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hS™eonwEU“i“atter * PMt office °maha’ Nebr undCT Act af March 8l 1#74, Omaha, Nebraska, Saturday, February 17, 1940 Volume Twelve, Number 48.—
Outstanding Negroes And
Whites of 1939 Named
NEW YORK, Feb. 17, (ANP)—The 12 “Am
erican Negroes of distinguished achievement for
1939” were announced over the New York radio sta
tion, WEVD, Tuesday night, Feb. 13. Dr. L. D. Red
dick, curator, gave the results of a nation-wide poll
sponsored by the Schomburg Collection of Negro Lit
erature of the New York Public Library and the New
York Branch of the Association for the Study of Ne
gro Life and History. The 12 were chosen on the
basis of “sheer merit of achievement in terms of so
cial value to the race and humanity. At times a glor
ious defeat or failure reveals distinguished courage
social intelligence.”
Also the six white persons who'
during the past year had done tlje
most for the improvement for race
relations in terms of a real dem
ocracy were named. The citations
were as follows:
Negroes
M iss Marian Anderson to whom
Toscini said “only one voice like
yours is heard in a hundred years”.
Miss Anderson’s recital on the
steps of the Lincoln Memorial be
fore an estimated audience of 75.
|
000 and a radio audience running
into the millions gave a clear ans
wer to the prejudice which preven
ted her appearing in Constitutional
hall, Washington.
National Association for the Ad
vancement of Colored People. Un
der the leadership of Walter White
this organization has led the fight
for the enacting of a federal anti
lynch law. The legal staff of the
association has scored court victor
ies toward the admission of Negro
es to the state supported universit
ies of the south and equal pay for i
Negro teachers in Maryland.
Miss Jane Bolin whose appoint
ment as justice of the court of do
mestic relations, New York City,
on the basis of merit marks her as
the first Negro woman judge in the
history of America. Justice Bolin
is a symbol of other Negro women
in and out of administrative and
political office who demonstrate
leadership and ability.
Dr. E. Franklin Frazier of How
ard university whose book “The
Negro Family In The United Stat
es” is one of the noteworthy schol
arly productions of the past year.
Of this book Prof. Ernest W. Bur
gess of the University of Chicago
says: “It is, in fact, the most valu
able contribution to the literature
on the family since the publication,
20 years ago, of the Polish Peasant
in Europe and America by W. I.
Thomas and Fiorina Znaniecki.”
Joe Louis who by demolishing all
comers has maintained his position
as the champion physical warrior of
the world and who despite his fame
and earning has demonstrated a
modesty and sportsmanship seldom
found.
Dr. George Washington Carver
of Tuskegee Institute. Dr. Car
ver, though not always orthodoz in
his methods, has in his winning of
the Roosevelt medal and other a
wards, focused attention upon the
contributions to science by the Ne
gro.
Sam Solomon of Miami. The
outstanding, but not the only, ex
ample of Southern Negroes who led
a march to the ballot box, to exer
cise their constitutional rights, des
pite the threats of the KuKluxKlan.
Rev. Glenn T. Settle, Cleveland,
as the founder and director of
“Wings Over Jordan” a weekly C.
B. S. broadcast each Sunday morn
ing. This was the outstanding ra
dio series rendered by Negroes
during the past year.
Dr. Carter G. Woodson who as
editor of the Journal of Negro His
tory since its founding in 1916 and
as director of the Association for
the Study of Negro Life and His
cory and the originator of “Negro
History Week” itself brought to a
high point during 1939 his remark
able effort in stimulating the scien
tific and sympathetic study of the
Negro.
Owen Whitfield who led the evic
)
ted white and Negro sharecroppers
of Missouri until outside assistance
was forthcoming. Whitfield and
his followers are the people we read
about or see in “Grapes of Wrath.”
Richard Wright whose prize
winning stories won for him a Gug
genheim fellowship for 1939 and
whose great novel written on that
fellowship, “Native Son”, has been
chosen recently as a book of the
Month Club selection.
The Negro Press. One of the
single greatest influences towards
giving the Negro a conception of
himself in terms of achievement
and self respect. Incidentally, the
editor of one Negro paper has been
named on the honor roll of the state
of Virginia—all others on this !*ll
being white.
No attempt was made to rank the
twelve.
Whites
Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt who al
ong with her husband, the president
has given more dignity to the rela
tions of the White House to the Ne
groes of America than has any such
couple within recent history. Mrs.
