ppejassa!
VOL. XLVHI.
EVANGELISTIC MEETINGS
By Rev. L. B. West, D. D.
During the months of August
and September I had the privi
lege of assisting a few of the
ministers in their evangelistic
meetings, ip North and Soutjh
Carolina. We had very lively
and interesting meetings with
good results. All of the church
es visited were in an evangelis
tic mopd and played well their
part in making the meetings
„ successful:
. St. Paul’s
.... The Rev. A. W. Foster, Ph.
D., is . the minister of this
church. The meeting was car
ried on about a week. The weath
er was good and the attendance
was large.
• The. singing was especially
inspiring. Men and women
prayed earnestly for the out
pouring of God’s Spirit, and the
salvation of souls. The closing
night four precious souls were
received into the church. Two
of them (grown) received the
rite of baptism in the presence
of a packed house of both white
and colored people. The people
- expressed themselves as being
greatly revived and ready to go
forward to a splendid year’s
worK.
Murkland
Speaking about the Murkland
meeting one good sister said to
me: “We had the devil on the
run last night.” She was speak
ing of the night before when 10
persons were happily converted
after a season of intense preach
ing, soul-reviving singing and
fervent praying and heart-touch
ing pleading to sinners to come
to Jesus. The congregation was
large and enthusiastic each
jaigbt. , Rev. J. H. Gamble, the
minister ih €H*£rfcfe, was grdatly
encouraged as he and his session
welcomed fifteen new members
into the church. This is Rev.
Gamble’s first year with this
church and the prospect -is
bright. s
McClintock
The services began on Sunday
night and continued throughout
the week at McClintock. The
Rev. W. R. Mayberry, pastor,
had nis forces well lined up.
Each night the interest became
greater and greater. The people
came in large numbers, both
white and colored. The singing
and praying were with the
“spirit and understanding.” The
evangelistic atmosphere was
pronounced. The people ex
pressed themselves as being
greatly revived. Ten persons
were added to the church. Mc
Clintock is one of the oldest and
largest churches in the Presby
tery. Rev. Mayberry took
charge at the Spring meeting of
Presbytery. The outlook is very
hor>eful. .
Ridgeway, S. C.
The Rev. J. Riley Dungee is
supplying the Lebanon church
at Ridgeway, S. C. The meeting
was neid for a week, beginning
Sunday, August 29, and closing
Sunday night, September 6. I
arrived to preach on Wednesday
night, but rain prevented ser
vices. I preached Thursday and
Friday nights and twice on Sun
day. me crowds were large
and the meetings reached a high
evangelistic level. The people
wanted iue meeting to gp on. All
* denominations joined- to jnake
the meeting a success. On the
closing night there was a glori
ous fellowship meeting. . The
saints rejoiced with tears and
sinners gave themselves to God.
The session was more than
- pleased to receive seven mem
bers into the church on confes
sion of their faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ. Three or four of
these received the rite of bap
tism by the Rev. Dungee. The
church is well satisfied with
Rev. Dungee and is willing toj
follow where he leads. Both min
ister ana people are expectingi
great things.
Due West, S. C.
From Ridgeway I journeyed
to Due west, S. C., to be with
my friend and schoolmate, the
Eev. J. H* Toatley. I found him
and his wife and three children
hearty and happy. Rev. Toatley
has been pastor of Mt. Zion
church for seven years. The
wont is in fine shape. The meet
ings were wen attended. The
weather was excellent. The
people got right into the meet
ing and we, had a warm time.
We had showers of blessings.
Christians yearned for a deeper
and fuller Christian experience
and a closer walk with God.
In prayer, in song and in ser
mon sinners were urged to “get
right with God.” The results
were heartening. Several young
people came forward and offered
themselves to Christ. The
Lord’s Supper was observed op
Sunday morning and the minis
ter and session had the pleasure
of extending the right hand of
feilowsmp. to fourteen persons
who comessed Christ and joined
the ~-.urcn of the living God,
Mt. Zion has had a remarkable
history and still holds her own
today as the leading church in
the PresDytery of McClelland.
The peopie are alive and active
and respond readily to the lead
ership of Rev. Toatley who is
ably assisted by Mrs. Toatley.
Plans are being formulated for
the continued advancement of
the work.
Not only did I preach at the
churches mentioned above, but
I hau cue blessed privilege Of
visiting in the homes of several
of the members. Their hospital
ity was unbounded, I got a
chance to tain, with the people
and pray with them in their
homes. They know how to take
care ox their own minister and
makea v4ftitmg preacher feel “at
home.”
May the Lord richly bless the
efforts that were put forth in
these churches.
SOME ESSENTIALS BEING
{OVERLOOKED BY THE
CHURCH.
The Bible, all of it, is the
word of God, and the only book
given the Christian as a guide.
