Literary Column
SUNSET'S REWARD ,
Far from the wild and garish town,
Where naught but noise and rush we meet.
To watch the flaming sun go down
Rewards the soul with something sweet;
Our minds with joyous thoughts are thrilled,
Our souls are wrapped in sweet content,
For every moment there is filled
With happiness serenely spent.
There’s something in the setting sun
That asks a question pert and trite.
It seems to say, “What have you done
To help make some wrong matter right?”
It’s good when we can truly say,
With conscience clear and joyous pride,
That we have done no ill today
To those we’ve worked or walked beside.
—GEORGE H. MACON
A Negro 'Renaissance'
(Continued from page 1)
Gwendolyn Brooks and Owen
Dodson in poetry.
Ellabelle Davis, Camilla, Willi
ams, Carol Brice, Philippa Schuy
ler, Josh White and JeEyn Dixon
in music.
Pearl Primus in the dance.
Romare Bearden in art.
Bucklin Moon, Doubleday edi
tor and author of the forthcoming
“The High Cost of Prejudice,” and
Arthur B. Spingarn, president of
the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People,
both point out that this is not the
first Negro rennaissance. Two
earlier ones came after freedom
from slavery, and after World
War I.
The first American Negro
novelist able to earn a living out
of fiction was William Wells
Brown, who published a book just
99 years ago.
In the last century there were
such noted singers as Elizabeth
T. Greenfield and Blindtom. Lat
er came Poet Paul Lawrence
Dunbar and Novelist Charles W.
Chestnuit.
The second renaissance, in the
1920’s is remembered best, per
haps, for “The Fire in the Flint,”
by Walter White, NAACP execu
tive.
The Negroes have various ex
planations of the renaissance.
The war, more money, a new
freedom within American com
munities and increased recepti
vity by the whites. Here is what
they say:
Miss Davis: “One reason why
the Negro artist has produced
more and better work is that in
recent years he has had more
money. More Negroes attend
more concerts by Negroes, read
more books by Negroes, and that’s
an important kind of encourage
ment.”
Mr. Dixon: “The creative urge
was always there, but it was
hampered by a lack of education,
and the lassitude due to poor food
and living.”
Miss Petry: “If this last ruinous
war is the factor that has stimul
lated creative activity among
Negroes, then shouldn’t it have
affected other minority groups
(Nisei, Indians) in the same way?
I don’t know whether we ever
succeed in explaining the creative
urge in a people—or the lack of
it—right now I can only say that
I honestly don’t know for I keep
poking holes in every ready-made
answer that comes to hand.”
Omaha World-Herald
-o
Heads Los Angeles Council
Mrs. Frederick D. Jordon, re
cently named president of the Los
Angeles Metropolitan Council of
the National Council of Negro
Women, prominent in civic and
religious affairs on the West coast
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