Roosevelt has frequently spoken
out in her column for the rights of
all men and resigned her member
ship in a well-known organization,
connected by name with the Amer
ican revolution, when the bar of
color prejudice was raised against
a world-famous Negro singer.
Harold F. Ickes, secretary of the
Intel ior, whose consistent champ
ioning of democracy reached a cli- j
max during the past year when he
granted the use of the Lincoln
Memorial plaza and himself presid
ed at the Marion Anderson recital
previously mentioned.
Maury Maverick who has added
to his former record of positive sup
port of the anti-lynch bill when hej
was a congressman from Texas.
Now as mayor of San Antonio, at
the risk of his political career, has
stood up for the rights of Negroes,
Mexicans and labor. In the Vir
ginia Quarterly Review for winter,
1939, Mayor Maverick wrote an ar
ticle addressed to the South which
was entitled “Let’s Join the United
States.”
Mayor Fiorella LaGuardia of N.j
York City, who has addressed him
self to the problems of all of the '
peoples of that city. Mayor La-!
Guardia has set a high standard by
including Negroes in important po- j
sitions in the official life of the
greatest American city. Among
his recent appointees are Judge Mi-1
les A. Paige and Justice Jane Bolin.
Benny Goodman for his employ-.
ment of distinguished musicians ir- j
respective of color in his well
known orchestra. The list of Ne
groes who have served in the Good
man band includes Lionel Hampton,
Tedy Wilson, Fletcher Henderson
and Charles Christian. In the
words of Langston Hughes he has
done much toward breaking down
the color bar fn the dance music in
dustry.
University of North Carolina for
its liberalism in a land where it
takes unusual courage to be liberal.
Its president, Dr. Frank P. Graham
has also served as the head of the
Southern Conference on Human
Welfare. Its press has set a high
level, with a few notorious except -
I ions, for objectivity and scholarship
in dealing with the Negro in Amer
ican life.
No attempt was made to rank the
six. There were scattered votes
for a great number of labor organiz
ations which have organized with
out regard to race.
Music for the program was furn
ished by the Phi Beta Sigma Glee
Club under the direction of Prof.
John A. Sharpe. Dr. Reddick stat
ed that the poll would be an annual
feature of Negro History week.
DR. EL WOOD ROWSEY AT
HILLSIDE SUNDAY
An interracial musical service of
special interest will be held at Hill
side Presbyterian Church Sunday,
afternoon February 18th at .3:46 o
clock. Dr. Elwood Rowsey prom
inent radio and pulpit orator and
minister of Dundee Presbyterian
Church will be the principal speak
er. The Westminister Presbyter
ian Choir of 30 voices and a violin
soloist, Miss Betty Mae Nelson will
furnish the music, under the direc
tion of Mr. Byron Demorest. The
conclusion of the service promises
to be one of the most effective in
terracial services held at Hillside
Music lovers are asked to be in
their seats at 3:30.
Philly Already
Preparing For
NAACP. Meet
Philadelphia, Feb. 17, (ANP) —
Five months early, this city is hard
at work for the coming 31st annual
conference of the NAACP., June
26-30. with Mayor Robert E. Lam
berton, honorary chairman and At
torney Theodore O. Spaulding, gen
eral chairman of arrangements and
supported by nine committees.
First major project of the joint
committees is a huge dancefast to
top the Penn relays weekend, on
Saturday evening, April 27, when
three orchestras will be on hand in
the Wharton Street Armory, Broad
and Wharton Streets. In this way
it is hoped to raise the money to
underwrite the expenses of the
meeting. Raymond Pace Alexan
der is head of the finance comm
ittee, responsible for meeting the
convention expenses.
Although all committee chair
men have not been named, the com
mittees are divided into housing,
hospitality, publicity, church coop
eration, finance, program registra
tion, information, cuisine.
The housing committee, under
Miss Mamie E. Davis, general sec
retary of the Southwest YWCA,
will begin its work almost at once
sending subcommittees to visit ev
ery home which will be open to del
egates. The leading city hotels
will also be visted.
Tindley Temple ME. church,
Broad and Fitzwater streets, will
be the conferences meeting place
with the business headquarters at
1506 Catherine street.
Dr. Harry W. Greene is president
of the Philadelphia branch of the
NAACP.
COLORED ATTY. ONE OF
MAIN SPEAKERS AT
LINCOLN DAY DINNER
New York, N. Y., February 12,—
Aaron H. Payne, young Colored
Attorney and Republican leader of
Chicago, delivered one of the three
maor addresses at the Lincoln Day
Dinner of the National Republican
Club of New York, here tonight.
