North Carolina Newspapers

PAGE FOUR tSiroWXtT^ ■ v«gwyomT Twentieth Annual Debutante Ball The debutante ball idea had its beginning, in America in the 1700’s. One of the most fam ous of its kind is the Monday German of the Bachelor’s Cotillon which this year took place in Baltimore this past Monday at the Lyric Theatre. The Cotillon, which lias b<en danced the first Monday night in December for years, is one of the oldest and moot traditional social institutions in tin United States, tin first one bring lu-id in 1796. It is surpassed in age only by the Assembly Ball in Philadelphia and tire Sf. (\ eilia Ball in Charleston, S. C. The invitations to tin Cotillon, control’!,i by a board of managi rs. are highly pri/id and alt sought far in advance of the < labor aU as fair. Tii'. scene of tie Cotillon has changed over the years, but tin decor and formality remain the same. Tin girls are formally pit sented and received by a commit t< of worrit a named by tin board They opt rt tin: ball by dancing the opening figures of the German with their partners. With Negroes the idea of presenting young women to society is a relatively recent pia, - tice or institution. In the sense as we know it today, none existed prior to tin emancipation of slaves. (We are purposely omitting the New Orleans creole ball for obvious reasons). The Reconstruction Period was hardly conducive to affairs of this kind. Thus the modern deb utante ball for Negro women did not achieve popularity until after 1900. The Raleigh AKA Debutante Ball, we learn, began 20 years ago, and at the tune five young women were formally presented to society. In contrast, last Friday night 7.i young Indus made their debut. This elaborate social affair w .< the acme of the social season forth. younger set, as wall as adults, too, for that matter. Without doubt it was a financial success to the sponsors. The gowns were professionally dr- gueri and from observation cost “a small fortune.” Probably the financial requirements for each entrant was in the three figures. We hop< , how- w r, that these things did not outweigh the more important positive values In terms of the hundreds of years of tradi The Reverend Fisher Testimonial Last Sunday afternoon a testimonial was held at the First Baptist Church for the pur pose of honoring the Reverend George A. Fisher, rector of Saint Ambrose Episcopal Church for 21 years Various citizens made short speeches of tribute calling attention to the honoree as a citizen of Raleigh and North Carolina, as Diocesan priest, as parish rector, end as a friend. The tributes pictured him as a champion of human rights, in that h* did all in his power (!) to help his fellovvmen rise above the han dicaps of color: (2) to help Negroes achieve first-class citizenship in the areas of employ ment, human welfare, education, and suffrage; and (3) to gain for them representation on the local housing and hospital authorities, and so on. Regardless of whether or not we agree on the service or disservice Reverend Fisher has done for the lo d citizens, w< do fe w that the observance took on the tom of a rector attending his own funeral. Reverend her is the extrovert ivr- and out going person .y whose enthus urn sets up a rhythm bet. n himself and his listeners whether on a . cet corner or in a church. He demonstrated this when he cam* to tin plat form and responded to the jstddfesses of tribute and presentation. The audience immediately came to life and laughed. But later, in seriousness. Reverend Fish er said that among the good tilings said about him, he was glad that somr people branded 9th Special Education Conference The Ninth Annual Special Education Con ference. which n in Winston-Salem on Nn -1 vr-mher 21 and revealed that the North Carolina special education program for ex ceptional and handicapped children is “one of the best in the South.” When Special Education Director Felix S. Barker spoke at the opening session last Fri day, he said that when he joined the program in 194 R “there was nothing but legislation,” no appropriation. In 1957-38 a million dollars will be used for special education in North Carolina. In nine years there has Keen tremendous growth in services to atypical children, such as the mentally retarded, visually handicap ped, crippled (orthopedirally handicapped), mentally gifted, hard of hearing, speech de fectives, home bound and hospitalized, and so on There are 233 teachers and therapists serv ing