Activities Among Negroes
Grateful acknowledgement is extended to the persons who during the past week have sent clippings and news items of interest to this column. In the collection was one from the weekly magazine “Time” under date of May 12, 1930. The reader will find it of special interest because of the part that Negro spirituals sung by Negro singers, have been playing in international understanding. But very recently when the second district of Rotary clubs held their annual convention in this city, a chorus of 100 well-trained Negro singers under leadership of Mrs. Lincolona Morgan, a graduate of Fisk University and a former Fisk Jubilee singer took a prominent part in the evening’s program devoted to an “International Symposium.”
In the hour set aside for memorial to the departed members of the organization, four negro students from the Oakland public schools assisted in rendering appropriate music.
This article in “Time” magazine under the caption Dr. Livingston’s friends stated:
"Into soaring Westminster Abbey, sepulcher of many kings trooped last week a happy throng of Virginia Negroes. Soon their rich voices presented old plantation hymns. London papers in the main approved, praised the singers and their hymn leader, Dr. Nethaniel Dett, of Virginia Hampton Institute." At the close of their singing they crowded around the tomb of David Livingston, famed explorer {David Livingstone} missionary to 'Darkest Africa'. Dr. Dett laid a wreath on the tomb and the negro pilgrims knelt for a moment in silent prayer. In an interview Dr. Dett is quoted as saying 'The lord mayor of Plymouth came to welcome us to England, and we sang one of our choral numbers for him before we took the boat train. When we got to London and had a real good night's rest, Prime Minister MacDonald invited us to tea at his official house, No. 10 Downing street. Our concerts in London are under the patronage of Ambassador Dawes. After that, we all are going to sing in Belgium, Holland, France, Switzerland, Austria and Germany.'
Guests of Ishbel MacDonald with the Virginians at tea included Chancellor of the Exchequer and Mrs. Philip Snowden (who warmly praised Dr. Det’s compositions) Foreign Minister and Mrs. Arthur Henderson, and the visiting chancellor of Austria, Dr. Johann Schober.
"London newspapers, turning to 'Who's Who In Colored America', discovered and reported to their readers that Dr. Robert Nathaniel Dett was church and social pianist, Niagara Falls, N. Y., 1898-1902 and in 1919 organized the Musical Art Society in Hampton Institute, Virginia, is now a leading United states composer ('In the Bottoms' and 'Listen to the Lambs').”
Another news item appearing in the same publication, under the caption: "Negro Chain" has the following to say:
"In Tulsa. 32 stores; in Dallas, 25; in Omaha, 10.
"Last week members of the Colored Merchants Association, met in the Bankers club at Manhattan, inspected figures such as these: Three years ago, at the suggestion of the National Negro Business League, the C. M. A. was founded in Montgomery, Ala. Since then it has expanded rapidly and now boasts 253 stores. Not quite a chain, since the members all are independent grocers, it has such chain advantages as cooperative buying and cooperative advertising. At last week meeting the C. M. A. planned an organization of its own personnel apart from the National Negro Business League and the appointment of six field men who will go to all stores to advise on budget, auditing and displays. Any city with ten stores willing to become members may join. The dues are $5 per month per store. So far the work of the C. M. A. has been carried on by Albion Holsey, secretary of the National Negro Business League, trained as secretary at Tuskegee. institute.”
ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
A program has been received from Washington, D. C., giving in detail the recent celebration in that city of the Phyllis Wheatley Young Women's Christian Association. The president of the organization is Mrs. Julia West Hamilton, a nationally known leader of her race in all uplift movements. She was one of the outstanding delegates of the National Association of Colored Women when they held their biennial in 1926 in Oakland. Some idea of the vast amount of work done by this organization in Washington can be gained by the following extract of the history:
"It was organized May 6, 1905, at the suggestion of Mrs. Rosseta E. Lawson, and two rooms were rented. World war conditions made necessary larger work to be done by the Y. W. C. A. and the national board of the Y. W. C. A. appropriated $200,000 for a demonstration building in Washington for work among colored women and girls. The money was given to the national board by the War Work council out of a fund contributed by citizens all over the country for civic and war purposes.