Chairman John Hamilton and Mrs.
Robert A. Taft, wife of the Senator
were the others.
For the first time in more than
30 years, a representative of Color
ed Republicans was accorded a
place on the Speaking Program.
Attorney Payne called attention to
this fact when, in opening his ad
dress, he said:
“Many years ago the beloved
Booker T. Washington of Tuskegee
was one of your Guest Speakers.
He richly merited the distinction,
for he was universally accepted as
the accredited spokesman for his
people. He has no successor. Able
spokesman that he was, the cause
of Republicanism and the love of
Abraham Lincoln were no stronger
in his heart than in mine; and re
gardless of what some few may say
the fundamental attitude of my
people, North and South, is no dif
ferent from my own.
“While our perspective is not yet
far enough removed for all of us
t
to see clearly and fully appreciate
the true stature of Lincoln; each
passing year reduces the ranks of
those who would withhold from him
the palm of eternal gr eatness.”
1ST NATIONAL HONORS WON
BY NEBRASKA POWER CO.
Omaha, Neb , Feb. 17 —Nebr
aska Power Company’s home light
ing sales campaign, conducted Oct
ober 1 to December 31 won first
national honors in a home lighting
equipment sales contest conducted
by the Edison Electric Institute
with headquarters in New York, ac^
cording to word received today.
Miss Felicia Randall, home light
ing specialist of Nebraska Power,
was advised that her report on the
local campaign, in which resident
ial customers were shown how the
new low rates granted by the com
pany October 1 makes greater elec
tric service available to them at no
extra cost, was the unanimous
choice of the judges for first place |
and a $50 cash prize. j
Thirty-four electric utilities of j
the country competed. Puget
Sound Power and Light of Seattle
won second prize and Lake Super- j
ior District Power, Ashland, Wis
consin, third prize.
The backing given the Nebraska
Power Company campaign by in
tensive newspaper advertising, di
rect mail, outdoor advertising and j
radio, which resulted in a ratio of \
one sales to every 2.7 customers,
were the features that won first
honors for the local company.
NEGROES SPEND 140 MILLION
YEARLY FOR TRAVEL
New York, Feb. (ANP) C. A. R.
McDowell, director of the division
of Negro activities of the U. S.
Travel bureau, with offices in New
York, has compiled an interesting
number of figures on what the Ne
gro spends annually for travel in
the United States.
Said Mr. McDowell: “A study of
the reports of the National Re
sources Committee on Consumer in
comes and their expenditures for
1935-36, reveals that there were
1,980,320 non-relief Negro families
not including those on the Pacific
Coast and the far West. The av
erage income for these families is
$809 per year—they spend an aver
age of $70 per year for all forms of
travel—a conservative estimate —
thus making a total of $140,000,,000
for travel expenses and other inci
dentals pertaining to travel.”
WOOD TO OPEN COCHRAN
HEADQUARTERS
John O. Wood/veteran politician
and campaign manager, has been
selected by the State committee to
manage the campaign of Governor
Cochran for the U. S. Senate.
Headquarters are being opened
at 2405 Lake St., and a “vigorous”
campaign will be launched, he stat
es.
Select All-Ameri
can Swing Band
THEATRICAL WRITERS SE
LECT ALL-AMERICAN
SWING BAND FOR 1940
First band:—Trumpet, Louis
Armstrong; Erskinc Hawkins,
Harry James.
First band, Trombone: Tommy
Dorsey, J.C. Higgenbotham, (Arm
strong), Jack Teagarden.
First band, Alto sax: Johhny
Hodges (Ellington), Bonny Carter,
Jimmy Dorsey.
First band, Tenor sax: Soleman
Hawkins, Chu Berry, (Calloway),
First band, clarinet: Benny
Goodman.
First band, Piano: Teddy Wilson.
First band, Guitar ; Charlie
Christian (Goodman).
First band, Drums: Joe Jones,
(Basie).
First band, Bass: John Kirby,
Artie Bernstein (Goodman).
First band, Male vocalist: Bing
Crosby.
First band, Girl vocalist: Ella
Fitzgerald.
First band, Best instrumental
soloist: Lionel Hampton (Good
man).
First band, Best composition of
1939: My Prayer.
First band, Best hot band: Count
Basie.
Second Band
Second band, Trumpet: Rex.
Stewart (Ellington), Muggsy Span
ier, Roy Eldridge.
