JUNE 11, 1940
GOLDSBORO HI NEWS
PAGE FIVE
Humanity’s Plea
CHARACTERS;
•
HUMANITY Martha Best
GREED (Dancer) Mildred Lee
CHARITY Sara Jeffreys
IGNORANCE (Dancer) Carrie Best
WISDOM Mary James Best
PREJUDICE (Dancer) Helen Kannan
UNDERSTANDING Helen Boyette
INJUSTICE (Dancer) Ann Daniels
JUSTICE Ercell Allen
Mankind; Marina Andrews, Katherine Bea
man, Ailean Bedford, Sonny Boney, Eliza Cox,
Hugh Daughtry, Olivia Ferguson, Rena Gra
ham, Ruth Hinson, Elsie Hooks, Sarah Joyner,
Helen McClenny, Bill Nufer, Christine Percise,
Herman Perkins, Kala Rosenthal, W. C.
Stuckey, and Doris Turner.
CURTAIN: Humanity, robed in white, stands
on the right at the foot,of the Stairway to
Happiness. On each side of the stairs are en
gaged columns, forming pedestals. A spotlight
is focused on Humanity.
HUMANITY:
I am Humanity.
1 enfold all people—
i^eople of all races.
Of all nationalities.
Of all beliefs.
From me all derive safety and Happiness,
For love of mankind is the heart of me.
Kindness, tolerance, mercy, sympathy, under
standing
Constitute my being.
These qualities have been mine
From the beginning.
And always I have held them out to man.
To be accepted or rejected.
Throughout the ages
I have watched their progress.
Have seen them slowly grow,
Gradually taking a greater place
In man’s scheme of life.
And as they have been accepted.
However slightly,
I have seen Mankind move nearer
To his one great, common goal—Happiness.
Hut through the ages
I have seen defeats.
I have seen my progress hindered
By those forces
Which have ever worked against me.
Making men unhappy.
Yet I have not been destroyed.
Always I have been with man—
Even as I am with you today—
You, who dwell in a world
Of confusion and uncertainty—
Of unhappiness
Born of fear and hate,
Of prejudice and ignorance.
Of greed and injustice.
Still I remain with you,
Who know not where to turn,
Who search eternally.
And work unceasingly.
And yet fail to find Happiness.
Still I offer my guidance—
It is yours,
If you will accept it.
But I am not always accepted.
And those who do not accept me
Are the ones who need me most.
For they hurt themselves—
Even more than you,
'riieir victims,
Are hurt
By their lack
Of love and understanding
Of their fellowman,
'I’hercfore,
1 must be worked for,
Fought for.
Suffered for—
Not on the battlefields will
You fight for me,
For there I am only hurt;
I have no place
In man’s slaughter of man.
But from the minds and hearts of men
Shall you bring me forth—
'Phere do I dwell always.
If you would have happiness—
If you would rise up.
Break, and throw off
Your heavy chains of evil.
You must believe in me—
And teach all men to believe in me.
'feach them to overcome
Their j>rejudices and fears and hatreds.
For too often
These children of ignorance
Overshadow and crush me.
Teach them to put aside
Their greeds, injustices, and lusts for power,
For these delusions will never
Bring them happiness.
Still these evil forces have lived.
Hut in spite of them,
I, too, have lived through the years.
And now, you must choose
To help or to hinder my progress—
To have part in making the world
Suffer longer and longer
In the grasp
Of wars and their effects—
Effects which breed future wars.
Or
To follow my slow and constant guidance
Out of this chaos.
This is my plea to you.
For the forces which work against me
Are strong and numerous.
(Humanity pauses).
As I ^tand among you
Who are lost and afraid in your world.
Who are held down by the force of many
evils,
I can but offer again
My compassionate guidance;
I can but show you
And beckon you
To the way of happiness.
Such a way I offer
To those of you whom /
The clutching, grasping
Chains of Greed
Pull down and hold.
(Greed slowly rises from Mankind and dances
forward, spotlight playing upon her.)
Greed:
Are you not tired
Of claiming the minds of men—
Of tempting them to reach for.
And snatch
Things which are not rightly theirs?
You have long bound them
By their unsatisfied wants.
For you make them ever hungry
For wealth, power, and lands
Not virtually theirs.
Prompted by you
Their powerful arms have clutched and
claimed
More than they will ever have reason
To need—
Not only for sustaining life,
But for abiding in luxury.
Charity for their fellowmen
And kindness for them,
You have made them overlook
And forget.
By taking from others.
Things not theirs
By merit or virtue,
Men breed hatred and revenge.
Victims of Greed,
Look up!
I'he way is clear
For you to help me
I’o rise.
If you would but cast aside
Your unquenchable thirsts
For power and material substances.
You must understand that every man must
Lift up, love, respect, and share
With his fellowmen to be happy.
And upon understanding these things,
(Greed slowly disappears and Charity comcs
into view.)
It is imperative
'I’hat you abide by them,
If you desire to reach
'Phe goal of complete happiness.
Charity will arise
Out of this change.
