Newspapers / Africo-American Presbyterian (Wilmington, N.C.) / Feb. 10, 1927, edition 1 / Page 1
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VOL. XLIX. INTERRACIAL RELATIONSHIPS (A Paper read at the Eighth Annual Presbyterian Workers’ Con ference, held at Johnson C. Smith University. Jan. 25-28.) By Rev. L. E. Yates One of the greatest problems that has faced all ages is the problem of how to live with oth er people. Paul the Jew, the Ro man citizen and world traveler, long schooled in the thought and spirit of Jesus Christ, said bold ly to the Athenians that thronged the Areopagus, “God has made of one blood every na tion of men for to dwell on the face of the earth.” Whatever the original type of man was we are not here inter ested to discuss. Modern an thropologists are agreed that the human family sprung from a common origin, and hence are by nature akin. The differences in races are due to a long selective process extending over thous ands of years, by which those characteristics of individuals which best fitted them to the en vironment in which they lived become more and more accentu ated through the dying out of all those individuals who did not possess such characteristics. Each and every one here knows that there are no two individu uals alike, and this is no less true now than it was at the dawn of the human race. Most scholars believe that the white man .of Europe, the yellow man of Asia, and the black man of Africa held the prevailing places. Later the mixing of these groups possess ing the stronger characteristics would give rise to secondary ra cial types. In order that we may pronta bly consider the problem of In terracial Relationships we -'Should wake a bi'ier-sawey of International relationships, be cause what involves one group involves every other group. Call ing to our minds the various groups, we could, perhaps, see first, the white man, then the brown, and darker brown, and in Africa various other shades until we got to black- Now we should have a stronger impres sion of the contrasts of the rac es of the world. The Solidification of the Races One very notable thing is the solidification of the races of the world. This has been brought abov); by the transport of pro ducts: foods, fabrics, and ideas. This inter-change has broken down age-long divisions and brought us all together. China and Japan Out of a world population computed at one thousand eight hundred millions, Japan and China contribute between them some five hundred millions, har dy, industrious, capable of marching long distances on lit tle rations, with a high capacity for organization. And these prodigious masses of Asiatic men and women have at their command resources of coal, iron, and other mineral products ex ceeding those of any nation on earth—even the United States. We are told that there is, for instance, enough coal already geologically surveyed in China to supply for centuries the whole human race at the present rate of consumption. In less than a half century the new world forces which we sum up in the phrase, “Modern Inventions,” backed up by the restless hunger of the West for commerce, have begun to trans form the trend of the life of Asia from tradition and custom to initiative and change. Transformation in Africa It has been long the fashion to speak of the African as nat urally lazy, leaving the work to the women and contented to lie in the sun or sit about the “Pa lava-house” and argue, dnnk coffee and feast. But when we have taken the time to study the African in his native life we find that there are few races un der the sun who are more indus trious. Upon investigation we find that the people in the Southern provinces of Nigeria collect and prepare for export annually more than $20,000,000 worth of palm products with their own implements and carry them in their crude ways to the distant places of export. In the Northern provinces these people produce more than $10,000,000 worth of ground nuts alone annually. There is another important characteristic of the African: at skilled trades he is apt. Then, again, Africa produces some of the finest skilled tradesmen to be found in the world. The legends of Africa’s super lative laziness are similar to the views of his savagery and superstitious stupidity. They rest, first, on a partial and lop sided view; of the history of what is going on in his brains now, of his present attainments and his capacity for progress. Out of the shock and jostling of contacts in the world of la bor an intense antagonism be tween white races and the Afri can peoples is flaming up in some parts of Africa. Yet in other parts of Africa we hear of no race hatred. What is the cause of this hatred in one place and the friendliness in the other? (1) In Rhodesia and South Africa the natives’ lands have been taken from them. (2) They have been refused a share in the. govenaSlgttL ■— - '(3) TKerefusal of white la bor to allow the African to do skilled work. By law there is no color bar; in practice white labor insists on the color bar The White Man’s Burden Much has been written of the white man’s burden, of his duty to extend his civilization over territory belonging to the Yel low, or