mass convention
or congress under the league’s aus
pices, for a racial preparation for
the pre-election Congress and for the
political battle of 1928 as concerns
the race’s rights.
The convention, which is called for
a racial get-together whereby a racial
consensus of opinion may be secured,
a united opinion voiced, united de
mand made and general program and
principles adopted, will have three
paramount objectives—abolition of
color segregation, determination of
the equal rights issues and principles
of action for the forthcoming federal
$ voting, and the formulation of a na
tional signatured race petition to be
December.
presented as Congress assembles in
The four day convention, open to
race members individually or as dele
gates of race bodies, religious, frater
nal, equal rights, literary, civic, etc.,
or of towns or cities through equal
SOUTHERN NEWSPAPER
WAXES SARCASTIC
OVER "PURITY” LAW
Dalton, Ga.—The Dalton Citizen
(white) in commenting upon the new
marriage law, enacted by the Georgia
legislature, says: “The new marriage
law, passed by the last legislature,
is a dead letter. The lawmakers for
got to make an appropriation for its
enforcement.
“Of all the fool pieces of legisla
tion we ever ran across, this tops
the list. It has the earmarks of
Koo-Kooism plastered all over it.
"If carried out and put into ef
fect, it would give employment to
a new crop of office holders and
would cost the state about $300,000
to begin with. And for what?
“To keep our white people from
marrying Negroes, Hindoos, dagoes,
Japanese, Chinese and Mexicans.
Great scott! Has it-eome to the point
where white people have to be re
strained from marrying aliens of all
kinds by law? What a serious re
flection on the marrying Bense of
the white people of the state.”
This Georgia editor is right, but
is in error when he classes Negroes
with “aliens."—Editor of The Moni
tor.
ELKS SHOW THE WAY
New York—According to the edi
tor of the New York Amsterdam
News, the chief criticism of Negro
fraternal organizations has been that
they put all their time and money on
pomp and regalia and none on con
structive racial work; and Dean
Kelly Miller, of Howard university,
while recently commenting upon
lodge funerals, said that Negroes put
too much money in the ground. Edi
tor Kelly of the “News” continued his
constructive comment by saying that
“these criticisms will soon be silenced
if other Negro organizations follow
the example of the Elks. This order
maintains twenty-three scholarships
in the leading universities of Ameri
ca, and at its recent convention in
New York, it voted $5,000 to the In
fant Mortality Commission for the
purpose of studying housing condi
tions and sanitation among colored
people.
“No one can watch the great pa
f rades of Negro fraternities without
being impressed by the tremendous
potential'power they represent. The
mainspring of the Negro’s power is
coiled within his bosom, and it must
be released and wisely directed. The
Elks have shown the way.”
Mrs. Hiram R. Greenfield of Dun
dee is convalescent from a recent iU
B
ness.
rights citizens’ committees or public
meetings, will have three open ses
sions daily—morning, afternoon and
night. The morning sessions will be
devoted to organization of business,
afternoon to general deliberation and
adoption, the night to public expres
sion. The delegate fee is to be $1.00.
All of the race who believe in aggres
sive assertion of equality of rights
are urged to be represented to meet
the challenge of whiter America, to
assemble in the tenth anniversary
year of the entrance of the United
States into the world democracy war,
with the American Legion segregat
ing their colored comrades for de
mocracy in Paris on the soldiers’ re
turn.
The federal petitions commission
of the league, T. H. R. Clarke, H10
F street, N. W., Washington, D. C.,
chairman, asks the race to contribute
funds for the expense of getting sig
natures, checks to be sent to the
treasurer, W. P. Dabney, 420 McAl
lister street, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Rev. George Frazier Miller, of
Brooklyn, New York, is president of
the league, James L. Neill of Wash
ington, recording secretary, W. M.
Trotter of Boston, corresponding sec
retary, Rev. T. S. Harten of New
York is organizer, and M. W. Spencer
of Washington is treasurer.
YOUNG RADIO ENGINEER
INVENTS RAILROAD DEVICE
Boston, Mass.—Rufus P. Turner,
commercial operator of Boston and
Washington, and member of the Insti
tute of Radio Engineers, has devel
oped a piece of apparatus which will
enable passengers on moving trains
to carry on communications with oth
er trains or points along the road,
according to the New England Scien
tific Service.
This device is the result of a sea
son’s experimentation and research
and promises to fill a long-felt need
in railroad communications. While
the idea of transmitting and receiving
radiograms from trains in motion is
not itself new, the apparatus devel
oped by Turner is quite different in
design from that employed in pre
vious experiments.
Subjected to a series of prelimin
ary experiments and tests, the device
has performed nicely, but the meth
ods used have not been made public
by its inventor.