the 79 special education programs in the State. The State pays 184, while 49 receive their salaries from local districts. Negro teachers and therapists in the special t education program are distributed as follows: r THE CAROLINIAN Published by the Carolinian Publishing Company, 518 E. Martin Street, Raleigh, N. C. Entered as Second Class Matter, April 6, 1940, at the Post Office at Raleigh, North Carolina, under the Act of March 1879. Additional Entry at Charlotte, N. C. Subscription Rotes: Six Months $2.75 ,One Year $4,50 Payable in Advance—Address all eonraun lections and r-n checks and money or ders payable to THE CAROLINIAN. Interstate United Newspapers, Ine., 544 Fifth Avenue, N If. 17, N. Y. National Advertising Repre sentative. < This newspaper Is not responsible for return ot unsolicited! news, pictures, or advertising copy j unless necessary postage accompanies the Copy, " P. R. WAY, Publisher Alexander Barnes .Advertising & Promotion Chas. Jones Mews & Circulation L. R, Swain ...» Plant Superintendent " J- C. Washington Foreman, Mechanical Department Mrs. A. M. Hinton Office Manager ted,** 11 * te by-columns published in thi* newspaper ue not necessarily those of the p«b tion associated with debutante balls, we as sume that good character, family breeding, good manners, politeness and courtesy, intelli gence, and a wholesome personality were the main requirements that the prospective “debs” had to meet, 1 his notf worthy effort on the part of the AKA sorors extrinsically gave a great deal of satisfaction and pleasure to those spectators w ho were impressed by the surface of things— elaborate decor and gorgeous gowns. To be sure, there is considerable merit and valu* in teaching a young lady correct groom ing. the development of a gentle voice, when md how to stand and sit. how to make a bow. :e. w.-11 as good manners at social affairs- The 1957 Debutante Ball, we think, achieved this noble t nd. In the years ahead, however, we would like to see the annua! Debutante Bali become an end within itself. In this direction, we sug gest lor the girls a minimum of six months of intensive training in becoming conversant with the best usage of the English language and deportment beyond the ballroom, such ns good behavior in restaurants, trains and buses, or. the street, and in churches. This course of training would include teach ing the “deb” the importance of effective letter writing and correspondence of a social nature connected with such important events as birth days. anniversaries, the receiving of candy and flowers, and even a simple greeting card. Somewhere in the grooming process, these girls muts be “brought down to earth”' and taught the reality of things. They must be made aware of the fact that they cannot al ways afford to spend as much for their sub sequent gowns as they did for the debutante dresses. And to encourage them in this direct ion we hope that in the future the sponsors will insist that the entrants pay moderate prices for their evening gowns. The 20th Annual Debutante Ball was an inspiration culturally and socially. It was con ducted on a lofty and high plane, and God grant that the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority will keep it. there. him as “a trouble maker.” It was Dr. Grady Davis who first sensed the depressing tone of the meeting. He reminded Mr Fisher that he should not feel like he was attending his own funeral. At once the meeting took on an air of positive enthusiam, the epi tome of a rector who inspires confidence and insists on “living the abundant life.” The short dissertation on the bound book of letters presented to Mr. Fisher by Dr. James A. Boyer was witty and stimulating. Certainly there was nothing “funeralistic” about the music of the. St. Augustine’s College Choir. The artistry of the director and accom panist blended with the talents of the choris ters to make an indelible impression upon the listeners. It called forth the memory and spirit of joy. Should the occasion arise again in the fut ure when we want to honor a good citizen, let us move the testimonial from the church and carry it to the dining room, recreation hall, reception room, or hotel. Let us “kill the fat ted calf and rejoice with a banquet or lunch eon. Let ‘thee occasion be witty, provocative, gay, humorous—yet sincere. We belie-vr that the citizens meant well and w. re sincere in all that they did. and they de serve commendation for it. But the testimonial should never have drifted into a “funeralistic tone.” We congratulate the Reverend Fisher for staging a “pep rally” and bringing the occasion back to life. State Locally Paid Paid Teachers of mentally retarded 32 .21 Speech correctionists 16 ....... 