Activities Among Negroes
Mrs. M. Edwards of Los Angeles, the newly elected president at the recent California State Federation of Colored Women's clubs in this city has a record of fifteen years of intensive club activity. The following news from Oberlin, Ohio, states:
"That the women attending the Third General Interracial Conference of Church Women at Oberlin College could themselves revolutionize the world in its attitude on race-relations" was the challenged statement of Dr. Leslie Pinkney Hill in a closing address of the conference. Dr. Hill, who is principal of the Cheyney Training School for Teachers near Philadelphia, stated that "i
t is, after all, the attitude of the individual that settles the great social problems of the world."
In addition to Dr. Hill, the speakers at the conference were Dean Lucy Slowe of Howard University, and Dr. Will W. Alexander of the Commission on Interracial Cooperation, with headquarters in Atlanta, Ga. The chairman was May Leonard Woodruff, corresponding secretary of the Women's Homes Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal church. Leading the discussion was Miss Rhoda McCulloch, editor-in-chief of the Women's Press, National Board, Y. W. C. A., New York City.
SORORITY CONFERENCE
Ten years ago the colored women students in the University of California at Berkeley organized Alpha Pi club, out which has grown two women's sororities-the Alpha Kappa Alpha and the Delta Sigma Thea. The last named very recently held an annual educational week in the University of California Y. W. C. A. cottage, closing with a tea on Sunday in the rose gardens of Dr. and Mrs. Boy Bush in Berkeley. The Alpha Kappa Alpha just closed the second far western regional conference, which was held in Stephen's Union. The conference was composed of the following chapters which are recognized by the national body that was organized 14 years ago in Howard University, Washington D. C.: Rho, Alpha Gamma Omega, and Alpha Nu Omega. The entire day was given over to reports from various chapters, organizing committees and discussing problems of the sororities.
Sunday, June 9th, a reception was held in the afternoon for visitors at the home of Mrs. Theodora L. Purnell in Berkeley. The evening session was an open public meeting held in Mount Pleasant Baptist church in Berkeley. The principal speaker was Mr. Mattie Scott Nelson, executive secretary, Twelfth Street Branch Y. W. C. A. of Los Angeles. Her subject was "Women of the World." In regard to the women of her own race, she told something of their activity in business and the professions, the trades and domestic service, adding: "Social conditions in American hardest upon the Negro because he is the lowest in the economic scale. The tendency is to force the Negro downward, giving rise to serious social problems and to a consequent demand for trained college women in the profession of social work. The need has been met by young college women anxious to devote their lives to work among their unfortunate sister. The Negro college woman is also serving a probation, investigating and police-woman. In the profession of nursing she is ministering to the suffering, and the professional Negro nurse is gradually supplanting the woman attendant of former years.
“We also have the librarian," she said, "and this opens up another large field of hope for the Negro girl. There are also interesting and more unusual fields in the profession of bacteriology, chemistry and pharmacy, and though the number in any one may be small, the Negro woman is creditably represented in practically everyone, and according to ability she is meeting with success.
"The educational welfare of the coming generation has become the chief concern of the national sororities of Negro college women. A fine practice followed by them is to give the girls a chance to hear the life stories of Negro women successful in various fields of endeavor. Real talent overcome the color line, and the progressive and privileged group of Negro women are expressing their community and rare consciousness; they are, in the face of difficulties, standing erect and developing within selves the moral strength to rise above and conquer false attitudes, They are maintaining their natural charm and improving their minds and opportunities measuring up to the need of their families, communities and race, and radiating hope throughout the land.
"And, friends, we must realize that these young college women are our hope, inspiration and our fulfillment of desire. We must help them to live up to the highest ideals. Of course, if we fail them, they will struggle on, but if they fail us we are lost. What do we owe them? Support, understanding, comradeship, trust and love."
COMMERCIAL ART
Commercial art as a vocation was the subject of a paper of Theodora L. Purnell of Berkeley, who said in part: "An art student until very recent years has not been given an equal scholastic rating with other college women graduates. Those of us who have specialized in art were indeed happy when at last the fraternal bodies recognized that to be a graduate art student meant a student graduate in most of the requirements of any college curriculum. What does an art student have to know? She has to be familiar with the literature of all ages; she has to know the history ancient and modern, she has to be a biologist, physiologist, a chemist, a physicist, a botanist, and an analogist and particularly a mathematician, a harmonist and most of all a humanist. When entering the field of art, you may rest assured that there is no race prejudice to face, a good design for any of the thousand of things that are to use every day for its face value and not for the color of the face of the artist.”
There were many fine papers read before the conference, either by those selected or by an official representative. Among this number were Dr. Vada Somerville and Dr. Alice Garrott, women dentists of Los Angeles. A paper by Dr. Ruth Temple-Banks, woman doctor of Los Angeles, was read by Soro Louis Kenner, while Attorney Ann Virginia Stephens read a paper on law. Carolyn Wickliffe, Marjory Bright and Gladys Gier spoke on technique of teaching. Subjects discussed during the conference session were: "Have Sororities Justified Their Existence in Western Colleges?" "What Does Membership in Alpha Kappa Alpha Offer the Undergraduate" "The Graduate:" "Are A. K. A. Standards Too High for Western Students?" "A. K. A. Spirit."
TESTIMONIAL CONCERT
Taylor Davis, young singer, who was heard at the interracial meeting this winter held in First Congregational church, and also at the Oakland Council of Church Women luncheon program in Taylor Memorial church recently, will be presented in a testimonial concert Monday evening, July 7th, at Kohler & Chase concert hall, Oakland. The object will be to help the young student raise money to complete his musical education in the east. His mother will assist in the program.
GRADUATE HONORED
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Porter Martin of Berkeley recently tendered their daughter Beatrice a party honoring her graduation from high school. She is an excellent singer and pianist, and plans to enter Sacramento Junior college next semester.
The California State Federation of Colored Women' Clubs closed their annual convention held in this city last week by electing the following state officers: President, J. M. Edwards, Los Angeles; vice-presidents, Mesdames F. M. Burleigh, El Centro; Chloria Sledge, Oakland; S. Small, Bakersfield; chairman executive board, Ada Jackson, Los Angeles; chaplain, Alice Lay, Oakland; treasurer, L. J. Williams, Vallejo; parliamentarian, J. C. Banks, Los Angeles; editor Star Journal, Miss Talma Brooks, Oakland; secretaries, Mesdames Vivian Osborn Marsh, Berkeley; Willie Ma Beaver, Los Angeles; corresponding secretary, E. L. Hinds, Hanford; financial secretary, Anna Jackson, El Centro; superintendent of departments Credentials, Marion Miller, Oakland; education and literature, Grayce Mathew T Berkeley; reciprocity, Hattie De Hart, Berkeley; business, Laura O'Reilly, Sacramento; religious work, Mamie Morris, San Francisco; citizenship and legislation, F. E. Bramlet, Los Angeles; mothers' work, Mattie Dixon, Oakland; art and crafts, Theodora L. Purnell, Berkeley; way and means Lulu McCable Sargent, Oakland; music, Octavia Longress, Oakland; organizer, Ceola Brown, Oakland; health and sanitation. Miss Mary E. Crawford, San Francisco; domestic science. Nettie Coates, Sacramento; young women's work. Sadie Givens, Berkeley; Junior organizer, Ora Branford, Alameda: Juvenile work. Bertha Allen, Oakland; big sister department. Hattie James, Oakland; past president congress, Z. O. Smith, Tulare; transportation, Maud Norman, Oakland
Activities Among Negroes/Sun, Jul 06, 1930 06 Jul 1930, Sun Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Newspapers.com