Sucn statements as “Sanctify us
by thy truth, thy word is
truth,” and “it is a lamp to our
feet and a light to our pathway”
give testimony to its inestima
ble value to those who would fol
low the Master. It is evident
that because this is true, its
study would at once become a
delight to those who are seeking
the lignt. While we should be
interesteu in everything con
tained in this Book of books
there are some portions of it
that should especially claim our
attention. Nothing should be
of more importance than the
Ten Commandments which re
present the only direct law giv
en by God Himself. All that
Jesus taught was but a summa
ry of these commandments.
It woulo seem, therefore,
that sufficient emphasis should
be placed upon them to the ex
tent that they should be known
by every church and Sabbath
schol member. But it is surpris
ing to know the large number
of our membership that know
so little about these all-impor
tant truths, I went to a theatre
recently to witness Demille’s
dramatization of the Ten Com
mandments, and, by-the-way,
there are many good tilings to
learn in theatres, in spite of the
criticism which some of them
deserve. When “Thou shalt not
kill” was hashed on the screen,
some one asked a gentleman
near by whom I happened to
know as a prominent church
officer, which commandment
was this, and he replied, the
ninth. I interviewed the mem
bers of an adult Bible class of
one of our leading Sabbath
schools recently and not a sin
gle member knew the com
mandments. ■. Church members
too often find it necessary dur
ing service to read the Com
mandments, the Twenty-third
Psalm, the Beatitudes,, and evep
the Apostles’ Creed. Yes, 1
have actually seen some of them
reading the Lord’s Prayer, in
stead of reverently closing their
eyes that they might be placed
in tne true attitude of prayer, to
the end that those wonderful
petitions might be uttered ais
their own.
The lack .of emphasis on the
Catechism is also resulting in
a membership without a true
conception of a Church’s belief.
Our local church program^
should include a doctrinal seif
mon at frequent intervals to
bring home to the membership
the things for which the Church
stands. f§
. The truth is that this training
should begin in the home. The
family altar has no equal in re
ligious training, as we assemble
there daily. To have different
members of the family recite
one of the Commandments each
morning, followed by a free-for
all discussion during the meal
would be a splendid course to
follow. What we really need is
a burning desire'for truth.
A. E. SPEARS.
Durham, N. C.
COOLIDGE DIRECTS ATTOR
TORNEY GENERAL TO ACT
ON PROTEST AT FORCED
LABOR IN MIAMI.
New York, Oct.—The Nation
al Association for the Advance
ment of Colored People, 69 Fifth
Avenue, announces receipt of ja
letter from Everett Sanders,
Secretary to President Coolidge,
stating that the President hqis
directed the Attorney General to
investigate reports of virtual pe
onage enforced, against Negroes
only,, in the dist^et of Miami,
who were pressed into labor at
clearing away storm debris. Mr.
Sanders’ letter to James Weldon
Johnson, Secretary of the N. A.
A. C. P., reads as follows:
The White House,
Washington,
Sept. 27,1926.
My dear Mr. Johnson:
Your telegram of September
27th has been received and, by
the President’s direction, it is
at once being brought to the at
tention oi the Attorney Gener
al.
Sincerely yours,
EVERETT SANDERS,
Secretary to the President.
The N. A. A. C. P., on receipt
of reports that Negroes were be
ing forced under arms to work
at clearing away wreckage in the
storm-swept area at Miami, tele
graphed as follows to President
Coolidge, the Secretary of the
Navy and the Attorney Gener
al:
‘Tress dispatches from Mia
mi, norida, report :‘State troop
ers, deputies sheriff, and police
were sent to round up all Ne
groes of workable age and to put
them to work clearing debris
in all parts of this County. They
will be put to work under
guard/ If true this constitutes
virtually peonage for colored res
idents ot that County in view of
the fact that this order applies
only to Negroes. The National
Association for the Advance
ment of Colored People respect
fully asks investigation by U. S.
Departments of Justice and the
Navy of conditions alleged in
press dispatches, and, if preva
lent, that prompt action be tak
en to end violation of federal
statutes and constitutional
guarantees. Press reports also
indicate unwarranted shooting
of Negroes by U. S. Marines.”
A LAUGH.
A laugh is just like music,
It freshens all the day,
It tips the peaks of life with
light
And drives the clouds away;
The soul grows glad that hears
it, ,
And feels its courage strong—
A laugh is just like sunshine
For cheering folks along.
—Anon,
Mary White Ovington, j
®, Board of Directors of
the N. A. A. C. P. 1
.HEAVEN.”
