i^^ii^nfiDERATION JOURNAL
May, 1952
rriE FEDERATION JOURNAL
"Lifting As We Climb’’
ISSUED BY
The North Carolina Federation of
Negro Women’s Clubs
editor-in-chief
MRS. ROSE D, AGGREY Salisbury
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
MISS RUTH G. RUSH Durham
j MRS. O. R. POPE Rocky Mount
' MRS. NORMA DARDEN ..Wilson
MRS. EDNA B. TAYLOR Southern Pines
, MRS. H. B. BYNUM Kinston
! MRS. P. R. BROWN Hofima--
I MRS. CLARA W. NESBY Statesville
MRS. LILLIAN D. REID Salisbury
This issue of the Journal is humbly
I dedicated to Dr. Charlotte Hawkins Brown
who was the moving spirit in the estab
lishment of club work among the women
of this state, served as Federation Presi
dent for many years and has remained
active not onlj' in our State Federation
but has continued her service as a dis
tinguished leader in the National Federa
tion.
North Carolina women are proud of
Doctor Brown. Her unparalleled achieve
ment at Sedalia, her remarkable persist
ence at Efland, her distinction as leader,
pubhc speaker, educator, and author en
title Dr. Browm to more honor than our
humble Journal can ever bestow. Fifty
years of extraordinary service to her race,
her state and nation command not only
our highest honor, but also our most sin
cere appreciation and our abiding grati
tude. Written on the hearts of her stu
dents are the extraordinary lessons she
has taught throughout these years. They
cannot be erased, ever. Therein is honor
undying, therein is influence imperisht
able; therein is glory immortal. May it
widen and extend to the eternal shore!
—R. D. A.
Appreciation
The staff of the Federation Journal
wishes to acknowledge with sincere ap
preciation the receipt of the Easter issue
of the Bee Hive, the official publication
of the Morrison Training School at Hoff
man. Again we wish to congratulate
Superintendent and Mrs. Brown on the
splendid work they are doing, and for
all the progress that has been made very
steadily since they have been at Morrison.
The “Bee Hive” gives interesting ac
counts of the clearing away of under
brush and scrub oaks near the lake in
preparation for the school to do spring
planting, the killing of thirty-three hogs,
the purchase of five mules, the purchase
of a combine, the completion of the ster
ilization system for pans and pails, a
grooming outfit for cows and numerous
other improvements.
There is a new physician. Dr. V. L.
Assevera, whose sei-vices are available
on the campus. Practicing in Hamlet and
Rockingham, Dr, Assevera is near enough
to give frequent service to the boys at
Morrison.
The boys say that they have learned
Spe?.' _
Josephine -
sion, MayM
News
liioB^arep'Mrs
he will have! What a re
will have with hard ham!
Dr. Ellen’^ii^ie?
noon session)-May-17.-'—
-1,1' o*
£^abitues,
T °r^>^areless gum-smac .,
Meetings will be held at-SU'.'slummy women. “God,
A.M.E. Church. ’ grace and patience," I whisperedT'Sl^^w.J^Y.f-r
heavenly words to smite the smut^rm,^^^^;
vulgarity prevailing in the coarse, impov-v ''‘■S'
Dinners will be served in the new Edu
cational Building of the church.
And Not on Bended Knees
On the way to school one bright spring
morning not long ago, two teachers with
whom I was riding decided to stop for a
few hurried minutes to purchase some
articles necessary for the school lunch
room. Left alone in the parked car, pa
tiently awaiting their return, I began to
observe the various persons who, passing
along the street near the car, were hasten
ing on to their work.
What an opportune moment. I thought,
to forget my ov.ti problems, to scan the
faces of these pedestrians, observe their
carriage, study their demeanor and to
imagine what their besetting problems
might be
Mere imagination changed immediately
ess struggle he
s and over-
browned onions,
mustard,-^with ch^R?fo^p^n«d^ coffee!
WKiili'graceie day!
stiWe hisi^J^.--
stiWe his
trons,
•TT t -
into silent prayer as a middle-aged white
woman, struggling slowly along on her j luscious grapes; and looking upon the
eri.shed language of his lewd patrons. O
God, bless that poor cook. Today, lift Thou,
him up and somewhere let him see Thy
smiling face.”
Children on their way to school tripped
merrily along the street; servants trudged
cheerily along to their work. Blessings for
all of them, 1 secretly prayed.
A tall and much over-weight Syrian
merchant strode along hastening to open
his wine-shop fruit store. As I sat there.
I remembered what I had seen on the
past Sunday as I sat in another car wait
ing for some friends to make an emer
gency purchase in the drug store adjacent
to the wine shop. Then it was that two
of my fellow church members fresh from
the morning service entered the wine shop.
Sabbath-tired and worship-weary, they
overlooked the beautiful bananas, disre
garded the shiny red apples, disdained the
crutch, moved resolutely up the street i wine while it was red and glittering, they
hobbling to her work on that one leg as I drank deep gulps from the Syrian’s wine
courageously as if she had two. With a I gups filled from springs of bottled-up wine
lunch bag in one hand, with crutch under
her arm. she crossed the street to enter
a doctor’s office, which I learned after
wards, she serves as receptionist. God
bless this heroic woman, I whispered, as
she faces wind and weather and dares all
the difficulties of a busy street! To her
patience, to her persistence, to her cour
age. do Thou this day add Thy chosen
blessing! Fill her with peace that passelh
understanding, I prayed.
A minute of self-reproach eased into a
moment of thanksgiving to God. and
praise for such heroism, such daring;
moreover, into a rededication of my own
whole self to my own tasks: and in very
truth, into a resolution henceforth to work
without complaining as I tiy to do the
holy will of God. Then with spirit uplift
ed. I said. “While I sit here. I will utter
some praver for everv one who passes
by.”
On the other side of the street, a podg>"
cook from a neighboring cafe swung laz
ily around the corner and entered the
super-market. One ghmpse of his band,
cuffed crown, white linen cap, his unbut
toned white coat contrasting sharply with
the darkness of his brown skin, revoked
verily, a feeling of kinship. Drawn as if
gleaming on his dingy shelves. “God for
give that Syrian merchant for leading my
fellow church members into Sabbath-day
temptation!” I murmured.
My comrades tripped lightly back to
the car. With profuse apologies, they ex
plained their delay. “Blessings on them,
too,” I prayed.
On to school we sped over a majestic
highway. Each of us seemed lost in
thoughts too deep for many words, inter
mittently beset, perhaps, by the inescapa
ble consideration of varied plans for vivi
fying the Four R's. Entranced we were,
withal, by the beauty of the undulating
countryside, by the lovely sky apparently
brighter that day. and seeming more
beautiful than ever as a radiant taber
nacle for the sun. Hew much everything
seemed to declare anew the glory of our
wonderful God!
“Haven’t we had a glorious day?” the
music teacher asked. “It seemed so short."
"And weren’t the devotions grand?” my
daughter added.
"We had such lovely company today."
said the first grade teacher in whose car
we were riding.
Wondering about the crippled woman.
' the cook, the Syrian merchant, and all the
by a magnet, the cook ambled at once to . , . , t i j j l , c
" . „ru * T t I others for whom I had prayed, but conh-
the meat counter. WTiat a day. I fancied. u j
dent that they had spent one happv dav.
several quotations from Julius Caesar.! I smiled and said to myself. “More things
Everything we read in the Bee Hive seems 1 are wrought by prayer than this world
•T
commendable.
, dreams of. ”—R. D. A.