Red, or Black man, so as to better the condition of these aborigines. But is that true? Who shall decide whether such a change really benefits those peoples or the Anglo-Sax on- race? If there ever was a time to face facts it is now. This being true, has not the time also come to make frank admission that “The White Man’s Burden” is, after all, only a smug phrase coined to cover exploitation of weaker races for the benefit of the white? I raise this question not that I desire to urge that it should not be. the acclaimed privilege of the white man to do all in his power to aid other rac es to a sphere of higher and greater .usefulness, but to pro test against the world’s opinion that this justifies the illegal oc cupation of territory belonging to other races. International Unrest Through our leading authori ties on world and interracial problems, we learn that all around tne world the voice of the native is loudly being raised against the long-accepted doc trine of the “White Man’s Bur den.” We are told that there is as much unrest among the na tives across the Pacific Ocean as there is among the tribes in North Africa and the Near East.' The cry, “Asia for the Asiatics,” is seldom heard and but little understood on our side of the Pacific. In Asia it repre sents a deep-seated movement, and some of their wise leaders express surprise that the Amer icans cannot realize that their beloved Monroe Doctrine is the ex$ct prototype of “Asia for the Asiatics.” The American Problem Now that we have the out standing problems of some of the other leading races or naij tions of the world before us, let us return to our own native and beloved land—America. Let ud briefly consider with unbiased minds her interracial relation ships. (1) In America we are con fronted with the same state of affairs. The only difference is that hatred is not entertained by the Negro toward the white race. Yet, on the other hand, the priv ileges and the rights ^of the American Negro are limited. Now, in view of the fact that the American Negro has always proved himself loyal, brave and true to every trust, the Consti tution which he upholds and de fends says back to him: “I can only afford you limited protec tion. 1 cannot permit you to en joy the liberty and freedom that 1 promised you. I can only give you limited protection. It is true that you have protected and defended me, but I can only give you in return limited rights and privileges. I can not give you full protection or full citizen ship." Nowhere in American history can you find the American Ne gro portrayed as a traitor or plotter against this great coun try, America. But in the secluded pages of history you may discov er brave and heroic deeds in every crisis from the Revolution ary War to the signing of the Armistice, November 11, 1918. That marked the ending of the Old World and the begin ning of the New. It will be me morable through all the annals of the coming time- The ending of the greatest and bloodiest of all wars marked the triumph of spiritual ideals over brute force and materialism, of light over darkness, of God over Satan. But as we look at the pages of the World’s history, saturated with- hnmanr~blood, we are brought to a realization that af ter years of civilization, we here in America, as a leading people of the world, are not very far re moved from the barbarian, and a long, long way from the Fath er’s house. rsew America It is true, indeed, that Ameri ca is realizing as never before, that if she is to hold the highest place of usefulness in the world, she must put into practice the principle of the same equal pro tection, and safeguard the rights of all races who share the com mon life. Better Racial Understanding in America Captain Woodward, the hero in one of Jack London’s South Sea tales, said, “The black will never understand the white, nor the white the black, as long as black is black and white is white.” What a world of truth we find in this quotation! As long as the American Negro at tempts to set up standards ac cording to his desires, or to suit his own particular case, he will never understand the white man. On the other hand, as long as the white man sets up standards according to his own notions, whether they are agree able or disagreeable to the black, he will never understand the black man. Now when white fails to understand black, and black fails to understand white, there is compelled to be confu sion, and confusion brings about unrest, and unrest retards pro gress, and when progress slows up then happiness ceases and joys flee, and strife, hatred, mal ice and racial prejudices spring up and dominate the national life. But, thanks be to God, there is one great, glorious fact before us today: each race in America has come a step closer than ever before. Student conferences, Y. M. C- A’s, Y. W. C. A’s, frater nal organizations, national asso ciations of various types and kinds, industrial concerns, state and national governments are all studying the Interracia' Problem. They are formulating plans, studying ways and means by which a fetter understanding Of the races may be brought about. One outstanding thing that may be noted, is, the age worn idea that