As this article goes forward, young
Turner is heuded toward Washington
in the interest of patent protection.
Having obtained this, he will proceed
to demonstrate his device to officials
of one of the New England roads.
LARGE PERCENTAGE
IN RURAL SCHOOLS
Washington, D. C.—Of the 24,079
Negro schools in the 14 southern
states, during the school year 1925
1926, 22,494 (93.4 per cent) were
rural, and 1,585 (6.6 per cent) were
urban schools, according to a study
of Negro schools £in the South by
S. L. Smith, published., in the South
ern Workman.
EDUCATION AND DEMOCRACY
Washington, D. C.—The creation
of a Department of Education, with
a cabinet officer at its head, has long
been the hope of the republican party,
but every attempt to establish this
greatly needed governmental agency,
through which the illiteracy of cer
tain unfortunate American citizens
can be stamped out has been bitterly
opposed by the southern democrats
whose continued exploitation of the
black wage earners would be threat
ened, they fear, by the introduction
of a national educational policy as
advocated by the republicans.
more negro children in
SCHOOL
Monroe, La.—For the first time in
the history of this city the school
registration including the Negro chil
dren totals more than 6,000. There
are 4,386 white children enrolled.
EDITORIAL
We desire to commend the Omaha Bee-News for its ex
cellent editorial, captioned “Gary’s Shameful Surrender,” pub
lished in Monday’s edition. The Bee-News is correct in calling
the spineless submission of the authorities to the insolent de
mands of immature children a “shameful surrender.” It is a
manifestation of weakness upon the part of those who profess
to be men of judgment and character, which is a serious re
flection upon their manhood. The injustice of the whole af
fair is so obvious that none but those who are morally blind
will attempt to defend it. Of course, cowardly parents sup
ported their offspring in their rebellion—a rebellion for which
they will dearly pay in loss of strength of noble character, and
respect for the rights of others. Here is what The Bee-News
says:
Gary, Indiana, a fiat town, born of the will of United States
Steel and named for its honored head, has just done something
that deserves a stern rebuke. For many years the Gary school
system has been regarded with great interest by educators.
The “Gary plan” has many attractive features and has been
much discussed and to a large extent copied.
Now Gary has adopted another plan that we trust will not
be imitated. A group of 16 Negro students showed up at the
high school, and immediately the white students went on
“strike.” They would not have the colored students in their
school. Following several days of debate and consultation, the
authorities of Gary surrendered to the students. Colored boys
and girls will be required to attend a “segregated” school, not
yet built.
To get the full significance of this, it must be remembered
that a majority of the residents are foreign-born, or of foreign
born parentage. It is amazing that these could come under the
influence of the “100 per cent madness” that has afflicted
Indiana for several years. Negroes born in the United States
possess all the rights of any citizen. Should be protected in
those rights by law, and should not be deprived of an equal op
portunity for education at the public schools.
In Gary, as elsewhere, public schools are supported by tax
paid by all the citizens. Negroes in Gary contribute to that tax.
How can the whites of Gary justify themselves in denying the
Negroes that for which they have paid?
Gary must stand ashamed before the world because of this
exhibition. Boys and girls of high school age are not capable
of forming reasoned judgment on such matters as this. Their
immaturity protects them from the penalty they deserve. But
their elders know better, and, knowing, give in to the children
they are supposed to direct. “A little child shall lead them,”
but not in the direction Gary is going. The colored men and
women of Gary have a splendid opportunity to show their
worth by making the best of an unpleasant s ituation, trusting
to the future to right them, as it will. If they remain true to
their citizenship, they will triumph in the end.
OPENS WITH LARGE
STUDENT INCREASE
Nashville, Tenn.—Fisk university
began sessions on September 26, with
a bang! Although it increased its
tuition $52.00 this year and discon
tinued its high school department, it
had an increase of over 50 students.
The green freshmen had a busy
week. Monday, the students were
welcomed in the Fisk Memorial
chapel by President Thomas Elsa
Jones, Dean Ambrose Caliver, Mr.
James McClendon, president of the
senior class, and Mr. Ira T. Bryant,
president of the Fisk Student Coun
cil. Two of the freshman class re
sponded to the welcome. After the
welcome service the freshmen attend
ed a “get-acquainted” hour.
Tuesday, the freshmen were guests
at a reception at the home of Presi
dent and Mrs. Jones.
Friday, classes began and the first
chapel of the year was held. Presi
dent Jones delivered an address to
the student body. He traced the
changing attitude of the southern
white population and the develop
ment of the New South and pleaded
for high ideals among Negro youth.
