Volume 4
I '
NORTH CAROLINA COLLEGE FOR NEGROES, DURHAM, N. C., APRIL 30, 1940
—
Number 7
Student Council
Holds Informal
Public Meeting
In its first public meeting, the stu
dent council met with the student
body in the April 19th chapel service
to discuss problems leaning toward
a better relationship among the
faculty, students, and school. Charles
Cobb, president of the council, pre
siding, introduced the two problems
under discussion—(1) What condi
tions on this campus give a visitor
the wrong impression relative to
scholarship and culture? and a dis
cussion of (2) public petting in the
theater. A discussion by the council
members followed.
“Social hour, as such,” said Lucy
Barnes,” is one of the causes of
wrong impressions,” and continued,
“students are inclined to be reserved
until social hour; then the campus
seems to be a haven of lovers.”
Sylvester Carter approached the
problem from another angle. “Stu
dents do not study, nor observe
study hour, nor respect the facilities
they have here,” he said. “They
must raise the level of scholarship.”
Remedies were offered by Chris
tine Harrington who said, “The stu
dent fails to feel a sense of responsi
bility. Students resent formal con
ventionalism. Put students on their
own!” The responsibility will adjust
them.”
Robert Bond continued, “The stu
dent has no outlet other than one
hour and twenty minutes a .day.
During that hour a burst of freedom
is too much. Give students the out
lets they need; do away with social
hour! This will eliminate the crowd
ing and noise in the library.” For
the noise exjjerienced in the dormi
tory, “let the men solve their own
problems,” he said.
The second problem was dis
cussed by Larry James, Brooklyn
McMillan and Bond. Petting in the
theater was denounced by the trio
as being (a) not becoming to a lady
or gentleman, (b) disloyal to oneself
and the College, and (c) contrary
to the principles of self-respect. Ig
norance of the seriousness of the
offense was given as a reason for this
practice on the part of the students.
From the floor came contributions
from Alex Rivera, who pressed the
need of a greater student body at
a greater school. “I am glad to be
called a radical if such means to
think for oneself.” He continued,
“College is no place for babies who
can:iot appreciate social privileges.”
Hi;; remarks were thunderously ap
plauded.
Remarks from Burnet Bryant were
cut short by the dinner bell.
A Capella Choir
and Male Chorus •
Give Recital
Dillard University
Players on Campus
Enroute to Chapel Hill where they
presented a series of plays, a troupe
of 15 Dillard University players from
Atlanta, Ga., stopped on the campus
for the afternoon of April 4. They
were escorted about the campus by
studen ts.
The visitors expressed surprise as
to the rapid development here and
their admiration for the campus and
school.
The Winston-Salem Teachers’
College, under the direction of Noah
F. Ryder, was presented in recital
in B. N. Duke auditorium. North
Carolina College, Durham, North
Carolina, Sunday, April 14, 1940, at
3 p.m. The recital was given under
the auspices of the Northwestern
Alumni District of the Winston-Sal
em Teachers’ College.
The recital was given before a
large and enthusiastic audience which
filled the auditorium to capacity.
The program included several pop
ular and well-known arias by Dett,
his “Listen to the Lamb” being the
most outstanding. Also included on
the renditions were several arrange
ments by the director, Mr. Rj^der.
The pfogram was presented in
four parts, one of which was done
by the Male Chorus. Several request
numbers were added to the program
of which “My Soul Couldn’t be Con
tented” was enjoyed most by the
audience.
Misses Malone, Merritt and Brown
and Messrs. Smith, Malone and
Warren were the soloists. The Choir
and Male Chorus were accompanied
by Airs. Martha S. Atkins at the
piano.
ine conceit, lasting approximate
ly an hour and a half, was enjoyed
to the end.
Prince Nyabonga
Speaks to Students
In a lecture given during chapel
hour on April 14, Prince Nyabonga
portrayed Africa as a key to world’s
peace. It was pointed out that Africa
has the man power and occupies an
important position. The comparison
was made'of the African country to
that of the rest of the world: the
American Negroes as compared with
the African people, of which he calls
us not as 100 per cent Americans,
but as Afro-Americans. An attempt
was made to bring out the minor
faults of the American people.
Prince Nyabonga discussed the
raw materials and the wealth of Af
rica and the desire of the rest of the
world to become possessors.