0 Teachers of mentally gifted 0 ...... 1 Teachers of visually handicapped .... ! . 0 Teachers of home bound . ..... 1 ...... 0 Teachers of crippled .... 0 1 Total SO 23 Raleigh has six teachers of mentally re tarded children and two speech correctionists. There are two Negro teachers of the mentally retarded child and one speech therapist. Wake County has three white teachers of mentally retarded children, and one for N< - gro children. There is one speech correctionist for white children, but none for Negroes. Many of tho schools in the State would em ploy additional teachers of exceptional chil dren if qualified instructors could be found. Any person who plans to pursue a college program that will prepare him (her) to teach is urged to consider going into the field of special education for exceptional children. But They Still Exist, As A Sore Spot On Democracy gfdgsdfg SEITEIGE SERMONS BY REV. FRANK CLARENCE LOWERY For ANP -1 KNOW. I KNOW THAT JESUS LIVETH 1. As I write these lines I am perfectly conscious that I am alive, and with this defi nite assurance T continue to thrive . but far greater is my belief in the existence of rny Savior, as I confidently walk by His side. 2. I need not the signs of Na ture to prove His adorable pre sence, for He is with me in the storm as in the deepest silence: He is just as real when the night steals on. as when I. am basking in the Sun. « 3 I cannot feel Him with my hand, but toward me His love freely extends . He engulfs me with celestial fire, until lost in His mystery He is my constant desire. 4. Nothing js more real than the feel of His spirit, and this the greatest gift any soul can inherit: it lifts those reden:- ed ones out of a natural frame, who by regeneration come to know His name. 5 Then what a glorious con solation to be able to say I know that my Redeemer Liv ■ eth”, for new strength and What Other Editors Say GREAT WOMANS CEN rI ENARY The way over which the Negro has come in the United States has not al - ways been “watered by tears.” Even in the darkest days of bondage and certainly since, there have been those who have befriended the American Negro and who have given generously of their time, their talent, their money, and them selves to help Negroes take their places in the affairs of their great country. Such a one was Mother Catherine Drexel, daughter of Francis Drexel. one of ,he founders of A. J Drexel & Co Philadelphia affiliate of the fabulous banking house of J, P. Morgan & Co. Miss Drexel was born to great wealth November 26, 18- 57. She could have walked the primrose path, as did so many of tho young women of her time. She could no doubt, as did many of her contempo raries and successors, have married some English noble man bent on bolstering his failing fortunes with her mil lions. She chose to relinquish a life of luxury to give service to the Negroes and Indians of any other individual to place America and did more than race relations on a higher* level, In 1898 she gave up the life of a rich, society young lady and started the Order of the Sister of the Blessed Sacra ment For more than CO years she devoted her entire estate of the Drexel fortune to the education of the most depress ed clement in the American community. She founded and maintained Xavier University by personal fortune and maintained 39 elementary schools throughout the South and the North in cluding Saint Peter Clover’s at 12th and Lombard Streets: the Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, Broad and Pairmount Avenue: St. Catherine in Germantown, and the Mother House at Corn wells Heights, Pennsylvania, This noble woman spent mil lions of dollars in a quiet way to elevate- the American Negro THE CAROLINIAN power Tie abundantly giveth, and banishes every doubt and fear that his loving children with implicit confidence, may ever draw near. 6 How well Job knew this Heavenly Violet Ray secret that burned to unknown depths when all else seemed about to fail and decay; nothing to him was more replete than this e ternal power from his Mus ter’s Mercy Seat. 7. Poets have come on later trying to describe it in this manner. “He speaks and lis tening to His voice new life the dead receive . . the mournful broken hearts re joice the humble poor be lieve.” 