America is a “white man’s country” has given Way, and every one who is born or naturalized in its boundaries, irrespective of race, color or cree<j, realizes that he is a part .of America. The question may Ibe raised by some: if all who jjeome under the government of -America are citizens, why are £ome protected and others are not protected and accorded the fame privileges of enjoying lib erty and prosperity? The answer to this question may be found in these words: jpaen have overlooked the more Weighty matters and have been «xore concerned about the mate rial side oi life—the economic fide—and have not realized the sacredness of human life, re gardless of race or color. P Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount (recorded in Matt. 6) which was meant for all the na tions of the world, said, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you,” Bare Education Insufficient, There are many who have thought that education would fiot only create a better interra cial relationship but would meet the needs of humanity. It is true that education may go a long way to temporarily solve some of man’s problems, but the mere mention of German cul ture ends all argument. The leader of history will remember that Pharaoh of the Exodus was the most brutal as well as the most educated of all Pharaohs. Every page of history, sacred and profane, ancient and mod ern, bears the same testimony. But a few years ago we were tqld that the only hope of the science.. But it has been a great destroyer instead of a preserver of life. Imperialism and power of or ganization, along with all other efforts to met the needs of the world, have failed. Governments are being re vised ; social relations are under going a change; business meth ods are being reconsidered; the poor in every race are having a better chance. Education is be coming more vital and is being brought into closer relation with life. Churches are getting closer together- Christians are join ing hands to make the world a safer place in which to live. Men of every walk of life and in al most every race or nation under the sun are realizing that all humanity is bound up in a bun dle of life together. Such has never been realized as it is to day in the history of mankind, The cry of the hour is not sc much to make the world safe for Democracy, but it is “Back to Jesus!” Jesus the Lertmcaie oi me World’s Unity. Jesus is the magnet to draw all men into one holy brother hood. He is the cohesive agent in the moral, social, and religious universe. “And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me-” “Hear ye Him.” This command from on high will ring down through tne ages to the end of time. If men would draw near to Him; if they would hear Him; if men would lift Him up in their lives as the original disci oles turned away from Moses and Elijah, and heard Jesus only, hatred, greed, gross ine qualities, injustices and racial antagonisms of all forms would be known no more among men. The Churcn even will eventually turn away from the creeds of sectarianism and the voice of skepticism will cease and listen to the one voice of authority. It is the privilege of this gen eration to bring about this great reform. Tne opportunity to fed erate the world has come to this generation and this time as it never came to any other age or (Continued on page 4) FAYETTEVILLE STATE NORMAL TO CELE BRATE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY Fayetteville, N. C.—On May 24-25 of the present year there will be held in this city the semi-centennial of the oldest school for Negroes in America— Fayetteville State Normal. Appropriate exercises will be held, participate^ in by nation ally known figures in the field of statesmanship and education. Among the speakers invited are Senator F. M. Simmons, Gover nor A. W. McLain and Superin tendent of Education A. T. Al len, of North Carolina; Presi dent H. W. Chase of the Uni versity of N. C., Dr. Morde cai Johnson, of Howard Univer sity, Dean James E. Russell of Teachers’ College, Columbia University, Dr. James Hardy Dillard of the Jeanes and Sla ter Foundations, Dr. Frank Bauchmaun of the General Edu cation Board, General A. J. Bow.,1 ley and other distinguished men. Origin of the School Fifty years ago, January 1, 1877, Zebulon B. Vance, coming to the governorship of North Carolina, seeing his beloved State bankrupt in young man hood, in financial credit and re tarded by a pall of illiteracy, in his inaugural address declared: “The deep wounds which the last fifteen years of war and mis government have inflicted upon us still gape unhealed. Our pub lic credit is almost completely destroyed—our wealth has been swept away. The races compos ing our population have been set at enmity against each other. So far as it is in us it is our bounden duty to remedy these things, to restore our public credit, to promote the gaining of our wealth, to educate the chil dren of the State, to mitigate sectional and racial animosi ties.” Out OI tms nODie senumeui was born Fayetteville State Nor mal School. It was the direct result of the aim expressed in the quotation: “to educate the children of the State, to mitigate sectional and racial animosi