Prince Nyabonga discussed the
cultural background of Africa and
listed the arts which the African
peoples introduced to the world.
Popular Junior Weds
Mrs. W. L. Page Announces
Betrothal
Surprising the campus and her
friends, Mrs. W^ L. Page, nee Miri
am Elizabeth Barbour, has made
known her betrothal to W^illiam Leon
Page, former student of A. and T.
College of Greensboro, and member
of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. The
marriage took place on Easter at
the home of her mother-in-law, Mrs.
Delmo Page, a teacher in the Roa
noke Rapids public school system.
The former miss Barbour, a popu
lar junior, finds herself the center of
a deluge of best wish for a happy
and successful marriage.
College Deans Hold
Three-Day Meet
42 Schools Represented
Representatives of 42 institutions
gathered at North Carolina College
for a three-day session opening on
Thursday, April 25, in the sixth an
nual conference of the National As
sociation of Personnel Deans and
Advisers of Men in Negro Educa
tional Institutions. The sessions were
presided over by Dean J. T. Taylor,
president of the association, and were
held in the B. N. Duke auditorium.
An array of prominent speakers
presented papers t > the assemblage,
including Dr. Francis F. Bradshaw,
of the University of North Carolina,
who is the first v.hite member ad
mitted to the association in its six
years of existence.
The complete p’ogram follows:
Thursday, April 25
Executive committee meeting—
1:00 p.m. Dean of men’s office.
2:00 p.m.—Dean James T. Tay
lor, presiding, North Carolina Col
lege for Negroes.
Invocation, the Rev. O. D. Stan
ley, St. Titus Episcopal church.
Welcome address, Dr. James E.
Shepard, president, North Carolina
College for Negroes.
Response, Dean R. B. Anderson,
Prairie View colle,x. Prairie View,
Texas.
■J'OO ji.m - ^'onr>ni’.c T’rnK-
lems of Negro College Students,”
Dean A. J. Neek, Tuskegee Insti
tute, .Alabama.
3:30 p.m.—“The Xegro Student’s
Problem of Financing His College
Education,” J. H. Taylor, North
Carolina College for Negroes.
4:00 p.m.—-“The Social Life of
Students on College Campuses,” Rev.
J. Oscar Lee, N^arene Congrega
tional church, Brooklyn, N. Y.
Discussion leader, Dean W. M.
Whitehead, St. Paul school, Law-
renceville, Va.
Reception — 9:45 p.m., parlor,
McLean Dormitorj for men.
Friday, April 26
9:00 a.m.—Dr. Walter Talbot,
presiding, Lincoln university, Jeffer
son City, Mo.
“Desirable Character Traits for
the Professions,” Dr. Numa P. G.
Adams, dean, school of medicine,
Howard university, Washington, D.
C.; the Rev. R. T. Weatherby, pas-
(Continued on page 4)
Dean Taylor Urges
Unemployment Study
Y. W. C. A.
Elects
New Officers
On ]SIarch 29, the members of the
Young Women’ Chiistian Association
assembled in the lobby of the Annie
D. Shepard dormitory to hold the
annual elections for officers of the
“Y” for 1940-41.
The following officers were elect
ed: Bernice Talley, president; Lillie
Bond, vice-president; Floree Fergu
son, secretary; Mary Ruth Miller,
treasurer; Vilma Clayton, chairman
of Worship committee; Evelyn Jones,
chairman of Wold Fellowship com
mittee; and Aurelia Lucas, chairman
of the Social committee.
The new officers expressed their
appreciation upon their election and
pledged to do all they could to make
1940-41 a banner year for the Y. W.
C. A.
A state conference of industrial,
business and labor leaders to con
sider the problem of Negro unem
ployment, which he termed acute,
was proposed Sunday, April 28, by
Dean James T. Taylor of the North
Carolina College for Negroes at a
meeting here of the North Carolina
Committee on Negro Affairs.
Declaring that “economically, the
Negro’s status is more acute than it
has been in 50 years,” Dean Taylor
pointed out that there is increasing
competition by white persons for jobs
formerly held by Negroes. At the
same time, he said, there is need of
better training and educational fa
cilities.