“Knowledge that Negro culture
perhaps antedates and surpasses in
some points that of ancient Egypt,”
he said, “and conscious that worthy
leaders are to be found in every
phase of achievement today, causes
the youth of our group to set before
themselves goals of the highest en
deavor. Pleading disadvantage, or
laying blame for failure upon others,
has already lost caste with courage
ous souls. Real men do not wish
to be pitied nor made objects of mis
sionary sympathy. Neither do they
wish to be studied like insects in a
test tube. They are what they are
without apology or fear. They wish
a chance and promise to profit by it.
Fisk has now reached a point where
alumni and friends are able to help
her to carry out her program of high
idealism and service, while supported
by her white and colored friends. In
numerous ways rfur school is pushing
ahead to give the best that educa
tion can afford without stint, bias,
or compromise. Racial animosities,
inferiority complexes or inordinate
fears have no place here and will be
eliminated as truth seeking and good
will pervade the university.”
Friday night, the entire student
body attended a program and dance.
RACE RELATIONS TO
BE STUDIED BY
ROMAN CATHOLICS
Would Formulate Program for Better
Understanding and Co-operation
Between the Races in the
Church
(By N. C. W. C. News Service)
A race relations committee, under
! Roman Catholic auspices, to be com
! posed of Roman Catholic representa
tives of both the white and colored
j races, is now being projected and
| may soon become a reality.
| Its object would be “to formulate
a program for bringing about a "bet
ter understanding and co-operation
| between the races in the Church.”
Dr. T. W. Turner, president of
I Hampton Institute, leading institu
tion for the education of colored peo
ple, and also president of the Feder
ated Colored Catholics of the United
States, is now carefully considering
I possible colored members of such a
committee. In this he is following
out the directions of the direction
of the federation, just held in New
York.
The resolution directed “that a
committee on race relations be ap
pointed, and that this committee be
empowered to invite representative*
from white Catholic organizations to
join with them in formulating a pro
gram.”
Meantime, a wide study under
Catholic auspices of the social and
religious life of the Negro race in the
United States is to be undertaken
shortly, also at the direction of the
federation. The object will be to in
augurate and promote a plan to coun
teract certain evil tendencies of the
day as they affect the colored race.
Dr. Turner will appoint the commit
tee to undertake this task soon.
Mr. and Mrs. S. T. Phillips, 2874
Corby street, are receiving congratu
lations upon the birth of a little
daughter, Wednesday, October 5.
ACHIEVEMENTS OF
LEADING AMERICAN
NEGROES PUBLISHED
Brief Biographies of Notable Race
Personages Recently Issued by
National Council of the
Y. M. C. A.
New York—The National Council
of the Young Men’s Christian Asso
ciation has just published, with intro
duction by Channing Tobias, a vol-!
ume containing a series of brief biog
raphies of leading American Negroes,1
by Ralph W. Bullock, under the title,'
"In Spite of Handicaps.” The vol
ume is published, says Mr. Tobias, in
response to “the requests from lead
ers of white boys’ and girls' clubs,
who desired to promote better inter
racial understanding, who desired to
stimulate the race pride of oolored
youth.” Mr. Tobias concludes his
introduction as follows: “If white
! youth, through reading these
sketches, gain a fuller knowledge of
and higher respect for Negroes and
colored youth are led to a deeper
sense of self-respect and pride in
achievements of their kind, the book
will have served its purpose.”*
The list of those included in the
volume is as follows: Roland Hayes,
Mordecai W. Johnson, president of
Howard university; Col. Robert R.
Moton, head of Tuskegee; Charles C.
Spaulding, head of the North Caro
lina Mutual Insurance company;
Countee Cullen, Harry T. Burleigh,
Prof. George W. Carver of Tuskegee,
Dr. Daniel Williams, professor of
clinical surgery in Meharry Medical
college; De Hart Hubbard, athlete
and breaker of world records; Dr. W.
E. B. Du Bois, editor of The Crisis;
John Hope, president of Morehouse
college; Archie A. Alexander, civil
engineer; Matthew W. Bullock, attor
ney of Boston; Henry O. Tanner,
painter; James Weldon Johnson, sec
retary of the National Association for
the Advancement of Colored People;
Mary McLeod Bethune, head of the
Bethune-Cookman college; Max Yer
gan, Y. M. C. A. worker, now in
South Africa, and Carter G. Wood
son, historian.
MRS. HARTFIELD PASSES AWAY
Mrs. Irene Hartfield, 2854 Lake
street, died last Wednesday after
noon, at the Methodist hospital,
where she had been for just a few
days. Mrs. Hartfield had lived in
Omaha for a number of years. She
was kind, hospitable, and full of sun
shine, and these noble traits of hers
had made her much loved by a host
of friends and acquaintances.