And the hatreds you have bred
By taking from your fellowmen
Will be replaced
With the love and happiness
Caused by giving unto them,
l^or Charity
Brings to life and nourishes
The good in man.
(Humanity pauses as Charity takes her place
on the pedestal to the right; then Hu
manity turns and speaks again to Man
kind.)
And you are bound by the heavy chains
Of Ignorance,
As all evil flourishes
Under its dark cloak.
Ignorance;
You bring fear and hatred
Into the lives of my people—
I'ear because men
Enveloped by gross stupidity
Know little of the things that are.
Nothing of what is to be;
Hatred
Because man is quick to condemn and hate
I he things which he does not understand.
Those whom you claim,
Have not the knowledge
To cope with life—
'fo understand men and their problems—
To find solutions to these problems—
I'o work out their own destinies
In a way that makes
For Happiness.
They are victims
Either of unfavorable circumstance
Or a lack of ambition
I’o rise
From their groping, miserable state.
In such a state
Hatreds and fears
Born of misunderstanding flourish.
They are not only dangerous
To those in whom they live
Hut to all men—
For they ever work
Against the good in man.
And it has always been so.
Since man’s creation, Ignorancc,
You have hindered his progress,
Even as you hinder hini today.
If men would let me lead them
I'o a greater Happiness,
They must realize first
That you. Ignorance,
Hold them down.
Realizing this,
They will have taken the first step
Toward overcoming the problems
Created by their lack of knowledge.
Then they must develop
A sincere desire
I’o replace ignorancc with wisdom—
(Dancer slowly disappears as Wisdom slowly
appears.)
To understand all men.
Their beliefs and their problems—
In order to be free
From their hatreds and fears.
And when they have done
I’hese things,
A more liberal outlook,
A fuller life will be theirs.
For a greater wisdom
Will bring to them the opportunity
Of freeing themselves
From the chains of Ignorancc.
(Humanity pauses as Wisdom takes her place
on the pedestal to the left; then Human
ity turns and speaks again to Mankind.)
And the chains of Prejudice bind you down.
(Prejudice dances out from Mankind, spot
light playing upon her.)
Prejudice;
You form
A film of unfair judgment—
Enclosing the minds of many of my people—
A warped judgment
Of men and their beliefs—
Of races and of nations.
And, because you have taken possession
Of them.
They will not let the truth
Make them free of that film.
'rhey kx)k only on one side
Of a problem
And though the other pleads for consideration,
It is ignored,
Or purposely misinterpreted.
For you have stealthily crept
Into their minds
And have grown
Until you have overpowered
'I’heir natural sense of justice;
So they act unjustly
As they believe unjustly.
Sometimes
Men and nations of men
Are purposely led to a misunderstanding
Of other men and other nations;
Many times
Men are prejudiced
Because of their own ignorancc of truth
■And lack of understanding.
And always.
These prejudices
Hurt those who hold them
As well as those
Who feel the effects of them;
For their victims
Are helj)lessly struggling
In a sea of feeling
'I’hat will not let them rise
And give to the world
What they might give
As free men.
And accept
What free men might give them.
Anti those who make that sea.
Help to niake that world—
The world which is deprived
Of their gifts,
And of a greater fellowship.
Their prejudices
Foster hate and bitterness.
'I’hese are not good qualities
For the minds of men;
I'hey do not work for happiness—
Only for more bitterness
And greater unhappiness.
(Prejudice disappears as Humatiity speaks to
Mankind.)
You who are bound by Prejudice,
Why do you continue
To let your unfair judgment
Hurt you and your fellowmen.''
Search your hearts
And your minds
For any traces
Of hatred, contempt,
Or any unfriendly feeling for any nian
Or group of men.
Examine these emotional reactions.
Look not all on the good side,
Nor all on the bad side.
For all men are both good
And bad—
Regardless
Of race, beliefs, or nationality.
Nationality is determined simply
By the place in which
One happens to be born.
It is our Creator’s plan
That the highest of His creatures
Be allowed to think
And believe
For themselves.
And of races, there is only one
Worth consideration—
M'he human race.
Even the distinguishing physical marks
Of peoples.
Have been almost lost
As, through the ages.
Races have mingled and mixed;
But always
The hearts and souls
Of all men
Have been fundamentally
The same—
For human nature is unchanging;
And human minds
Have ever groped,
P>en as you now grope
For Happiness;
For that is the common goal
I'oward which
All men unceasingly strive.
It will be reached only when you let
Understanding destroy your prejudices.
And work together
Earnestly and sincerely
Under its sheltering influence.
(Understanding slowly comes into view.)
Believe this.
Conquer your foolish, unfair feelings
For men who are all like you.
When this is done.
Understanding
Will help you
To realize
Your greatest desire—
Happiness.
(Humanity pauses and Understanding takes
her place to the left of Charity; Human
ity turns again to Mankind and begins
to speak.)
And you struggle under bonds
Forged by Injustice.
(Injustice dances out from Mankind.)
As I see you still
Molding men down,
Injustice.
1 think of all
The cruel tleetls you have wrought.
Pampered by pride,
Nourished by greed.
Strengthened by nuilice.
