The Africo - American'I-ETTER
Presbyterian i
COXSOI.IUATEI) WITH
THE SOUTHERN EVANGELIST j
ST. .JAMES MANSE
206 West 137th Street
New York
REV. II. i..
LL.D.. !
FROM DR. IMES people will run to the pastor’s
laid. The pastor will show him-
' self when the elders so go to
I him. The pastor who is little
[and ought to go will get mad
[and bluster. No church has
December 5, 1D3S. The right to decline spiritually.
To the Pastors, People, and Elders have responsibility and
1 Friends of the Charlotte must meet it or themselves re-
I Preaching Mission: sign.
This letter comes to thank |
you for the cordial way you ro- BRIDGING THE RACIAL
Devoted to the Educational, Mate- j^g during the second; GULF
rial. Moral and Religious mtere.sLs ' .^yggj^ jj-j November, for the SUp-!
of our people in the South, and pub- port. and for the cooperation ' 1 From The Federal Council Bulletin)
lished at Charlotte, N. C., every surrounding communi- The study of the Negro in
Thursday.
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION
Single copy, one year $1.50
Six months 75
Three months 50
mcCROREY, I).1)
Editor
W. E. HILL, Associate Editor
WILLIAM S. ANDERSON.
Business Manager
Entered at the Post Office at Char
lotte, N. C., as second-class matter.
THURSDAY, DKC. 10, 1936
A NEW PASTOR COMES TO
SEVENTH STREET
The Rev. S. Q. Mitchell, pa.s-
tor-elect of Seventh Street Pres
byterian church in this city, oc
cupied the pulpit last Sabbath
morning. A large and expect
ant audience greeted the new
minister, and the happiness of
minister and people was mutual.
The sermon was based upon the
words from the story of Philip
and the Eunuch, in Acts 8:35,
“Then Philip opened his mouth,
and began at the same Scrip
ture, and preached unto him
Jesus.” The minister declared
it to be his high purpose here to
preach and extol Jesus. The
discourse made a very pleasing
imiiression.
The Rev. Mr. Mitchell is a
man of cultivated manners and
fine literary attainments, and
his ministerial career has been
signalized by splendid achieve
ments. Seventh Street church
and Charlotte offer an excellent
I'eld for the e.xercise of his va
ried gifts. The church has an
ties rendered. It was, indeed,
encouraging.
I trust heartily that the fol
low-up of this campaign will
yield splendid results, both for
the children and young people
and for the adults.
America which is now going on
in the churches of the counlry
may mark an epoch in interra
cial work. The Missionary Ed
ucation Movement and the
Council of Women for Home
! Missions have publi.shed texts
If our Division of Evangelism which are interesting, authori-
of the Board of National Mis- tative and challenging. So pop-
sions can aid you in any way, ular are they that the book for
they have authorized me to say ; adult study by Professor Charles
that you need not hesitate to S. Johnson of Fisk University
CASTE SYSTEM IN THE CIVIL SERVICE
,SWIFT MEMORIAL COLLEGE
' NEWS
Bji’ Dr. Kelly Miller
By A. Farrer
T , , T ^ ^ 1 , I The annual Thanksgiving ser-
Last week, I wrote about how, vice Commission have been as-preached bv Dr. S. A.
the Negro is debarred from ap-i signed, first to the Post Knoxville, Tennes-
pointment to the clerical ser-| Department, where the work messa>'e one of the
vice of the Federal Government! semi-manual, ^ mid second, to ^
through the channels of the special divisions recruitetL ^
Civil Service Comnnssion. I wholly by colored clerfe ibly the real spirit of Than s-
wish now to extend that treat- third, m the office of the f^e-!gh-ing and the value o' locking
ment to .include the operation corder of Deeds, in which the;“ brio-ht side of life -i''
call upon them. Dr. Klein, the
director, may be reached at
156 Fifth Avenue.
Again let me e.xpress my
thanks to the many homes that
opened their doors to me. It
was that sincere hospitality
that afforded so many pleasant
spots of entertainment during
my travels.
Yours fraternally,
(REV.) WM. L. IMES.
A PASTOR MEDITATES
(From The Presbyterian)
One ruling elder of a Presby
terian church in a vigorous com
munity has come to me with his
trouble. He is a fine old gen
tleman, with a long, honorable
record as a physician in general
practice. He is “up in years,”
but his mental vigor is not
weakened. He is a wise man,
deeply religious and much con
cerned for the moral and spiri
tual welfare of his community.