Dean Taylor attacked standards
of housing and of Negro schools, and
said Negroes were losing their self-
respect. He proposed a drive to get
Negro voters on the registration
books, dissemination of birth con
trol information to maintain a sta
tionary population, provision of jobs
through consumer co-operatives, and
a request to Governor Hoey to call
a state industrial-business-labor con
ference.
The meeting here opened with
greetings by Dr. James E. Shepard,
prooidviil of X.
X X., wLcic tlic
sessions were held. During the after
noon discussion groups were held
under the following leaders: A. Hen-
ingburg, “Social and Civic Welfare
Needs of the North Carolina Ne
gro”; W. D. Hill, “Economic Status
and Needs of the North Carolina Ne
gro”; J. A. Tarpley, “Educational
Status and Needs of the North Caro
lina Negro”; and L. E. Austin, “Po
litical and Governmental Status and
Needs of the North Carolina Negro.”
At the night session Dean Taylor,
speaking from the subject “After
the Conference W'hat?” said in part:
“Today we have been discussing
the present status and the needs of
the North Carolina Negro. Many of
us were already aware of some of
the things which the findings com”
mittee has reported. Looking at these
findings, I believe that we do not
overstate the case when we say that
in each area of Negro life explored
conditions are not only unsatisfactory
but in many instances distressing.
“In the area of education, though
some signal advances have been made
in North Carolina, Negro schools are
still far below the level of the state’s
standard. North Carolina still spends
twice as much to educate a white
Tau Psi Initiates
Five Into Omega
Tau Psi chapter. Omega Psi Phi
fraternity, opened the spring initia
tion ceremonies on the campus when
it inducted into its ranks five new
men. Following a period of 8 days
the “dogs” pulled off their collars
amid ritualistic ceremony, on Friday
night, April 26.
After the initiation, Ellis D. Jones,
E. G. Spaulding, Roy D. Moore,
Charles Belfield, and Robert Duke
put away their sore feelings and, for
the first time, felt the warmth of a
new brotherhood.
child as it does to educate a Negro
child, and it still pays its white teach
ers more than it does its Negro
teachers, though the same standards
for certification and employment are
exacted of all teachers.
“In the area of political partici
pation, qualified Negroes still find
it difficult to register and vote in
many sections of the state, and in
every section of the state, Negroes
find practically no opportunity for
municipal or state employment save
in unskilled jobs.
“The majority of Negroes still live
in houses that are unfit for human
habitation, and even these few Ne
groes who are able to own their
homes are handicapped in their pro
gram of beautification because of lack
of paved streets and sidewalks, ade
quate lighting and other sanitary ar
rangements which the cities usually
provide for its other citizens.
“Economically, the Negro’s status
is more acute than it has been in 50
years. The Negro is losing his jobs,
his homes, and his farms. But, more
serious is the fact that he is losing
his self-respect, and is gradually de
veloping an attitude of hopelessness
and despair. In talking to Negroes
ir> pvory an-i aU age gro-sii.s,
I find this hopelessness and despair.
-Among the older groups you hear the
frantic cry, “What are we going to
do?” While the younger Negroes at
tempt to hide their fear of the future
by a sham indifference, a pretended
hilariousness or downright rebellion.
“These are the conditions,” said
(Continued on page 4)
Ethel and Otto Luening
Presented in Concert
A treat was given the music lovers
of the college and friends Thursday
night, April 25, when Ethel Luening,
soprano, and Otto Luening, flutist,
were presented in the B. N. Duke
auditorium.
The program was composed of
three groups, as follows; Flute and
voice; flute and piano; and voice and
piano. ^
Ethel Luening left Canada at the
age of 17 to accept a ^hree-year
scholarship at the Eastman School
of Music, and later studied the piano
and voice in several European coun
tries. She has given many recitals
in concert halls in this country.
Otto Luening was born in Milwau
kee of a musical family and had his
first musical instruction at the age-
of four and began composing at the
age of six. He received his later
training at the Royal Academy of
Music in Munich, Germany. The
following year at the age of 15, he
made his first public appearance as
a solo-flutist in a concert in Munich
before one of the Bavarian princess
es. Later he returned to America and
conducted several choral societies and
also several opera companies. For
the past nine years, he appeared as
a flutist and accompanist with his
wife throughout the United States
and Canada. This is their second
tour under the auspices of the Arts
Program of the American Association
of Colleges.