Activities Among Negroes
The New York World for July carried an interesting story of this International Congressional council now in session at Bournemouth, England, in which race prejudice in America is being given special attention. Dr. George L. Cady of New York, secretary or the American Missionary association and an active member of the commission on race relations, Federal Council of Churches, made the following statement:
"There, is no room for race prejudice and Jesus Christ in the same church, yet Christians are at present attempting to make room for both. In America, the negro is shut out from a large number Christian churches of the north and from many more in the south. On the one hand we profess brotherhood and on the other we deny it. People will not believe in the Christianity which the church in practice repudiates. The churches would be unable to fight world paganism effectively so long as the church repudiates Christianity by not practicing Christian brotherhood between the races."
NATIVES INTERESTED
Letters from Dr. George E Haynes, secretary of the federal council’s commission on race relations, who is now making a study for the international survey committee of the Christian association in South Africa, reports experience of great interest in his visits in the interior of South Africa. A letter written on June 11 from Durbun, Natel, tells of the keen interest of the natives to hear about Negro progress in America.
Through the cooperation of Max Yergan, Y. M. C. A. secretary and African natives who have been educated in America, Dr. Haynes is having an unusual opportunity to see native African life in the parts of the country which are on little affected by European influence. One of the African leaders has taken Dr. Haynes on a three-day auto trip to the heart of Zululand. This leader was educated at 0berlin college in the United States and is the principal of a school on the order of Tuskegee Institute.
Dr. Haynes trip in South Africa has impressed him by both the similarities and differences between the race problems with that country and those of the United States. .Leaders of both races in South Africa are looking to this country for help with the problems which they face.
CHURCH WOMEN MEET
In commenting on the recent third general interracial conference of church women held in Oberlin college, Oberlin, O., Miss Katherina Gardner, secretary of the church women's committee of the commission on race relations, the Federal council of Churches, which held this conference, said:
“This gathering marks a distinct advance over the two previous ones both in numbers and spirit. It is significant that more than a hundred leading church women representing both races in equal proportion and coming from widespread territory have not met as negroes or white, not as Methodist, Baptist, or Presbyterians, but as a united group of Christian women, who are earnestly working for the application of Christ’s teachings of the race problem in America.
The findings of the third general interracial conference of church women can best be interpreted by those who shared in the conference experience. Each item of study in this program or action was brought out in the spirit of understanding which controlled the discussion.
"In order to carry out this program, we shall have to find a way to bring about effectively participation by both national and local groups. The conference suggests careful experimentation in cases where there is responsibility. If the program of the conference two years hence, is built upon the study and action which follows the adoption of these findings, we shall then be able to measure our progress and discover new ways of work to meet new situations.
We recommend: That we ask the women's committee to interest a research organization in undertaking a study of the policy and practice of the denominations: (a) leadership for church activities home and abroad with particular reference to problems involved in isolated racial groups, (b) in relation to Negro women employed as missionaries at home and abroad with reference to opportunities for employment, qualifications of candidates, salary and living conditions, and opportunities for professional advancement.
"We recommend: That each local unit examine the groupings for interracial work to see (1) whether the committees are adequately representative of all groups concerned, and (2) to discover ways in which their work can be influenced by the experience of interested groups outside the membership of the committee so the interracial committee shall have the confidence of the whole community.
WAY OF WORK
"We believe that the best results come from meeting concrete solutions in the community life as they arise, rather than attacking the question of race relations in the abstract or merely setting up special events. We need to study ways in which groups have arrived at successful solutions and ask the women's committee to make reports available to local groups.
"We believe that the churches out to be reminded of the importance of the work of groups of laymen in the development of public opinion in regards to the race relations, and in supporting individuals of the church who may find themselves in critical positions in the life of the community. We believe that members of churches could increase the effectiveness of any community enterprise if they would insist that the planning Committee include representative of all racial groups involved.
"We believe that local groups should study ways in which public opinion may be influenced in regard to race relationship (for instance the use of the press). We recognize that only by a long continued program of study, work which persists despite temporary failures, will our community life and its interracial relationship measure up to Jesus’ definition of the good life."
The conference authorized the presentation by letter and personal conference of an urgent request to Dr. W.R. King, executive secretary of the home missions council, that arrangements be made for accommodations without discrimination for all delegates at the home missions congress of North America in Washington D. C., in December and that’s if such accommodations cannot be provided the congress be held in a city where satisfactory arrangements cannot be made.
LOCALS
A benefit dinner will be given for the Filbert street branch Y. M. C. A. Thursday evening, July 24, at the Jewish Community Center, 724 Fourteenth street, at 6:15 sharp; price is $1 per plate. Various candidates now in the race for office and their friends will be guests at this dinner. Get nine friends to join you and you will receive a table for 10, and let W. E. Watkins have your reservations not later than Wednesday evening at 8 o'clock. Hon. Fred N. Morcom has accepted to be master of ceremonies at this dinner. This will be the first opportunity given the colored group and many others to hear and see some of the candidates now running for office in this district and county.
ATTEND LODGE MEET
Mrs. Elizabeth Brown, president of the Home for Aged and Infirm Colored People, is in Fresno, where she is serving as a delegate to the Pacific Grand Guild of Knights Templars which met in session yesterday. Today they hold their annual devotional and memorial exercises. On Monday the Golden State Grand chapter of Eastern Star will sit in annual session in the same city. Mrs. Brown is past grand matron of this fraternal organization, and on Thursday the Grand Court Heroines of Jerico {Jericho} will meet in annual session. She is grand treasurer of this order.
PYTHIANS MEET
The nineteenth annual session of the grand lodge, Knights of Pythians {Phythias} and the ninth annual session of the Grand Court Order of Calanthe N. A. S. E. A. A and A. and for the jurisdiction of California, will convene in Carpenters' hall ln this city on July 28, 29 and 30. Sunday, July 27, memorial services will be conducted at Beth-Eden Baptist church at 7:30 p. m. Public reception on Monday evening and grand pageant Tuesday evening at Auditorium, Twelfth and Fallon streets.
HAVE YOU REGISTERED?
Have you registered? If not, do so immediately. No man or women can be a good citizen who does not exercise the right of franchise, especially in a country where this privilege is restricted. No one can vote at the primary election unless he has first registered
GOLD STAR PROTEST
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has sent protest against the segregation of Negro Gold Star Mothers making the pilgrimage to France. Other national Negro organizations cooperated with the N. A. A. C. P.
The National Association of Colored Women, sent the following telegram:
"We, the National Association of Colored Women in convention assembled at Hot Springs, representing 600,000 colored women citizens of America, do hereby protest against the wholesale government segregation of Negro Gold Star Mothers and widows, particularly ln the housing of them in inferior hotels and rooming houses in Harlem and in sending of them in inferior ships. Remembering that our colored boys fought in the same trenches, at the same time firing the same guns and made the same supreme sacrifice for the democracy of the world."
Activities Among Negroes/Sun, Jul 20, 1930 20 Jul 1930, Sun Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Newspapers.com