8. In this modern age they would call it “Job’s Knowhow” —yes, with an aching brow, he could push aside incredu lous relatives including his wife, when pains were cutting in as with a dagger and knife: then in a brief moment, and not out of his head, cried ' I Know That My Redeemer Liv eth” as he lay in his bed. 9. This knowledge, affliction could not shake, for Job had no new contract with his Re and Indians, so quietly that when she died three years ago in 1954 many people had r.o idea sire was still living. The Tribune hails the usher ing in of the centenary .year o? the life of this woman, who gave up nil wealth and position to serve the lowest of the low and thereby set an example of unparalled service in the an nals of American education and social worth. Philadelphia, Tribune November 29. EQU A L OPPORTUNIIY - -Next Tucs*' , v is Equal Op portunity Day. a time set a side by the Urban League to call attention of the nation to the fact that every American ought to have the opportunity to work at the job and in the calling for W’hich he is best fitted and best qualified. Under our present wasteful THE PULPIT VOICE Bv HAMILTON' T. BOKWLLL A POST THANKSGIVING DAY MEDITATION The Reverend. Mr, Very Good walked slowly and thoughtful ly in the quiet and hush of the early morning, The park in which he took his morning walk was unusually beautiful In its autumn coat of fading yeliow. The warmth and light of the morning sun was gently filling the air with its magic touch of splender as the Rev erend Mr. Veiy Good watched tiie silent wonder of it all. At the foot of a large tree, he suddenly fixed his eyes up on an energetic gray squirrel that had made a discovery of a half filled bag of peanuts dis carded evidently the ntght be fore. It was fascinating to the Reverend Mr. Very Good, watching the squirrel with a mazing dexterity as he secur ed the nuts within his grasp. Suddenly it wan that a larpe dog. himself on a morning search descended with speed upon the alert little squirrel deemer to make . . hr had met every obligation, paid all the foes, and though unable now to get down on his knee", his bed was his altar, his room a holy Temple and getting a prayer thru, to him was sim ple. 10. Can we match tilts know ledge of super-human aid? , on we trust and obey, and not be afraid?; this is the time to take inventory and prepare for Job’s Day, and use hts “knowhow” to wipe all tear a way I'. There Is nothing in nil earth that could mean more . . not even the Sun, all mathematical a r rangement, and is only mastered thru spii • .ituai attainment. 12. Can you say without mental reservation or equivo cation, “I KNOW THAT MY REDEEMER LIVETH .’ . . if you can, then you are the bene ficiary of ail that from heav tn cometh, and out of deepest gratitude to this your Redeem er, can say. “And though nil Hell should endeavor to shake. I will not i will not no r forsake.” social customs a Negro, or a Mexican, or an Oriental, or some member of another coun try, is often denied a. job for no other reason than the color of his skin, or his place of na tional origin, or his religion. The individual who is denied the opportunity is the first loser, of course, but in the long run the whole nation pays the bill Those of us who live m Cali fornia like to think that ours is a free state. It is in many respects but there is still 100 much discrimination. We ought to use Equal Opportunity Dav as the occasion to launch a program to wipe out eve: y custom and practice that ham strings any citizen in his quest for the job for which he is qualified. California LarJe, November tt. gathering up his find But it; was a.s quick as a flash that the squirrel, bag, peanuts and nil quickly leaped to the high safety of the tree near by. The Reverend Mr. Very Good amazed at the drama it whs his to watch, stared in tently at the squirrel .so high up on the branch of the tree, and the confounded dog, who barked, but in vain. The squir rel serenely fondled nis priz ed bag oi peanuts, while the big dog fretted below. Suddenly, the Reverend Mr. Very Good remembered that pasaga from a familiar psalm, "Thou prepares!, a table before me in the presence of my ene mies". Yes, here was in the flesh the truth of that verse. The squirrel, crunching away, out of reach, but In the very presence of its worst enemy, a hunting dog. The Reverend Mr. Very Good with a flash of insight, bn