ACTIVITIES AMONG NEGROES
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has sent, from its home office in New York city, a telegram to the governor of Mississippi signed by the secretary, James Weldon Johnson, in which he has said:
"Mississippi again stands pilloried before the civilized world as the plague spot of lynching in America, having raised the total for the United States during 1928 from nine to 11, with two brutal mob murders in the last week of the year. One of these atrocities was the burning alive of a man at the stake.
"Five of the 11 lynchings of the year are charged against Mississippi.”
It is reported by the press that you called out troops to hunt the Negro, but declined to use these troops for the maintenance of due process of law when the mob's victim had been captured. It is further reported that you viewed the charred body of the burned man and then made a public statement saying 'that you had neither the time nor money to investigate 2000 people.’
“This is, in effect, encouragement to Mississippi lynchers by the governor of the state. That the chief executive of any American state can make such a pronouncement, unwhipped of public opinion, goes far to account for the low position occupied by any state in matters of education, law enforcement, wealth, industry and human progress. It is a pronouncement emanating from anarchic indifference to human life and standards of common decency essential to even a minimum of civilization.
"You, Governor Theodore Bilbo of Mississippi, and the lynchers you encourage are the best possible argument for a federal anti-lynching law, by which the might or the federal government would crush out the atrocities which shame America before the civilized world. Copies of this telegram to you are being sent to President Calvin Coolidge and to the presiding officers of both houses of the congress of the United States."
METHODIST BISHOPS MEET.
Horrified by the lynching near Parchman, Miss., on the evening of December 31, the bishops of the Methodist Episcopal church south, in session in Memphis, Tenn., on the next day voiced a scathing denunciation of mob violence and appealed to all good people to do their utmost to end this distinctly American crime. The resolution, which was introduced by Bishop H. M. DuBose of Nashville, Tenn., was adopted by an unanimous vote and was given to the press to be broadcasted. It is as follows:
"Resolved by the College of Bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church South that, speaking as the representatives of one of the most numerous bodies of the nation and particularly of the south we rejoice in the continued decrease in the number of lynching in this country in recent years, but we deplore and condemn the still too frequent examples of mob violence which discredit and dishonor our civilization and outrage and weaken the majesty of the law, and particularly those of more recent occurrence in our states of the south.
"While we recognize the unspeakable atrocities of the crimes committed by those persons to have been executed without authority of the law, we must point to the fact that the law and courts of our state, have shown their ability to execute justice against even the most heinous crimes. All experience of the past is to the effect that violence begets violence, and that the supplanting by private vengeance of the law and the functions of criminals can result in the weakening of the law and in the loss of respect for the constituted agencies of justice.
"We beg our people that, through self repression, moderation and Christian patience, as also for the love of humanity and our Christian civilization, they seek to deepen and make effective the growing public conscience against this and every other form of violence, to the end that the law be enthroned and our Christian ideals be vindicated." More than 2000 southern Methodists, attending an International missionary conference in Memphis at the same time, by an unanimous vote adopted a similar statement and ordered that it be broadcasted through the church, which has a membership of 2,500,000. This resolution was prepared by A. C. Miller of Little Rock and was as follows:
"Not merely because lynching Is wrong and unjustifiable, but also because of the reproach it brings upon us among other nations and races, we unqualifiedly condemn it and pledge ourselves to exert, our influence to suppress it.
LOCALS.
Joseph Butler is an Oakland boy who has conquered poverty and other handicaps and won honors for his race and is a credit to his instructor. During the past three weeks he has played a group of saxophone solo numbers over KLX broadcasting station. Three years ago he decided to become a saxophone soloist and through a friend was successful in becoming a special student under Prof. Frank Willard Kimball of Oakland. His willingness diligently to apply himself to study won for him this fall a place as one of the soloists in Kimball's saxophone band.
"Y" WORKERS MEET.
The mass meeting of "Y" workers held last Sunday evening in Mt. Pleasant Baptist church of Berkeley was well attended. Many of the officials of the two Oakland branches cooperated by participating in the program. The young people of this church rendered several musical numbers, after which Miss Lulua Chapman, Girl Reserve secretary of Linden branch Y. W. C. A., read a prepared paper on "Beauty," quoting from Sara Teasdale. "Life has loveliness to sell." Miss Chapman said in part: "God could make the world beautiful, although he could not make it good. Men must make the world good, and character is one means of doing this. What I shall have to answer for in the end is not the thing I did but the thing I was, not my reputation, but my character. Therefore let my character be such that I may think well of myself and proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud words, but in great deeds." Miss Chapman closed her talk with the supplication "that our Father, who surrounds us with beauty of life, may keep us sensitive to the beautiful and help us to share it that all life everywhere shall be radiant with beauty of thought and word and deed."
She was followed by Miss Marie Jeffers. who sang a sacred solo, after which W. E. Watkins, executive secretary Of Filbert branch Y. M C A., spoke briefly on character building and the priceless value of a good character, and how a dent in one's character will remain through life.
The annual membership meeting, dinner and election of officers and members of the committee of management for Filbert street Y. M. C. A. was held Monday evening in the assembly room and dining hall of this organization. Rev. W. J. J Byers presided. Music throughout the evening was furnished by W. Kirk, bass soloist for Cooper A. M. E. Zion church choir. He sang a group of rare old Negro spirituals recently arranged by Harry Burleigh. All the several department chairmen rendered their annual reports. R. Lee Williams, chairman of board of management, told of their removal from Thirty-fifth and Market street to their present larger structure.
The report of the social committee chairman, Alvin Nurse, was read by H. A. Pierce, showing that the organization had made contact with over 1000 persons during the past year. Physical Director Chairman M. Smith said they had been handicapped because of lack of funds and equipment, nevertheless the boys had been given some physical training. A report on boys' work and athletic activities was rendered bv Chairman H. A. Pierce, who said: "At the athletic meet held last summer in the University or California oval, when 15 different teams were represented from every section of California among colored people the Filbert street Y. M. C. A. the boys won second place. The silver loving cup, donated by the chamber of commerce, was won by San Francisco boys."
The chairman of the membership committee, B. N. Hulgan reported 65 boys and 186 men. Because he believes this organization will be of great value to Oakland he personally paid for the membership of 15 boys listed by him in this report. There were other members who have done worthwhile acts for this organization, A. G. Pergerson giving the organization its office furniture and J. M. Bridges several valuable gifts of furniture and pictures.
W. E. Watkins, executive secretary, gave a careful itemized annual report. His financial report showed the rapid gain the organization had made during the past year. Notwithstanding that colored citizens have been under a heavy economic depression, with much unemployment, they have made tremendous sacrifices that the Filbert street Y. M. C. A. might carry on. The following was the result of the annual election: Committee of management for three-year term, J. F. Carroll, W.L. Jones, R. L. Williams, J. M. Bridges, Alvin Nurse and B. N. Hunigan; two-year term, C. E. Fawcett; for one-year term, A. G. Pergerson, J. W. Ford and J. C. Rivera.
MASS MEETING.
There will be a mass meeting held this afternoon at 2 o'clock for the home and foreign missionary women society of Cooper A. M. E. Zion church, at which time the newly appointed pastor of Taylor Memorial church will address the meeting.
Linden branch Y. W. C. A. will hold its regular annual meeting Monday evening, January 13, at which time reports will be rendered.
Miss S. Marie Griffin, (daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas F. Griffin of Oakland, a former student for two years in the University of California, graduated January 2 with certificate to teach from Temple college, Philadelphia. She has announced her engagement to William Alfred Wilkins, a law student in the University of Pennsylvania.