He loves his pastor, who has
been with his church over twen
ty years. The pastor is a fine
and the one for young people by
Miss Ina Corinne Brown, a
Southern white woman, have al-
reads' gone to three editions
with a total printing of nearly
forty-seven thousand copies.
Added to this output for
missionary education are the
Federal Council of Churches
and the International Council
of Religious Education. All
this means that by the spring
of 1937 a large proportion of
the people in our churches will
of the caste system.
When my good friends Dr.
Emmett J. Scott and Judge
James A. Cobb consulted with
President Coolidge concerning
Presidential appointments of
Negroes to Federal positions,
he countered with the report,
then recently issued by the Civ
il Service Commission, that
there were 52 thousand Ne-i clerkships
groes in the employ of the Fed
eral Government, receiving in
combined salaries over 52 mil
lions of dollars annually. Dr.
John R. Hawkins, who at one
time considered himself the
chief spokesman for his race in,
Republican politics, , quoted
these statistics in justification
of the generous attitude of the
Grand Old Party concerning its
black wards and allies. Today
there are nearly 60 thousand
Negroes on the payroll of the
Federal Government, a number
not far short of their just nu
merical quota in the general
population. These 60 thousand
Negro federal employees con-
Negro Recorder is supposed to
appoint a certain proportion of
helpers from his own race.
We are faced by three sinis
ter conditions: First, confine
ment of Negro appointees to
the sub-clerical level; Second,
spacial separation of Negro
clerks; and Third, the exclusion
of Negroes from appointment to
through the Civil
Service Commission. It is nec
essary to understand these con
ditions whether we intend to
submit to or combat them.
NEW MEMBERS OF BAR-
BER-SCOTIA FACULTY
exceptional corps of officers. never dashing, but excel-
J he people are responsive and
forward-looking, and are never
happier than when working to
wards some special objective.
Under the aggressive ministeri
al leadership which the congre
gation is now to have, the
church should ascend to heights
hithei’to unattained. We are
glad to join in the welcome that
is being acchrded the new min-
istei'.
lent in a very quiet way. For
many years, now, his church
has been losing vigor. Meetings
for prayer have small attend
ance, slipping slowly through
the years until now ten persons
are called a crowd. All other
activities have steadily declin
ed, until Sabbath morning^ au
diences have a few elderly folks
have given serious thought to
the problems of the Negro,- ;7a7t“ of'greaTTmport.
religious, economic, social, cul
tural and also to the problem of
the white churches as they face
the gulf that lies between their
Christian profession and their
actual practice in relation to
this largest minority racial
group.
This, then, is the time for
church leaders to plan courag
eously the kind of action which
will bridge that gulf. We have
made a start. The observance
of Race Relations Sunday and
all the many activities which
help to create goodwill are lay
ing foundations; so are the edu
cational programs in church
schools and other religious or
ganizations which develop un
derstanding and appreciation.
The attitudes of many churches
are changing for the better. The
so wide that
gulf, however, is
at the present rate of progress
A POINT OF HONOR
Mr. Editor:—I have your
paper of December 6th and
have read with a p-eat deal of w7artTdo.
interest your article A King s '
Romance.” You state: “So tar
the king seems bent upon mar
rying the woman of his choice,
which is the right of his humb
lest subject.” You are dead
wrong. This is not the point.
Apart from the constitutional
question of royalty must mar
ry royalty, you have failed to
take into consideration the all-
important fact that Mrs. Simp
son was twice married and twice
divorced. And this second di
vorce, uncontested by her hus
band, bore all the ear-marks of
a “frame-up.” An Associated ^ is in the
and no eintr a. , bridge becomes a sub
rne what to do Theie is no j-gality. In the mean-
cific charge. The pastoi is .ill j of the churches,
right except he sfems to have u
lost the vigor and ambition he |
once had. As an eWer. my vis-1
itor feels responsible, but does, ^ this year’s
• , I mission study a great potential
This situation IS too common developing in the
among churches. There is se- „ ^^at power is right-
nous fault somewhere, ^ used it can remake our inter
good men dreading upheaval i attitudes and practices
and disturbance, ask seriously,
What shall we do’? No one not
on the ground can assume to di
rect or even advise. Another
pastor has great feeling for a
fellow pastor under whom the
work declines. To correct, we
must search for causes. God has
not failed. His great and pre
cious promises are trustworthy.