ties.” The Negroes were ex cluded from the State Universi ty yet there was no other State institution for them to attend. Recognizing the injustice of this Governor Vance recommended the creating of a normal school for the primary purpose of training teachers for the recent ly emancipated race. There was in the mind of Gov ernor Vance, no doubt, this fact, also: that it is the duty of the State to train teachers for the children of the State; that when the teachers are trained under the guidance of the State, these teachers are pretty apt to be imbued with the attitudes, view points and social philosophy of that particular commonwealth, rather than with the ideas alien to its people. The Fayetteville Normal is under the general su pervision of the Director of Ne gro Education, N- C. Newbold, himself a native of North Caro lina, and a graduate of Trinity College (Duke University.) Moreover, for over a quarter of a century, Hon. H. L. Cook, a leading member of the Fayette ville bar, and Dr. H. W. Lilly, a prominent physician and busi ness man of the city, have served as chairman and secre tary-treasurer, respectively, of the Board of Trustees. Much of the usefulness and growth of the institution is due to the gen erous efforts of these two men. Principal Served 40 Years For forty years a most re markable man has been Princi pal of the school. He is Dr. E, E. Smith, who was born in Dup lin County, N. C., and was edu cated in the schools of Wilming ton, Goldsboro and at Shaw Uni versity. He built with his owr hands out of “black jack’ logs his first school in Wayne county. Fayetteville . Normal Schoo with a plant of 10 buildings seven of brick, spacious and pre tentious, with a valuation oi £350,000, now stands on land purchased by him out of his own private funds and deeded to'the State. Though established in 1877, the school did not begin to make worthwhile, progress until thirty years later, when in 1908 Dr. Smith, weary of cramped quarters in which' Jhis 3chool was housed, bought a 50 acre tract lying just on the Wes tern limits of the city for the permanent home of the school and deeded the property to the commonwealth. The school’s phenomenal and epochal growth iates from that time. In Sep tember, 1908, the first two of the seven brick buildings were completed and occupied and the institution has now grown from its humble beginning in three rooms of a frame building on Gillespie Street in the city of Fayetteville with a faculty of three to its present magnificent plant of 10 buildings and 33 instructors Dr. Smith has had three pre decessors in the principalship of Jhe school. The first, Robert Harris, an able instructor, who receive i his education in Cleve land, Ohio, served it for three years, being removed by death. He was succeeded by Prof. George W. Williams, who was in turn succeeded by Prof. L. E Fairley. Their combined incum bency was not more than six years. They gave the best that was in them, but the school’s definite program of expansion began with the coming of Dr Smith in August, 1883. Twice during yr. &iimn§j^|i nection with the school he has been released to serve his coun try. First in 1888 to serve as Minister Resident and Consul General to the Republic of Libe ria, West Coast of Africa, under President Grover Cleveland, and again in 1898, to serve as adju tant to the Third North Caroli na Volunteer Regiment in the Spanish American War. Tn both capacities he served wi' h honor and distinction. Soldier, educa tor, philanthropist and diplomat are the distinctions that rightly belong to Dr. Smith, yet because of his modest and retiring dis position, prompted by his devo tion to his duties at the Normal School, he makes no effort to at tract public acclaim. pusue vi nace uwiwiouwu Dr. Smith has been an apostle of racial cooperation and good will. Then, too, the energy and thrift he has manifested both in the management of the Nor mal School and in his personal business, have served as an ex ample and inspiration to others of his race In the fifty years of existence the institution has enrolled 8,000 students, 4,000 of whom have taught in 70 counties of North Carolina and in other States. It has grown from its occupancy of an upstairs’ room in an old building on Gillespie Street to its present ample site of 50 acres, on which are ten buildings evaluated at $350,000. The annual appropriation for the maintenance has increased from $2,000 to $46,000. Greater expansion and much more adequate facilities are ex pected to follow upon the close of the present General Assem bly, which Principal Smith is confident will appropriate suffi cient funds to build a barn and stable, library, practice or train ing school, auditorium, another dormitory for . girls and equip the laundry. That the school is worthy of this contemplated development practically everyone who has visited ft agrees. Its ainy ac cording to its Principal, is to bring about industrious, law abiding, patriotic citizenship among the Negro population of (Continued on page 4)
Africo-American Presbyterian (Wilmington, N.C.)
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Feb. 10, 1927, edition 1
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