Activities Among Negroes
According to a news item received from New York City, congratulations were cabled to Haiti’s new president, Stenio Vincent, by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, at whose 1921 annual spring conference in Detroit he was a speaker. The cablegram, signed by Walter White, acting secretary, read: "On behalf of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, I extend to you our warmest felicitations on your election as president of Haiti. We wish you prosperity and peace to the republic and to you under your able administration."
President Vincent, who formerly served as secretary of state for foreign affairs in Haiti, and who was a member of the Haitian senate at the time it was dissolved by the United States Marines, has since then persistently campaigned, for the restoration to his country of its right of self-government. His election is a striking victory for the Haitian Nationalists and for the Patriotic Union of Haiti in which he was a leader, and which is affiliated with the N. A. A. C. P."
FISK DEDICATES LIBRARY
Among the letters, booklets and papers received this week was a letter from Dr. Thomas E. Jones, president of Fisk University, Nashville, Tenn., with a program of the recent dedication of the university’s new library together with a booklet illustrating this magnificent structure. This new library was made possible through the General Educational Board, the Julius Rosenwald Fund, and the Carnegie Corporation. Preceding the dedication exercises, there were two important conferences at Fisk University. The educational conference for two days dealt with technical problems of college administration. The delegate to this conference included presidents of deans of most of the Negro colleges together with such outstanding educators as Joseph K. Hart, head of the department of education at Vanderbilt; Sheldon Phelps, dean of Peabody; and A. M. Palm, associate secretary of the Association of American Colleges.
This conference was followed by the Negro Library Conference which was made possible by a grant from the Julius Rosenwald Fund, the Carnegie Corporation, and individuals in New York City.
The interest of these funds in the establishment of better library facilities for Negroes has stimulated an interest in the profession of librarian so that the colleges are being forced to supply trained librarians to answer the demand. This is the first time that such a group has come together, to work out library problems, and some of the best specialists in library science in the country were in attendance and entered into the discussions. At the Thursday evening of the conference, which was open to the public in Fisk Memorial Chapel, Robert M. Lester, of the Carnegie Corporation, and Clark Foreman, of the Julius Rosenwald Fund, frankly stated the position of these funds in regard to Negro libraries.
Other specialists appearing on the program of this conference were nubile librarians from Nashville, Louisville, Cincinnati, Lexington and Roanoke; Thomas F. Blue, head of the colored division of the Louisville Public Library, the best trained and most experienced of all Negro librarians, and Dr. Monroe N. Work, compiler of bibliograph on the Negro, at Tuskegee Institute. This dedication of Fisk Library was held in the Memorial Chapel, and consisted of an invocation by Rabbi Julius Mark; president of the building, Henry V. Hibbs, architect; acceptance by Paul P. Cravath, chairman of the board of trustees of Fisk University; music group of sacred songs by "the Mozart Society" of Fisk, followed by greetings from Hon. Henry H. Horton, governor of Tennessee; remarks by Louis Shores, librarian of Fisk; greetings from Louis R. Wilson, librarian at University of North Carolina and vice-president American Library Association; greetings by Jackson E. Towne, librarian at George Peabody College for Teachers and president Tennessee Library Association; greetings by Herbert Hirshberg, dean of the school of library science at Western Reserve University; group of Negro spirituals by Fisk Jubilee Singers; remarks by Dr. R. H. Moton, president of Tuskegee Institute; remarks by Adam Strom, president of the American Library Association; address, "The Modern College and the Imponderable," by Herbert E. Hawkes, dean of Columbia University; benediction, by Bishop I. B. Scott.
ELECTED ELDER
A special news dispatch, from New York City stated that Mrs. William Wolfe, wife of the principal of the Bowling Green Academy, Kentucky, a National Mission Institute for Negro boys and girls, has been elected "elder" in the Bowling Green church, according to announcement by the Presbyterian Board of National Missions. With this election Mrs. Wolfe becomes the first Negro woman elder in the Presbyterian church in the United Slates.
OPEN NEW HOSPITAL
A current issue of the magazine "America" told of the opening of a hospital for Negroes (the St. Mary's Infirmary), the university hospital of St. Louis University. The hospital will be in charge of the "Sisters of St. Mary," and will provide new and valuable opportunity for Negro physicians and surgeons who will be admitted to the staff of the Institution and will result in the establishment of a training school for Negro nurses, who will be trained without consideration of religious creed. St. Mary’s Infirmary will be one of the staff-related hospitals of the university with approximately 150 beds of which 50 will be entirely free or obtained at a nominal fee.
A clipping from a current issue of the Catholic Telegram gives pictures of the six colored theological students who received the tonsure at the hands of Rt. Rev. Richard Oliver Gerow, Bishop of Natchez at St. Augustine Seminary Bay, St. Louis, Mississippi, on All Saints' Day. This seminary is devoted to the training of colored candidates for the priesthood. These theologians represent the first fruits of the seminary which had its modest beginning 10 years ago. It Is conducted by the Society of the Divine Word.
As a member of the League of Nations Association for Northern California, and special writer for The TRIBUNE, it was this correspondents privilege to attend Tuesday the lecture given in the Sir Frances Drake Hotel by Hon. Pierre de Lanux, director of the fans office of the League of Nations. While his subject was on "Disarmament," he stressed at length the value of a friendly press. He congratulated the American Public and especially of the San Francisco bay cities upon the splendid service, which gives the readers, he said, a clearer idea and views of world affairs than in almost any other section of this country. Later it was my privilege to be one of a party of six to whom he explained in detail the value of the international bank operating in Geneva. He was introduced to the audience by Chester Rowell.
INTERRACIAL MEET
Rev. Brown, pastor of Mt. Pleasant Baptist church of Berkeley, announces that acting upon suggestions made at the last community lyceum held in his church, a group of teachers from the Berkeley public schools, together with colored citizens, will meet Tuesday evening to organize an interracial committee to work for community-better racial understanding.
LINEN SHOWER
Mrs. Ellen M. Gates and Mrs. Robert Barron gave a reception and linen shower on Sunday afternoon in their home on Market street honoring Miss Bessie Duberry, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. M. A. Duberry, whose engagement was announced to Clarence Tolden of Oakland. The wedding will occur during the holidays.
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The Young Women's Auxiliary of First A. M. E. church accompanied by their president, Miss Esther Dubois, journeyed to the Home for Aged and Infirm Colored People in Beulah on Sunday afternoon. After the sermonette, delivered by the pastor, Rev. T. Deam Scott, fruit and flowers were distributed to the inmates by Mrs. Julia Davis, one of the officials of the auxiliary.
PUBLIC RECEPTION
The Acorn club of young men is holding a reception this afternoon dedicating their recently purchased clubhouse on Ashby road, Berkeley. This club had for years conducted the Mother's Day program at the Home for Aged and Infirm Colored People, distributing fruit and flowers. After the observance of National Negro History Week last May, in the Oakland Public Library, the library compiled a catalogue of available Negro books. This club, realizing the value to the race to study and read books by Negros, has at their own expense mimeographed many copies of this compilation and presented the same to members of the family of clubs of the race in this district. This service is most commendable and showed great race pride.
CELEBRATE BIRTHDAY
The officials and members of the Attucks Dramatic, Musical and Art Association of the San Francisco bay cities are making preparation to hold their first Christmas party in the studio of Prof. W. Henry Thomas in San Francisco.
MEMORIAL SERVICES
The several orders of the colored Elks, will observe annual Memorial services this afternoon in Cooper A. M. E. Zion church. Rev. W. J. J. Byers will deliver the eulogy.