He will supply needs according
to His riches in grace in Christ
and really bridge
race relations.
the gulf in
IMPROVEMENTS AT
BER-SCOTIA
BAR-
Press report from uonaoii , . . nVmrpVi
i i 1 J I „+• manward side of the enuren.
states that a ladv member ot TVint
iu TT r. The pastor is at tault. mat is
the Home ot Commons on the-’^,'^/ ,
floor deprecated the whole af
fair and characterised it “a mu
tual understanding.” ^Mrs.
Simpson is six months under
probation before receiving a
final decree of divorce bj' the
court. I am wondering if in
view of the disclosures that she
and the King had been lovers
previous to this suit for di
vorce, whether the court will
he justified in granting her an
absolute divorce from a hus
band from whose affection she
had been alienated. She evi
dently did not “come into court
with clean hands.” This is the
point of honor.
I am proud to be a Britisher
and I join heartily with my fel
low Britishers throughout the
world who fee! that the British
crown has fallen into disrepute.
The King is in error. God Save
the King!
A. A. HECTOR.
Richmond, Va.
(We gave divorce as one
ground of opposition to Mrs.
Simpson, leaving it to our read
ers to judge the implications. As
neither the British court, which
granted the divorce decree, nor
Prime Minister Baldwin, who
represented the government,
made any charges against the
King and Mrs. Simpson, we re-
what people usually say. There
may be truth in it. Yet it may
not be the whole truth.
When a ruling elder sees that
his church is declining, spirit
ually, for a long time, he should
consult his colleagues without
the pastor, or perhaps go first
to the pastor and speak kindly
but plainly. Some pastors do
not disceni their failures. No
one talks to them frankly. One
(From The Barber-Scotia Index)
Students who returned were
pleased to note the many im
provements in and around the
school. As a result of these im
provements, new students came
into a more comfortable and
cheerful place.
It is difficult to decide just
which of the several improve
ments is most outstanding.
However, we venture to place
first emphasis upon the new
front entrance which is indeed
very attractive. It gives a
brighter and more pleasant as
pect to the whole front of the
building.
Barber-Scotia does not stop
with her outside improvements.
Ollc LcUKb LU LllCUi Aicviixvij. . i . • •-
good man I knew was shocked
to a collapse when his congrega
tion called for his resignation
before a person, all seemingly
his friends, had said a word to
him plainly enough for him to
understand his faults and defi
ciencies. That is not fair.
Our elder sees, sorrows, speaks
to no one, and things go on to
smash. He is at fault. Let
him talk with other elders. If
all agree, (unanimity is import
ant,) let them go, after prayer,
and tell their pastor plainly,
without vehemence or malice,
just how things are. Share
the blame, do not take it all.
Tell the pastor the object is not
to get rid of him, but to improve
the church, which is more im
portant than any pastor or
elder. Once started, elders
must not get weak-kneed or
back down. Give the pastor-
visions of the Social Security
time to improve, correct condi-
Irained from doing so.—A. A. tions, or get out. To be sure. Law passed at the last session
Presbyterian.) when a move is made, many'of Congress.
in to note the added beauty to
be found there. In the chapel,
we have a beautiful new plat
form floor which seems to lure
even those who are shy of pub
lic appearances.
In several of the rooms new
floors, painted walls and radia
tors that replace the trouble
some pipes add to the beauty
and comfort of our situation.
And to the joy of all concerned,
a waxed floor and new tables
and chairs in the library help
to make reading and study a
joy indeed.
ance in the life of the race and
cannot be ignored in its eco
nomic or political significance.
But herein lies the rub. These
appointees, for the most part,
fall in the sub-clerical level of
the public service with rank and
pay far beneath the clerical
level. There is a fixed and un
mistakable policy to eliminate
the Negro from clerical posi
tions while assigning to him a
goodly number of minor places
as messengers, janitors, watch
men, laborers, charwomen, and
the like. This tendency is
wholly independent of partisan
politics. It operates towards
the same inevitable end, it mat
ters not which party is in the
ascendancy.