By Carl Van Vechten. Pub
by Alfred Knopf, Ipcl,
Fifth Avenue, New York
\i$4. Price $2.50. , j
_ colored reader who is not
fliar with .Van Vechten’s
novels may think that in
ger Heaven" the colored
is given a rotten deal, so
is the book concerned
the Negro’s sensual life,
a reader, however, has only
tget “The Blind Bow-Boy,” or
‘Tattooed Countess,” from
library (supposing the libra
n permits such books to cir
) to learn that “Nigger
ven” is mild compared with
Vechten's pictures of white
s. He needs, too, to under
stand the viewpoint of the au
% or who says, “Voluptousness:
b free hearts a thing innocent
afcd fre% the garden of happj
nessof the earth.” And most
q ! alihe should realize that this
n >ve!ist loves the tale that
s ems unreal and impossible, re
pugnant to common sense. Such
adtale “veils a deeply mysterious
t|uth, and the greater the ab
surdity of the letter, the deeper
the wisdom of the spirit/’
With a knowledge of Van
Vechten’s other work, “Nigger
Ijeaven” comes as a surprise; it
i£ serious, so real. It is less a
satire than a tragedy. It has a
hero whose efforts to - make a
place for himself in this preju
diced world are full* of heart
eaks. I can think of no col
ed writer who has so well
own the working of race prej
:_e, highly
strung Negro, it nas afteridihg
that is vivid, tremendous. One
must read the story if only for
its last pages. -
“Nigger Heaven” is a sardonic
name for Harlem, the land of
opportunity, where Negroes
gather from all parts of the Con
tinent. The noved shows lis the
cultured professional class, fore
most. The heroine is Mary Love,
a librarian, whom we first meet
at the home of Adora, a colored
member of the Nouveau Riche.
Adora, to my thinking, is the
best drawn character in the
book. One sees her surrounded
by sycopants who drink and
shout and dance through her
house, “ink fingered trash,” she
calls them, “who come here to
drink my booze and eat my
food.”
Here Mary meets the hero, By
ron Kasson, and learns of his
ambition to write. “Oh, I haven’t
published much. I’ve had a piece
or two in Opportunity, but that
won’t keep me alive.” One fol
lows Mary to her home, reads
the titles of the books on her ta
ble, Cane, "There Is Contu
sion,” and feels veritably in the
colored world. No white man,
save a shadowy author and a
very live editor, enters into it.
It is a story of the Negro peoples
as they move through Hatlem.
How good this picture is, I for
one cannot say. Some Of the ex
pressions used, Mr. Van Vech
ten has a glossary of colored
slang, I have never heard. Some
of the race talk is familiar, and
one recognizes the youth who is
undecided whether Or not he
shall go white, the girl whom
we are told is marfying a white
man “ana nobody is going to tell
him.” But the most brilliant pari
of the story moves about the
cabarets, “the swaying couples
black bodies, high yellows, £
kaleidoscope of color transfig
ured by the amber searchlight.’
“The band snored and siiortec
and whistled and laughed like £
hyenai.” And it is at the eabarei
that the curtain is rung down
“Nigger Heaven” is a cross
section di New York. It belong!
with Van Vedhten’s dthet' Nev
York cross sections. Blit on<
finds this modernist who lUcei
to draw the impossible intrigue<
at last by his own characters
His hero is no puppet but <
youth suffering from bitter dis
appointment, his flimsy writujjg
tom to shreds, striding down
Sixth Avenue. And as he strides
and as he curses, he is caught
by the dark siren of the book
who comforts him at first, ami
then turns him out after a few
wild nights. Lasca, the Si
ren, is real, and so is the “Creep
er” who brings murder on tpe
stage at the end. And if Malty
and her friends are less vital,-I
suspect that it is the truth with
most stories. Vice is much eas
ier to portray vividly than vir
tue.
You may object to the title,
“Nigger. Heaven,” but don't fail
to look in oil the place.
RACE LOSING OUT POLIT
ICALLY,
If the Negro in the United
States win stop to read the po
litical signs of the times, he will
discover that, so far as the
white man is concerned, he does
not care a rap what position the
Negro taKes with regard to po
litical action. Ever since the
granting of the franchise to the
Negro, he has been encouraged
and tolerated for what assist
ance he could lend the Republi
can party by his support ; and
as time went on, the white man
has studiously figured on mak
ing the Negro’s vote of as little
consequence as possible. He fig
ures that, no matter how irk
some the political yoke becomes,
the Negro has no redress, save
through the existing political
parties; and, since he has-no
voice in shaping political ques
tions, he is given as little con
sideration as to what he may
do. '
It has always been possible
to play one set of Negroes
against another, regardless of
cQnsequences4.and,^thfirefQire,M
all times keep the race fighting
itself, instead of fighting for it
self. It seems a world of time
before we will ever learn to lay
aside personal aggrandizement
and pool our issues. As soon as
anything is suggested, not seri
ously offered, for the benefit of
the iNegro, they find so many
would-be leaders who want pre
ferment that all the white man
has to do is to stand aside, and
the average Negro will demon
strate his unfitness by the fool
things ne will do to advance
hims_ ana destroy his Negro
rival. The Negro right now is
worse off, politically, in this
country, man he has ever been,
and he is losing ground every
day.—The Newport News (Va.)
