Activities Among Negroes
Mrs. Mary McCloud Bethune, Daytona Beach, Florida, president of the National Association of Colored Women; Mrs. Corrine B. Hicks, Pasadena, president of the California Federation of Colored Women's Clubs; Mrs. Esther Jones Lee, Oakland, president of Northern California; Mrs. Pearl Lowery Winters, Bakersfield, who served as national chairman of ways and means, and also as the general representative from California federation in presenting the invitation to the N. A. of C. W. two years ago in Chicago, inviting them to hold the next meeting in Oakland, with Mrs. H. E. DeHart and Mrs. Bridges, representing the treasurer and auditing committee, wish to sincerely thank every citizen and especially The TRIBUNE for all courtesies shown the visiting colored club women who attended the biennial which has just closed.
SIGHTSEEING TOUR.
Through the committee representing the Past Presidents' Congress of Colored Women's clubs. Mrs. Irene Bell Ruggles, San Francisco, Mrs. Hettie B. Tilghman, Berkeley; Mrs. Elizabeth Brown Oakland; Mrs. O'Reily, Sacramento, and Mrs. Boyer, San Jose, the delegates were provided with a sightseeing tour of the Skyline boulevard and into Berkeley, where Mrs. Bethune delivered an address. It was the first to be delivered by a colored woman in the Greek theater.
SAN FRANCISCO GREETINGS.
Mrs. Irene Bell Ruggles, chairman of recreation for the colored club women of San Francisco wishes to first extend sincere thanks to the Oakland TRIBUNE for creating favorable public sentiment toward the race, through the articles published, making it easier for the citizens of the other group to extend courtesies to the visiting colored women delegates.
The following San Francisco club women, Mesdames Tulip Jones, and Laura Davis, Mattie Peace, Marie Gaskins, Margaret Wright, with Mrs. Irene B. Ruggles acting as chairman, were enabled Monday August 9 to have Mrs. Bethune and hold a delegation of four hundred club with women escorted from the ferry building in automobiles to the city hall, where Mayor Rolph greeted them. After a sightseeing tour of the city, and through the Presidio all as the guests of Mrs. N. L. Nelson past president of the California Federation of (white) Women's Clubs, and Mrs. Maddocks, past president of the Civic Center (white) of San Francisco, the entire delegation was served lunch in the California club house.
After lunch, through the courtesy of Mr. Alberger and City Commissioner Sherman, the delegates were given a boat ride about San Francisco bay. California fruit and flowers were distributed during the trip.
Returning to the city, the delegates were taken to C. J. Walker's home, where they rested and prepared for a reception and musical program given in the evening at the California Club house. Mrs. Irma Reed arranged the program, assisted by the Shriners' orchestra. During the evening a committee Federation of Colored Women's clubs, with Mrs. Lawrence Sledge of Oakland acting as chairman, assisted by Mrs. Ada Jackson of Los Angeles, presented Mrs. Bethune with a leather traveling bag. Gifts and flowers were presented to Mrs. Corrine B. Hicks, California State president of Colored Women's clubs and the newly elected state president, Mrs. Esther Jones Lee of Oakland. Mrs. Hicks was also presented with the past president's pin.
N. A. A. C. P.
Attorney Drake, president of the local branch, N. A. A. C. P., realizing that many of the visiting club women were officers of this organization in their home towns, arranged a meeting for August 9 in the Fifteenth Street church at which Attorney Marie Madre Marshall was the principal speaker. She is a member of the board of directors of the Washington, D. C., branch of the N. A. A. C. P. and recently spoke before the judiciary committee of the United States Senate. Mrs. Marshall made a plea for the race to recognize the power, use, and meaning of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. "Not until the N. A. A. C. P. was organized," she said, "did we have anybody to help us play our whole part as American citizens in an economic, industrial and legal society. It is our only bond of the whole people, sensitive to its wrongs and equally so to the wrongs of the humblest citizen.
No one doubts the Americanism of the black man, but unless the people support the N. A. A. C. P. in its efforts to better the race's place in politics, there seems to be no other way whereby we can offset the denial of suffrage to 800,000 of our race in the South."
There were many other women prominently identified with this organization present, including Mrs. Myrtle Foster Cook, editor of "National Notes," a member of the board of directors of the branch in Kansas City, who recently addressed the annual national conference of the organization in Chicago; Mrs. Addie Hunton, a member of the national board in New York, who, while on the coast, will visit all the branches. En route back east she will again visit Oakland and deliver a lecture.
FEDERATION MEET.
Immediately following the close of the convention, the California State Federation of Colored Women's clubs met in their twentieth annual session in Beth Eden Baptist church, Oakland. The president, Mrs. Corrine B. Hicks, of Pasadena, presided. She announced that she purposed to complete the business of the convention in two days instead of five as heretofore. Reports were read, bylaws revised, memorial services for twenty deceased members held, a round table discussion on "Inter-Racial Cooperation" held, and the annual election carried out before 11 p. m. of the second day.
SECRET OF SUCCESS.
The secret of the success of Mrs. Hicks as state president for the California Federation of Colored Women's clubs is that she is a trained leader. Her early education was acquired in the public schools of Cincinnati, Ohio, her native city, after which she went to London, England, where she studied for a number of years, going to Italy and France for intensive vocal training. On returning to America, she came to California to live. She has been identified with the state club work during the entire 20 years of the organization. She rules with smiles. Her annual report was a masterpiece of English, concise and filled with wholesome recommendations that brought many complimentary remarks from the floor of the convention. She will be succeeded by Mrs. Esther Jones Lee of Oakland.
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED.
The two conventions adopted resolutions on the Dyer Anti-Lynching bill, and accepted the report of the Northwestern Federation on their work in regard to abolishing lynching under the chairmanship of Dr. Adena C. Minott of New Bedford, Conn. Then endorsed the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters' orgganization (organization) and a memorial monument to be erected in Washington, D. C., (African American Civil War Memorial) in memory of the colored soldiers, sailors, doctors and nurses who died in the war. A resolution presented by Arthur Gray of Oakland asking that 2000 copies of Mrs. Bethune's annual address be printed and distributed among the members was approved.
VISITORS OF DISTINCTION.
Among the visitors of distinction attending the convention was Miss Eva Chase, of Washington, D. C.. who is principal of Montgomery High school, editor of the Washington Bee, founder and organizer of the first parent-teachers' association of the District of Columbia, president and founder of the Elizabeth Thomas Citizen Association, and organizer of the Women's Republican League of the District of Columbia. Mrs. Lillian Maxwell, proprietor of the Maxwell Book Shop, which supplies books for Howard University and schools of the District of Columbia, also attended, as did Miss Bell, a teacher in the public schools of Washington, D. C., and Mrs. Jane Porter Barrett of Peak, Virginia, superintendent of an industrial school for colored girls.
SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISTS.
Rev. Owen Troy of the Market Street S. D. A. church has charge of all the music for the young people's meetings and is assistant musical director for the general services in the Seventh Day Adventist camp meeting now being conducted in Elmhurst. There are about thirty colored people in attendance, five of whom are delegates from the church in Oakland. Two recent graduates from the Golden Gate Academy are L. L. Holness, of Jamaica, West Indies, and J. T. Dent. Among the delegates are Mr. and Mrs. Burnett of Calistoga, Mrs. Gustavius Drake of Alameda, and Mrs. Anna Johnson of San Mateo.