As I stated five years ago in
refutation of Dr. Hawkins’ con
tention, these sub-clerical as
signments have nothing to do
with'our 'demand for'an equal
chance for appointment under
the civil service and to the high
er brackets of Presidential ap
pointees. The Negro cannot af
ford to relinquish his insistance
for a square deal before the
civil service because many Ne
groes are assigned to places of
inferior grades and lower pay.
The segregation of Negroes
in the clerical service consti
tuted an issue of raging con
troversy under the administra
tion of 'Wilson, Coolidge, and
Hoover. The issue is now prac
tically a dead one because
there are practically no Negro
clerks left to be segregated.
Mr. Wm. Monroe Trotter put
President Wilson on the spot on
this question and, 'by general
consensus of opinion, the Pres
ident came out second best.
President Coolidge promised a
delegation headed by the late
Wm. Monroe Trotter, of which
I was a member, that he would
take up the matter of segrega
tion in the departments and
settle it. We never heard of
fulfillment of this promise,
while segregation still contin
ued.
In making our concerted
fight to give our educated
young men and women a fair
chance at civil service appoint
ment, prudence dictates that
we do not confuse our demand
with the question of segrega
tion after appointment. While
both issues are important, they
cannot wisely be considered to
gether.
On the evening of the 4th of
March, 1913, Bishop Alexander
Walters called me aside in con
ference, from a banquet staged
in his honor, with reference to
the proposition just made to
him by a cabinet’ officer to set
aside an important division of
the government, to be staffed
by the colored race from top to
bottom. I advised him that he
could not give articulate con
sent to such a proposition based
on race discrimination, but
At the call of Gov. Ehring-
haus, the North Carolina Leg
islature convened in a special I might be forced to silent acqui
session to-day to enact such | esence if he found he could not
legislation as will put this State [help himself,
in line with the Federal govern- [ The fact, however, is appar-
ment in carrying out the pro-lent that from then till now
(Fi-om The Bai-ber-Scotia Index)
Barber-Scotia has gained a
number of representative facul
ty members this year. Among
the new additions is Mr. C. E.
Boulware. Mr. Boulware holds
the Master of Arts degree in
mathematics from the Univer
sity of Michigan and has had
two years of teaching exper
ience at Texas College, Tyler,
Texas. Miss Olive N. L. Den-
niston is well prepared, for not
only does she have a master’s
degree in education from the
University of Boston, but she
is an experienced teacher, hav
ing taught in the National
Training School for Girls in
Washington, D. C., in the State
Normal School in Elizabeth
City, N. C., and assisted in the
Boston University Graduate
School. In addition to her du
ties as instructor of education,
English and psychology she has
charge of extension work. Miss
Thelma McKnight, head of the
home economics department,
comes to us from Hampton In
stitute and Teacher’s College.
Miss McKnight has had a year’s
teaching experience at the
Drewry Practice School at Tal
ladega. Miss Lucille E. Davis,
a Magna Cum Laude graduate
of Howard University, is in
structor of art and education.
Miss Esther M. Stinson, super
visor of self-help activities, is an
alumna of Barber-Scotia and of
Johnson C. Smith University.
The new dietitian, Miss Jose
phine Wheeler, is a graduate of
Spelman College and has had
some experience in her field.
Mrs. Virginia Pope, who receiv
ed the Master of Arts degree in
history from Atlanta Universi
ty and who was dean of women
here during the years of 1932-
1935, returns to hold the same
position as well as instructor in
history and sociology.
Those whom we lost this year
include Mrs. Ruth B. Watts,
who is at her home in Vaux
Hall, N. J.; Mrs. Geraldine Ben
nett Fort, who is teaching home
economics at Tennessee State
College, Nashville, Tenn.; Miss
Merze Tate, who is teaching at
Bennett College; Mis,s Carol
Cotton, who is studying toward
a Doctor of Philosophy degree
at the University of Chicago;
Mrs. Jesse Quarles Trippe, who
is teaching in the high school
in Gary, Indiana; Miss Lula
Gambrell, who is employed at
Bennett College in Columbia,
S. C., and Mrs. Evelyn Adolph
Fennell, who is making her
home in Brooklyn, N. Y.
MID-WINTER SESSION OF
CATAWBA PRESBYTERY
practically the only Negroes
who have entered the clerical
service through the Civil Ser-
The Eighty-first stated ses
sion of the Presbytery of Ca
tawba will convene Wednesday
morning, January 6, 10 o’clock,
with the Brandon Presbyterian
church, Charlotte. Presbyteri-
al. Synodical and General As
sembly assessments of 20 cents
per capita will be collected at
this meeting. This is a one-
day meeting with a popular
meeting at the evening hour.