"Miss Elizabeth C. Carter of New Bedford, was sent by the national board of the Y. W. C. A. as first general secretary to supervise the erection and equipment of the building and remained for more than two years. She was succeeded by Mrs. Martha A. MacAdoo, the present secretary, who has served nine years. The Phyllis Wheatley Y. W. C. A. building was dedicated December, 1920, and the deed was transferred to the board of directors April 1, 1923. In 1929 the association became a member of the Community Chest. More than 6300 women and girls have been cared for and accommodated in the building. Eleven organizations other than the Y. W. C. A. use the building for their meetings."
WAR MOTHERS MEET
The California state chapter of War Mothers held its tenth annual convention in the Senate Chamber of the State of California in Sacramento, April 30 to May 3. The state president, Mrs. Cora B. Cox, of Ben Lomond, presided, and welcomed the 32 chapters. Of this number there are two Negro chapters, the Maria L. Baldwin of Alameda county, the first to organize in the United States, and the Angelus of Los Angeles.
The Maria L. Baldwin chapter sent the following delegates: Mrs. Carrie Bluett, president, and Mrs. Julia Mitchel, past president, with Mrs. Hettie B. Tilghman, state historian. Another colored delegate present was Mrs. Laura O'Reilly, a member of the Sacramento chapter. Greetings were received and read from the Angelus chapter. Oaklanders will be delighted to know that Mrs. Hettie B. Tilghman, historian for the state, was highly complimented for her work during the past year and was unanimously re-elected. This organization does not draw a color line.
Y.M. C. A. NOTES
The Filbert street Y. M.C. A. branch will hold their fourth annual track meet at the University of California oval on Saturday, May 31, at 2 p. m. The meet will be under the direction of Attorneys Walter A. Gordon and George Johnson. The meet this year will have teams entered from all around the Bay region.
CLUB NOTES
The Arts and Crafts committee of the California State Federation of Colored Women's clubs will hold a benefit for financing the annual art exhibit on exchange day with a New England dinner to be served Wednesday, May 28, in Linden branch, Y. W. C. A. They will have a merchants' lunch at 12 p. m. and dinner will be served from 5 to 8 p. m. The public will be welcome.
DEATHS
Bishop John of the African Methodist Episcopal church, died in Baltimore, Md. A member of the board of directors of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, it was his dying request that Walter White, acting secretary of the organization and a close friend, should speak at his funeral. White said in part "I have never known a man who so nearly approximated in life the high ethical standards of Christianity and of the Man of Galilee. His was a simple, beautiful, moving faith which was contest to rest upon example rather than upon precepts.
"I think, too, of Bishop Hurst as one of the founders, as a director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. We never had to worry or question for a moment where John Hurst stood. We knew that we could always depend upon his courage, his integrity and his high counsel.
"Finally I think of John Hurst as my friend, tender, considerate, ever forgetting self. He was as dear to me as my own father, and I can say no more than that. I knew always that I could turn to him for comfort when life seemed harsh and hopeless. With him there came an air of happiness whenever he came to our home, and we were proud of the fact that he was the godfather of our daughter."
RESOLUTION PASSED
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People passed the following resolution on the death of Bishop John Hurst:
"John Hurst, bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal church, has been a power for good in this world for more than a quarter a century. He has stood for personal morality, public honesty and efficiency in organization. He was not satisfied to work simply for his own advancement or even for the advancement of his own church, but as a member of the board of directors of the N. A. A. C. P. we feel in his death not only the loss of personal companionship with a staunch friend and courteous gentlemen, but wish to record their grief at the passing of a great American citizen."
Activities Among Negroes/Sun, May 25, 1930 25 May 1930, Sun Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Newspapers.com