Funeral services were conducted
from Mount Moriah Baptist church,
Twenty-fourth and Ohio streets, Sat
urday afternoon, Rev. C. B. Burton,
pastor, officiating. Interment was in
the family lot at Forest Lawn ceme
tery.
She is survived by a sister, Mrs.
Hyland; three brothers, Warren
Johnson, Thurman Johnson and
George; and a nephew, Wm. Scott,
who by his life-long devotion to the
family, was loved as a brother.
Those attending the funeral out
of-town were Mr. and Mrs. W. M.
Hartfield and Mr. James Hartfield
of St. Louis, Mo., and Mrs. Emma
Jacobs of Sioux City, Iowa.
HARRY BURLEIGH—GUEST
ARTIST
New York—Harry T. Burleigh, the
leading Negro composer-vocalist of
America, who ably assisted Anton
Dvorak in writing the celebrated
“New York Symphony” ,was guest
artist of the New York Edison com
pany, Station WRNY, during its
broadcasting program. Mr. Burleigh
pleasingly sang a group of Negro
spirituals, principally of his.own com
position.
HUBBARD BREAKS
WORLD'S RECORD
Washington, D. C.—Exactly 26 ft.
2% inches is the distance broad
jumped at Cincinnati, Ohio, by De|
Hart Hubbard, the famous Negro ath
lete, and holder of the world’s record,
in the broad jump, of 25 feet and
10% inches, made by Hubbard him
self while a student at the University
of Michigan.
OMAHA GIRL HEADS
F LTY IH JUNIOR
SOOTHERH COLLEGE
Miti Gladys Edrose Brown Dean of
Faculty in St. Philip’s Junior
College for Girls Founded
by Miss Bowden
INSTITUTION FILLS FELT NEED
San Antonio, Texas—St. Philip’s
School for Girls, an Episcopal insti
tution which has been conducted suc
cessfully for several years under the
principalship of Miss Artemesia Bow
den, a noted educator, opened in Sep
tember a junior college department
under a highly trained faculty. Con
siderable expense was entailed for
this advanced work. A complete sec
tion of the building has been finished
thereby affording larger facilities for
the accommodation of an enlarged
student body, as well as the necessary
equipment for the college work.
A well-equipped library has been
supplied and more adequate labora
tory supplies have been procured so
that the sciences may be taught un
der favorable circumstances. Fur
ther laboratory equipment will be
added as funds permit.
The faculty of St. Philip’s Junior
college includes Miss Gladys Brown,
M. A., of Omaha, Neb., who is dean
of the college and high school work.
Miss Brown took her B. A. at the
University of Nebraska and her M. A.
degree at Howard, where she also
taught for one year. Miss Grace Ed
wards of Washington, D. C., a grad
uate of Howard university, teaches
mathematics. Miss Linnie Ramey, of
Indianapolis, Ind., a graduate of But
ler college of that city, is an instruct
or in the college department. She
taught in the public schools of In
dianapolis before accepting the posi
tion at St. Philip’s. Mr. A. Walker,
A. B., Howard university, remains at
St. Philip’s as instructor in science.
Miss Mary Mitchell, who is a gradu
ate of the Sargent School of Physical
Education, Boston, Mass., is in charge
of the department of physical educa
tion. Industrial arts are in charge
of Mrs. Todd, graduate of South
western university, who specialized
for four years at Hampton and two
at Tuskegee. Miss J. B. Johnson,
who has served for 16 years as ma
tron at Texas college, has accepted
this position at St. Philip’s.
With the improved buildings and
strong faculty with which Miss Bow
den has surrounded herself, St. Phil
ip’s, which has already done notable
educational work in its limited field,
enters upon her first year of college
work under most promising and en
couraging conditions. The enlarged
enrollment clearly proves the long
felt need of such an institution.
I -
DISMAYED TO FIND
SHERIFF PEEPING TOM
Atmore, Ala.—The story told by
Miss Irma Kemp, a young white wo
man, that when “some nigger tried
to hang on to her car she had run
over him,” received a setback when
the man she had injured proved to be
the sheriff. She had accused him of
peeping in her car, causing her to
speed up her machine and run over
him for punishment.
She claimed that she had gone into
the neighborhood inhabited by mem
bers of the race to bring a servant
home. It was learned that when she
ran over Miller, the sheriff, she hur
ried to headquarters and told her
story. It is believed that Miller, who
is suffering with a broken leg and
other injuries, was looking for boot
leggers at the time of the accident.
LITERARY DEBATE
New York—The October “Forum”
is featuring a literary debate between
Dr. Alain Leroy Locke, Rhodes schol
ar and Howard university professor,
and Lothrop Stoddard, white, well
known literary analyst of inter-racial
relations in America. Dr. Locke has
the affirmative and Mr. Stoddard the
negative of the topical question
“Can we absorb the Negro?”