mediately saw the meaning be hind all that he had seen. This was without a doubt a fitting WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, m? BY MARCHS H. HOULWARE AKA Debutante Rail Cornyard and I alighted from a taxicab last Friday night and entered the Memori al auditorium to see the 20th Debutante Bali at which time 75 young ladies made their bow to society. The affair was sponsored by the graduate .chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Cornyard was on his P’s and Cl’s, dressed in tail., and all that. He got a red ticket too, while I didn’t even have a white one. But I had ways of getting a choice scut, in a side balcony just the same Did we bring Annie Belle a* long? No, sir—REX! We left her at home, because that gal ain’t got no class. Oh hunh - yes, that’s true. But it hum more than an evening gown for Annie Belle. Shu wculdn t know how to act. THE ACTIVITIES BEGAN at i) o'clock, and the orchestra played sweet, sentimental mus ic --soft and romantic-like. Cornyard told me after ..he ball that It .put him in the mood for love. Whoever played that trump;' went to town on “I am growing sentimental o\ - er you.” Cornyard said he never saw so many beautiful, young “sweet things” in all his life - and I agreed with him, too I said to him, “Suppose you had the opportunity to pick a wife from that group, what would you do?” CORNYARD: “I’d close nr/ eves, and take the first one I touched. You know one thing, DOC,- weren’t those the love liest Queens you ever saw?” Misses Odessa Brown of Ra leigh and Sylvia Ransom cf Warrenton were “the apple of the eye.” This is what I heard people all around me say. MY STUDENTS Three of my freshman Eng lish students were participants in this affair, but they didn’t tell me, however. They were Bettye L. Hinton. William San ders, and Ester Gilmore. Cordon B. Hancock's BETWEEN the LINES THE NFOROF’S STRUGGLE: BEGINNING Oft END? It is often a fatal blunder when a general prepares ink ra'iny for a skirmish instead of girding them for a grim and death-dealing battle: for too often what looks like a skir mish turns out to be a battle unto the death It will be c,- quajly fatal for the Negro to minimize an drake lightly Ute struggle that lies immediately ahead It makes all the difference whether we are leaving Euyot or whether we are battering at the gates of the Promised laud. It seems to this minor prophet that the latter situation ob tains. And there is this big dif ference; when the Israelites were leaving Ep.pt and so journing in Ute w ilderness, Clod fought for them; but once they set foot upon the land of Ca naan they had to fight for themselves and that the battles were despimite and dangerous made no difference, God ceased to do the fight ing when Iseral entered the Promised Land. It is even so with Negroes here in America, for h long while, white friends fought our battles with their money and with their block but the time is at hand, when the Negro must fend for himself. Tt is doubtful if another Civ.! War was fought for our eman cipation Os course the first war was fought with the sword and cannon. The next war will he one of mind and .spirit. The symbol of the deeper meaning, of a Thanksgiving Day, “thou preparest a table before me :n the presence of my enemies,” become ihe symbol of Thanks- The battle has in many wav a giving Day. It is fitting be cause the iife of man is de pendent upon his table. Most of what we do with our hours of life and sweat, and toil is related in some way to the ta ble. the place at which we find provided the sustenance of life. And come thus Thanksgiv ing Day, despite Sputnik, Mu» tank and all of the other dread ed enemies of our welfare, v e will gather at a tabic provid ed in the presence of our ene mies. as Sputnik and Muttmk fly in their orbits overhead. It is a fact ot life that our ene mies are all around. The foe of the future, the threats ol the day. Yet despite them, there is always the table, prepared before us. an offering of slmcd-h for the clay* of pow er for the inevitable encounter. Yet in every struggle there has always been this interlude, the table. For the Pilgrim fathers, it was a table, overflowing with u : irvost wrested from the un friendly wilderness. The vic tory was not all won. But there was in* their interlude, a table prepared That this was so, the Pilgrims took It as a gift, from God. To the psalmist who had experienced it also, ft was n table, not prepared so much by him but for him. And aired it all, men of every ace have thanked God for it. Miss Bettye Hinton looked like a beautiful doll whoso gown lent enchantment and glamour. At no time did tire gown overshadow the “deb.” Conyard agreed that I was right and added: “Any gent who failed to .