Urged on by prejudice.
You sliatter the ideals of
Ei]ual rights to “life, liberty,
And the pursuit of happiness.”
You influence men
To use their fellowmen
Unjusdy,
So that they may acquire
Some rank they cherish.
Some possession they (lesire.
You destroy
All that is right and good
In man.
All that our Maker intended
I'or man to have and to be.
You frequently causc men
'I'o deny other men
'I'heir right to believe
Whatever creed they choose
Anti express their thoughts accordingly.
Sometimes
Under false names
You are used
I'o gain desired purposes—
Sometimes openly
Victories won unjustly
Are flaunted.
And always
'I'he scar of injustice
'I'hat will ever remain
Is left
In the minds
Of those who are hurt
By the unjust acts of men.
You who use men unjustly
Will never reach Happiness
That way.
(Justice ap])ears as Injustice slowly vanishes.)
You must respect the rights
Of all men.
You must refuse to let
Malice, greed, and prejudice
Dwell longer in your minds;
You must use an impartial basis
In dealing with your fellowmen.
And work unselfishly
With all mankind.
Then Justice will have dispelled
The despair and confusion
That Injustice has wrought;
She will help
'I’o make Happiness
A reality for you.
(Humanity pauses as Justice takes her place
to the right of Wisdom; then Humanity
turns again to Mankind.)
Anti so, I have matle yt)u aware
Of these forces
By which you arc bountl.
The great evils
Of Greed, Ignorance, Prejudice, and Injustice,
Which have ever worketl against me—
Anti woultl tlestroy me—
Ft>rces which have grown
Into powerful enemies
To you in your worlti—
Which you must conquer
If you would prevent
The tiestruction of yourself
And your chance
Of Ha])piness.
Anti so, I tleliver my plea
To you—
Ask you to accept my guidance
In overcoming these forces.
The way will not be easy;
You will have disappointments
Anti experience defeats.
It has always been so.
Many times
Has man conceived me
And consitleretl my way—
And nuiny tinies
Has his view
Become obstructetl—
His way obscured,
And he has lost sight
Of me.
But always
1 have risen.
For the Right
Will not be tleslroyed.
Always have I sought
To lead men
Out of the confusion
And hatreds
That turn his worlti
Into chaos.
I offer my compassionate guitlanct
To you ttnlay—
You, who shutlder at the past,
Who tremble in the present,
And fear for the future—
I ask you to accept
A way that is hard—
But one which is right.
I offer hope
To you who arc in tlesj)air.
If you will accept my way.
It will be yours
'I’o bring to birth
A new era—
An era of greater accom(ilishments,
Of a greater civilization,
Of a greater happiness—
An era basetl tin
Man’s respect for man.
'I’hen will men work ft>r,
Anti live with men,
In true broiherht)txl;
Then will Mankintl
Work tt)gether
I'or the gt)od t>f Mankintl.
That is my faith.
Will you bring
The syni])athy born of Understantling,
'I'he tolerance lx)rn of Justice,
The light t)f Wistlom,
And the unselfishness
Which lives always with Charity,
'I'o tlestroy those things
Which make you tlespair?
Will you follow me
'I’o Happiness?
'I'his 1 ask
Of you—
Ft)r you—
In the name
Of man’s brothcrluM)tl—
In the name of
Humanity.
(The curtain doses, leaving Humanity ges
turing with hand outstretched toward
Happiness.)
•
COMMITTEES
Commencement Committee: Kala Rosenthal,
chairman; 'I’oni Lupton, vSara Jeffreys, Doris
Davis, Martha Best, ('arrie Helen Best, Grace
Alexantler, Miltlrctl Lee, Ike Manly, Sonny
Boney, Ilaroltl Mt)ntague, Billy Massey, Ruthe
('asson, Shirley Pearsall, Chase Johnson, anti
Dwanda Lee Bissette.
Costume Committee: Ruthe Casst»n, chair
man; Doris lurner, Elsie IItM.)ks, anti Shirley
Pearsall. ,
Scenery Committee: Harold Montague,
chairman; Filie Person, Robert D. Chandler,
Lamuel Summerlin, James Mcllhenny, Hugh
Payne, ('harles Boyette, Johnny Grant, Robert
Blalock, Horace Potter, Maylon MacDonald,
antI Noah Bass. Graves Lewis, a junior, also
helpetl.
Lights: ('harles Magill, chairman, and Billy
Brown, a junit>r.
Music: Accompanist at piano ft>r dancers,
Martha Rosenthal, a freshman.
Faculty Advisers; Directing: Mrs, W. J.
White and Miss Ida Gordner; Script; Miss
Ida (,'t)rdner; Scenery: Mr. Z. G. Willis and
Miss Katherine Kalmar; Ctistume: Mrs. W. J.
White; Dances: Miss Fowler Spencer.
A pageant dramatizing Humanity's plea that Greed, Ignorance,
Prejudice, and Injustice be banished from this world, giving place
to Charity, Wisdom, Understanding, and Justice, who can lead
Man to his most desired goal—Happiness,
By DORIS DAVIS and MARTHA BEST