Star.
WHY NOT BOY SCOUTS
AMONG NEGROES?
The big yearly conference of
field executives of the Boy Scout
organization was held a few
days ago at Hot Springs, Ark,
Protestants, Catholics and Jews
all met on,a common platform to
pay trioute to tne movement.
Evidently the Scouts mean
something in the development of
the young white Americans. But
if it is good in the development
of the young whites, why with
hold the effort from the Negro?
White America cannot and
never will reach its heights with
black America hanging to its
feet as a weight. All men up
and none down is the best policy
even if all idea of Christian duty
: is left out altogether.
Bishop Thomas F. Gaylor, of
the Episcopal Diocese of Tennes
see, in a letter to the meeting
perhaps best expressed the duty
1 that the whites owe to them
selves. Endorsing a movement
' to extend the work of the Boy
' Scouts to Negroes, he said:
“We owe it to our children to
1 see to it that the black people
| among whom and with whom
' they are to live and labor, are
• people with moral standards and
1 efficiency of life and service.”
| Of course that’s putting it on
[ an, absolutely selfish basis, but
5 it is true nevertheless. If that’s
[ the only basis that can stir yrhite
1 America, then go to it. What
t (Continued on page 3)
SI. JAMES CHURCH
GREENSBORO
By Airs; S. W. Carter
Sunday morning Rev. H. C.
Miller spoke from Mark 1 ;37,
“All men seek for thee/’ The
subject was beautifully illustrat
ed by tiie story of the Holy
Grail.
Communion was celebrated
morning and evening ,at St.
James. The largest gathering
during the present pastorate at
tended Communion service.
Now that the Missionary So
ciety nas resumed work for the
Fall and Winter, our church '
notes will appear as usual in the
columns pf the Africo.
Miss Susie M. Miller has been
made assistant reporter to take
care of our Junior congregation
activities.
Mrs. Alma Baker and Miss
Mamie Jordan have returned to
the city after spending a pleas
ant vacation in Philadelphia;
The Sunday school had recent
ly made Mr. Jacob Jones and
Dr. W. L. McNair honorary Su
perintenoent and Assistant, re
spectively. Mr. Wm. Burgin is
active Superintendent, Messrs.
A. G. Bridges and W. L. McNair,
Jr., Associates, Mr. J. H. Biggs,
Secretary, and Mr. Frank Cald
well, librarian.
Recently a Junior Department
has been organized in the Sun
day school, with Mrs. E. B.
Meares, Superintendent. This
department meets in the base
ment of the church.
Last month St. James held in
stallation services lasting a
week, tor the new peWs, recently
installed" at a cost of $2,500. The
entire church has been redeco
rated inside, giving a new ap
pearance*
•^TW Missionary Society met
with Mrs. Edna Hunter last'
Thursday. The chief business
was the arrangement -for the
Annual Get-Together Supper at
the close of the pastor’s second
anniversary which begins Octo
ber 4th and runs to the 10th.
The Sunday school gave a
hay ride last Thursday night
that was a success both for en
joyment and finance. ' •' :T
The Christian Endeavor Soci
ety began its Fall and Winter
activities last Sunday With a fair
size audience present. < ,
Mrs. J. H. Clement continues
on the sick list. Her friehds
hope to have her out again soon.
Communion was administered
at the Hannah church Sunday
afternoon. Two members were
added to the church.
Mr. J. B. McNair and Mr. W.
L. McNair, Jr., left the city last
week lor Nashville, Tenn., the
former to take up college work
at Fisk University, while’the
latter will complete his medical
course at Meharry. Miss Lois
Mcivae has returned to St. Au
gustine to resume her studies.
Sunday school Missionary
George Marsh was a welcome
visitor in our Sunday school last
Sabbath.
MT. TABOR CHURCH NOTES
By Miss Ethel L. Goodman
-On last Sunday, September
26, a large congregation listened
intently while Dr. Hollowell
spoke from the 1st verse of the
15th Psalm, “Lord, who shall
abide in thy tabernacle? Who
shall dwell in thy holy hill?”
Much interest is manifested in
the prayer services by the young
people. On last Sunday evening
the service was conducted by
Messrs. Everett Taggert and R. 1
C. Cowan.
The Missionary ladies gave an
entertainment last Saturday
evening for the benefit of the
church.
Miss Mildred Goodman left
last week for Albidn Academy
where she will resume her stu
jJrp. P. W. Friday has re
turned to her home in Buffalo,
N. Y., after spending a month
with her parents, Mr. and Mrs.
V, B. Brown, of Mt. Ulla.