The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-03-28
University and It's
Splendid Work.
FIRST NEGRO POET.
Meeting Under Auspices OF
the Woman'S Club.

An audience that nearly filed Asso-
citation Hall attended the meeting
which was held in Association Hall last
night in the interests of Atlanta Uni
versity, and listened with the deepest
attention TO the two gifted negroes, one
a professor and the other a poet, and
to the president of the university. The
meeting was held under the auspices
OF the Woman's Club and the presi-
dent, Mrs Archibald McCullagh, pre-
sided in a happy manner. No collection
was made, no appeal was made for
money, but the problem of the colored
race in the city and the country and
the sociological work that is being con-
Quoted by Atlanta University were
presented in a way that could not but
make its appeal to every one present
1t would be a pity if an institution
which is doing so valuable and original
work should be cramped for want Of
funds
The first speaker of the evening was
w. de Bergot Dubois, professor of
economies and history at Atlanta Uni
Nefslty, handsome, refined looking
negro, III evening dress, who delivered
from manuscript a, very earnest and
elegantly written description of the
present condition of the negro and de-
hneated in powerful terms the negro
problem, which. said he must he
fairly faced even if we are tired of il
rms problem, curiousiy involved as it
Is, what is 1t but problem of civiliZa-
uon, question Of the spread Of ciyiliz-
atlon? The gravity of it has never been
realized by the American people. who
nave OF all nations the faculty of
ignoring the experiences and expert
ments of other nations and other times
put all the same, it is not simple. but
banning and complex, requiring science
as Wen as sentiment, keen mind as well
as tender heart, for it's solution. Al
!anta University is trying to show that
II IS not simple and the easy old
formulas will not answer"
continuing, Prof. Dubois pictured the
conditions existing in a small town in
GeofSla, where, Notwithstanding that
IL was home and even at times a
loVabie place, everything was pene-
trated by the subtle color line, contin-
uouS and never ending. 1t made an
eleventh commandments shalt
not cross the line!"-and it was no use
arguing over the line, because there it
was The people lived in color cIus-
tefs' the nome life of some of the ne
groes being little above that of the ami
mas What is the cause of it? Prof.
Dubois then sketched the history of the
colored race during the past 400 years,
beginning with his environment in AZ
rlca. Polygamy was then the rule.
put family life Gegenerated into adul-
terry and promiscuity, the loose domes-
TIC relations of the modern negro and
mulatto being the lineal descendant of
Of fpo
early years of the transpanting of the
negro race in America, the heather
ldea dominated their treatment by the
whites; that gave way to the CONNER
cal idea, and that ir turn to the feu-
dal idea, out of which slavery as we
knew it grew
With the 18th century came the de-
Nelopment OF the house servant where
py the slave was trained and educated
"a condition to which both the north
ana the south look back with regret,
It's Two weaknesses were looseness of
the family tie and the obstacles it
placed to the emergence of the talented
negro.
The modern negro has inherited his
lax notions of conjugal morality, his
economic helpleSsnesS and ignorance
while his children, who are likely to
be either impudent or cringing, point
to his lack of education. The problem
of problems is the group life of the ne
gro, and this centres in the church,
which represents all that survives of
the tribal and racial life in Africa, and
is narrow and ignorant. Who shall
lead them out into education, virtue and
industry?
Atlanta University and the indus
trial schools are endeavoring to give
the freedman his place in the industrial
world, while the public schools prepare
him for life. But what the race needs
is leadership, ideals. The negro must
be educated by white standards. he
must receive new ideas. and it is for
the American people to say what these
ideas shall be. Industrial schools can
not teach how ability and skill can
be put to the best advantages-this
must come from leaders. 1t is leaders
that Atlanta University tries TO make.
These leaders need to know what the