The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1901-03-20
NEGRO VANITY REpRoVED,
The Use Of Anti-Kink, Hair Washes
and Face Rleaches.

The Louisiana Conference Of the
African Methodist Church has taken
steps TO stop the atte pts Of the ne
groes ofthe s. nth to get rid Of their
black faces AID kioky hair. Besides
reprehending the condrcs Of negroes
who seek to blea,h their faces and
straighten their hair, the Conference
voted that its members Should not
subscribe to any negro psper that pub
lisbed advertisements Of fscs blesches
CT hair s,raighteners. The Church
organs will be required to cancel such
advertising contracts.
The action was taken because of
the great increase in the sale Of such
articles this year. Ga account Of the
high price Of cotton the negroes gen.
orally have more money than ever be-
fore, and they are spending 1t for
luxuriee, which include perfumes, hair
washes and face bleaches. The ssle Of
perfumes in the Southwest has IL creased
nearly four-fold over last year. The
perfumes most in dsm and are musk and
paschouli, for the negro likes strong
perfume and will not touch violet or
similar mild articlas.
Almost equsl!y in demand with
these perfumes are the faee bleaches
and the various aati-kirk remedies
There sre several score Of these quack
medicines, the m ain constituent Of
which is some strong acid. The re-
suit, $50 the leading ministers at the
Conferenc, declared, has been to rem.
der thousands Of young negroes prena.
turely bald, their hair being burned off
by the anti-kink acids. As for the
face blescbes they occ ssions!ly reduce
the black color slightly, but only BY
burning of the skin, giving the negro
an unhealthy and diseased appeata CO.
The Conference thought it time to
interfere aud protest the negro against
the evil eff.c:s Of this manifestation Of
vanity, which is no: only costing them
thousands Of dollars absolutely thrown
away en- nostlums, but also seriou,ly
i1juring the race. The negro is less
liable to badness than the white nan,
but the entire race would soon be bald
if the anti-kinks continued to increase
in use as they have donethis year.
Bishop c.: s. Smith, the Rev. Mr..
Willard, sed the Rsv. j. White we're
the leaders in the movement against
this negro vanity. A special commit
tee was appointed to consider the ques-
ton and it brought in the resolutions
against anti kink and fsoe bleach ad.
ve1t.senents. Tue com nittee will keep
up the war against the hair nostrums
and face bleaches, and each Louisiana
African Methodist pressher will warn
his congregation agaicst them
The R Y. Mr. Willard thought that
these auti kink advertisements were an
insult to the negro racs. BGshcp Smith
took tie religious q de Of the matter.
God knew what H. was about when
He made you," he said, ''and If He
wanted you to have hair like white
folks He would have made it s.; AID If
He wanted your skin to be like that cf
the white fo' Ks He Re uld bavs blesched
it Himself You reed not attempt to
improve on Jcur aEch;iec ctare God
made you, and yeu must work out your
future in this country as he made you.
Build up character, be true to your
self. You viii not be able to get aaay
from your race. N>gro manhood is
what is pesded today"
Bishop S NTH also attacked the Eo5-
trums to destroy odoIs and the per-
fumes to conceal them. ''Uss soap,
water and toEels," the Bishop said.
"Fhe negro who believes that any Of
these quack med c.nes or anything else
but sosp and water altl keep down bad
odors is guilty Of an sb,u:d mistake, as
he will find out later. Keep your
character white. Imprsvs on it, and
you will do your whole duty" There
is no doubt that the Conferelc, is in
earnest. How n ucn it can accom-
plish in stamping out this racial Vsnity
remains to be seen, but it has been
very sr &C ;ssful in m ost of its crussdes.