Second band, Trombone: Law
rence Brown (Ellington), Juan Ti
zol (Ellington, Trummie Young,
Lunceford.)
Second band, Alto sax: Willie
Smith (Lunceford), Charlie Barn
et, Eddie Barefield (?)
Second band, Tenor sax: Lester
Young, Joe Thomas (Lunceford),
Second band, Clarinet: Barney
Bigard (Ellington).
Second band, Piano: Count Basie.
Second band, Guitar, Floyd
Smith, (Kirk).
Second band, Drums, Gene Kru
pa.
Second band, Bass: Pops Foster
(Armstrong) Bobby Haggart,
(Crosby)
Second band, Male vocalist: Bill
Kenny (Ink Spots).
Second band, Girl vocalist: Billie
Holiday.
Second band, Best instrumental
soloist: Sidney Bechet.
Second band, Best composition of
1939: T’aint What You Do.
Second band, Best hot band:
Duke Ellington.
Harry James, Tommy Dorsey,
Jack Teagarden, Jimmy Dorsey,
Benny Goodman, Artie Bernstein,
Bing Crosby, Muggsy Spanier,
Charlie Barnet, Gene Krupa Bobby
Haggart, all are white musicians.!
WHITE COLLEGE PLANS
$20,000 MEMORIAL FOR
NEGRO JANITOR
Macon, Ga., Feb. 17 (ANP) —A
unique memorial, said to be with
out precedent in the Nation's his
tory, was disclosed this week when
it was learned that at Mercer’s un
iversity, 107 year old Baptist insti
tution, a memorial will be erected
honoring Robert E. Lee Battle, Ne
gro janitor for 40 years at Mercer
who died last Dec. 8, leaving an es
tate consisting mainly of a $36 bur
ial insurance policy.
JUSTICE PAIGE MOVES
RESIDENT TO BROOKLYN
New York, Feb. 17, (ANP)
Magistrate Myles A. Paige, sched
uled to be elevated to special ses
sions by Mayor LaGuardia, now is
a resident of Brooklyn. His family
moved last week.
Announced a few days before
Christmas, Paige’s appointment
was held in abeyance by a provision
of the Interior Criminal Court act,
which requires that five special
sessions justices must be residents
of Brooklyn. Since Paige was ap
pointed to fill a Brooklyn justice’s
vacancy, to hold the job he is com
pelled to be a resident of Brooklyn.
It is believed that Mayor La
Guardia suggested that Magistrate
MRS. ROOSEVELT TO SPEAK
AT RETHUNE COLLEGE
Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt has
accepted the invitation of Mrs.
Mary McLeod Bethune, president
of Bethune-Cookman College, Day
tona Beach, Florida, to make the
principal address at the celebrat
ion next week of the school's 36th
anniversary.
The observance, which will open
with an all-day meeting of local
educational leaders on Friday, Feb
ruaty 16, will be climaxed on Sun
day afternoon, when Mrs. Roose
velt and Aubrey Williams, execut
ive director of the National Youth
platform.
Administration, will share the
Another highlight of the observ
ance will be the presentation, by
the college students on Friday eve
ning, of a pageant, “Unfolding a
Dream,” which will depict the his
tory of the school. A concert by
Roland Hayes on Sunday evening
will conclude the three day cele
bration.
Paige move in order to qualify for
the post. When asked how long
Paige must live in Brooklyn in or
der to establish a legal residence,
the mayor replied, “five minutes."
Assigned to special sessions for
the past several weeks, Paige is
expected to be sworn in this week.
CONNALLY ATTACKS FOES
OF LYNCHING AT SENATE
COMM. HEARING ON BILL
Washington, Feb. 17 (CNA) —
Witnesses testifying in support of
the Wagner-Gavagan Anti-Lynch
Bill were subjected to scurrilous
attacks by Senator Tom Connally
of Texas as a Senate Judiciary sub
committee opened hearings on the
bill recently passed by the House.
Senator Connally also assailed the
presence at the hearing of many
Negro and white supporters of the
bill.
As the hearings opened, the fight
for passage of the measure entered
a crucial stage. The strategy of!
Senator Connally and other tory
foes of anti-lynch legislation is to
keep the bill bottled up in the Jud
iciary Committee as long as poss
ible and hearings were devised as
one step in this process.
Powerful sentiment in favor of
passage of the bill was developing
throughout the nation as the fight
got under way before the Senate
subcommittee. In Detroit, the City
Council voted endorsement of the
measure and forwarded requests to
Senator’s Vandenberg and Prentiss
Brown of Michigan to vote for the
bill.