Rev. W. E. Houston, Synodical
Evangelist for Catawba and At
lantic Synods, will be the guest
speaker at the Fellowship
Luncheon at 1:00 P. M. that
day.
A. H. PRINCE,
Stated Clerk, Catawba
Presbytery.
upon the bright side of life as
an outward sign of daily
thanksgiving. The sacred hour,
held in the College chapel at
eleven o’clock Thanksgiving
morning, was further honored
by the presence of the Presi
dent Emeritus, Dr. C. E. Tuck
er, of Knoxville, who also ap
peared on the program. lineal
participants were the Presi
dent, Dr. W. C. Hargrave, pre
siding; Dr. Ewing, of St. Marks
Presbyterian church, and the
Rev. Mr. Davenport, of Zion
Chapel Methodist church, both
of Rogersville. Miss Alice
Jackson, sophomore college
co-ed, read the Thanksgiving
Proclamations of the Nation’s
Chief and of the Governor of
Tennessee. Inspiring music
was rendered by the college
choir. A special Thanksgiving
offering was lifted to which
alumni, friends, and students
responded in the spirit of the
day.
Following the morning ser
vices, the Turkey Day classic
between Swift and Nelson-
Merry, was staged on the Rog
ers Field at 1:30 P. M. Amid
mist, snow, and chilling winds,
the fierce “Bulldog” eleven-man
power machinery was keyed-up
to its highest fighting pitch,
and ended a glorious season so
promisingly begun, by a final
decisive victory of 30-0. The
onslaught and battery of the
“Bulldog” lines proved too
much for the scratching, pur
ring, clawing “Black Cats.”
Long will the ’36 football sea
son of Swift Memorial be re
membered for its “Bulldog”
Growlers, it “Bulldog” victo
ries, and its “Bulldog” Coaches.
Upon the pages of Swift’s
chronicles will ever blaze the
records of ’36’s victories, re
peatedly won, by a fighting-
squad who, without a doubt, ex
ceeded all expectations, and
lived up to the desires of all
true Swiftites for an undefeat
ed season.
Beyond a doubt, Coaches Lee
and Martin have turned in the
best coaching job of their ca
reers. The “invincible growl
ers” were victorious and united
in all of their games of the
season, amassing a total of 214
points to their enemies, 12. In
the words of Coach Lee, “the
best man on the team was the
team itself,” for each man was
a stellar player.
Four Sophs,—Captain Stacy,
Hood, Lowery and Kennedy,
sang their swan songs in this
final classic of the season. They
leave behind them brilliant ca
reers in football history at
Swift.
After such a successful
Homecoming game, the day
would have been incomplete
without the savory Turkey re
past served in the College din
ing hall during the dinner hour.
At 7:30 P. M. a social was
given in the beautifully deco
rated dining hall in honor of
“Miss Swift” and the victorious
team. Miss Helen Dailey, as
“Miss Swift” is known in pri
vate life, hails from Knoxville,
and is a member of the Knox
ville Club and freshman college
class. The welcome address was
delivered by President W. C.
Hargrave. Coach Martin gave
interesting impressions of his
coaching experience. The
awarding of letters to members
of the Varsity Club and team
was by Coach Lee, honorably
assisted by “Miss Swift.”
Members of the Varsity for
’36 are: C. B. Wood, Pat Stacy,
Captain; Brice Hood, Kyle Pat
ton, Joe Kennedy, Geo. Lowery,
Wm. Dockery, Wm. Delaney,
John Fugate and R. E. Lee.
Many people miss the sight of
God because He comes in a dis
guise they do not recognize.
—Selected,
The Knoxville-Swift Club,
composed of seventeen Knoxvil-
lians, represents an additional
scholastic and social activity to
the College. Its sponsor, Miss
Pearl E.^ Henderson, Head of
the Music Department, is an
alumnus of Knoxville College.
The ^ “Curtain Raisers,” a
dramatic club, has already be
gun rehearsing some very in
teresting plays for presentation
soon. Miss Arena Mae Hors
ley, A. B., A. M., Indiana State
(Continued on Page 3)