-.ca this should have his head ex amined ” Mr. William Sanders, erect and straight as an arrow, a scendcd the setps a little, high er than the other escorts to a - is', his debutante to the au ditor-. mi floor —showing gal lantry at its best. Handsome young Exter Gil more. in debonair fashion, pre sented a courteous and pleas ing presence as he escorted his debbe down to the pivot spot for forming the ivy leaf. Yes, Sir. I was as proud cf them as their parents were. THING OF BEAUTY Every young lady was a star in her own right. To see them form the ivy leaf gradually was a tremendous undertaking and yet a “thing cf beauty” and “a phantom of delight.” The elegant gowns, cut with .■sophisticated simplicity, were shaped as carefully as a piece of sculpture. We saw evidences that the* designers and dress makers handeied them .so lov ingly that the four thousand spectators will long remember the personalities more than the dresses. SALUTE T V AKA'S Sorors, Conyard wants me i-o tell you that the “debs" were not the only “peeble on the beach.” When you were intro duced at the beginning of the. affair as members of the grad uate chapter, you made a charming and fascinating ap pearance. Much of your ma turity gave the bail a distin guished atmosphere. There has been nothing like it. in Raleigh before. The 1957 Debutante Ball, was the best ever. Raleigh, my friend Corn yard. and I salute you for a job well done. Negro must fight with hks ur rituai and economic and o Heal ixv.otu’ccr 1 hrough i years ibis column has i.. seeking to stir within, the r. ; a vote-consciourr. *•. a coilaeio useless and a is coi irdoiisness. By vote-consciou*.::: mean the wise use of til i . mean the hi* a evnlua” n the opporotunity to earn a d lar: and by dollax-consicv, - ness we mean the wise use the dollars that we moke. one of lho.se d isc t uses is da iry* business with Negroes - • tin* Double Duty -Dollar bv which Negro can trade among themselves and make jobs for other Negroes. The grim fact remains that Negroes must, depend in great part upon the jobs provided by the white man and the white man’s capital, when as a mai ler of fact, if the Negro wisely used h:s dollars he could to a much greater extent provide job opportunities for other Ne groes. It d?>es not make sod sense for Negroes to “speak up to” and beck at” the white man, and then turn to the white man for an opportunity to earn his daily bread. The eco nomic reprisal.' now being threatened in the South are just so many straws in the wind. TT p possibilities of the ' Double-Dili y-Doliar are best seen in our lino professional and Insurance beginnings and in ti."- growth of our* Negro press What bus been done ip a small way illustrates what may b<* done in a big way. One of the crowning illustrations of ihis self-help attempts can be seen in the growth and pros i c.. of the AME Church and allied branches. The Negro currently is but tering at the gates of the Promised Land, He is strug gling for first-class citizenship beyond which lies the full hfc.o But. when Israel would take over the Promised Land they found themselves confronted with the walled cities of Ai and Jericho. Those dessert, tribes had to fight (igaimt those protected by wallecl cities and the task the Negroes of this count ly and the world are being c Ti ed noon to perform, is like un to the fight before walled citi es, It Is a long and bitter fight and ihe final outcome depend/, in the !-n;T analysis upon the favor of God. Israel never could have overcome the re sistance of the Canaan ltes in it i’ll vailed cllies, had not God gave fortune to their fightings it is exceedingly difficult- to see how tin* Negro can over come without the- favor of Ai mighty God. It. Is not enough for us 1 o apply ourselves to our job consciousncss. to our vote-con sciousness and to our dollar scion; ness. This writer as naive consciousness. This writer is naive enough to believe that it will not be by power and might, that the Negro enters the Promised Land: but by the power arid grace of God. We must. gird, cursives not for a skirmish but for a dcs pir.itc .struggle, perhaps of lore duration. THE NEGRO'S STRUGGLE: BEGINNING OR END?