Connally, who demanded hear
ings on the bill, has arranged to
have a string of reactionary Sou-!
them witnesses appear in defense j
of lynching.
The first witnesses who have ap
peared however, were strongly in
favor of the measure. Dr. Arthur
Raper of Decatur, Ga., who conduc
ted an extensive study of lynching
several years ago, told the comm
ittee that passage of a federal law
was necessary because only one -
tenth of one per cent of those guilty
of lynching are brought to justice
by local authorities.
Connally clashed repeatedly with
the witness, referred to Negroes as
“niggers” and said he couldn’t un
derstand “how any man with white
blood in his veins” could take the
stand that Raper did.
Walter White, secretary of the
National Association for the Ad
vancement of Colored People,
sharply assailed Connally and
charged that some members of
Congress were using “vitriolic at
tacks on legislation like this” to
gain re-election.
SENATOR TAFT SPEAKS IN
MIAMI
Miami, Fla., Feb.—Speaking be
fore a large Republican rally at
Bayfront Park in Miami, Senator
Robert A. Taft told Floridians and
winter residents that the key to
recovery is the encouragement of
small business under a friendly ra
ther than a hostile administration.’
To Celebrate
Brotherhood
Week Feb. 18-25
New York, Feb. 17, (ANP) -
Brotherhood Week, national obser
vance of which takes place Feb. 18
26, first launched by Newton D.
Baker, secretary of war under Pres
ident Wilson, is intended to pre
serve justice, amity and understand
ing and coperation among people
of all races, creeds and religions in
the United States.
National leaders of all races this
week expressed the hope here that
observance of Brotherhood week,
this month would be general, earn
est and productive of lasting bene
fits to all who cherish the basic A
merican principle of equal rights
for all.
These leaders have recommend
ed for consideration of all who will
participate the following “Ten
Commandments of Good Will.”
1. I will respect all men and
women regardless of their race or
religion.
2. I will protect and defend my
neighbor and my neighbor's child
ren against ravages of racial or re
ligious bigotry.
3. I will exemplify in my own
life the spirit of good will and un
dertsanding.
4 I will challenege the phil
osophy of racial superiority by
whomsoever it may be proclaimed,
whether they be kings, dictators or
demagogues.
5. I will not be misled by the ly
ing propaganda of those who seek
to set race against race or nation a
gainst nation.
6. I will refuse to support any
organization that has for its pur
pose the spreading of anti-Semit
ism, anti-Catholicism or anti-Pro
testantism.
7. I will establish comradeship
with all those who seek to exalt to
the spirit of love and reconciliation
thruout the world.
8. I will attribute to those who
differ from me the same degree of
sincerity that I claim for myself.
9. I will uphold the civil rights
and religious liberties of all citiz
ens and groups, whether I agree
with them or not.
10. I will do more than "live and
let live”; I will live and HELP live.
STATEMENT OF REPRESENT
ATIVE HAMILTON FISH
Washington, D. G.f February 8,
l‘J40. Hearings on the AntiLynch
ing Bill, which passed the House by
a two-to-one vote, are now being
held before a Senate Judiciary sub
committee. Southern Members op
posing the bill when it was under
consideration in the House said that
the most harmful thing the Repub
licans could do would be to “smoke
out” President Roosevelt and send
the bill to him for his final action.
President Roosevelt does not hes
itate to express his views and pass
moral judgements on European Na
tions. Why is he so strangely sil
ent on legislation aimed to provide
for the security and safety of the
lives of our own people? The A
merican people, both white and col
ored, are entitled to know where
President Roosevelt stands on the
Anti-Lynching Bill, and what he
proposes to do to help secure its
passage in the Congress.
SIX NEGROES ATTEND UN
PLOYMENT CONFERENCE
Washington, Feb. 17, (ANP) —
Six prominent Negro women were
among the one hundred women '
from all parts of the country called
! here to discuss the unemployment
i of young women in the country. At
I tending were Miss Thelma Dale of
I the Youth Federation of Washing
I ton, Washington;.; Mrs. Crystal
Byrd Fauset of the WPA, Pennsyl
j vania; Miss Jane Hunter, of the
Phyllis Wheatley House, Cleveland;
| Mrs. Vivian Carter Mason, admin
istrator of one of the district offic
es of the Emergency Relief bureau
in Ngw York City, and Mrs. Mary
j McLeod Bethune of the NY A.