Omaha daily bee., 1903-04-05
WOMAN IN CLUB AND CHARITY

W w 0ENb HNb aNNtittt iii
The spirit Of the women Of New Orleans
in Withdrawing from the preparations for
the oflcers' reception given last week dur
ing the annual executive meeting Of the
National Council Of Women held in that
city by invitation Of the local council, be-
cause Il was announced that there was a
possibility Of the attendance Of colored del
egates. suffers a bit by comparison with
that OF their colored sisters as manifested
In the following letter and report read by
Mrs. May Wright sewell in the meeting:
NEW ORLEANS. March %, 1sO3.-Mrs:
May Wright Sewell, President international
Council of Women-Madam; Herein in
closed please find credentials to the ma
tional council OF Mrs. Sylvanie +. Williams.
proxy for Mrs. J. S. Yates, president OF the
National Association of Colored Women.
Also report from the same.
most respectfully request that the sec
rotary OF the national council be empow-
Association of Colored Women is repre-
scented in your distinguished body, and that
the report be received and read. =,
In Justice to 10000 intelligent colored
women comprising the national association,
l can do no less. My self-respect demands
that / do no more.
ence to the prejudice existing in our south
land. with which / am too we'll acquainted.
ana TO whose eulCLS 4 must DeILOICB DOW
Rs l do not desire either notoriety or social
equality. nor do / wish to mar in the
slightest degree the pleasure or the use
fulness Of the national council by forcing
an issue which can but rebound to the dis
comfort of all concerned.
Although belonging to a despised race,
] have too much civic pride In my city to
have II bear the stigma of not entertain
ing the distinguished ladies composing the
national council with its usual bountiful
Trusting that my request will be granted
by your honorable body, l am most re-
spectfully.
MRS. sYLvANIE F. WILLIAMS.
1t is a bit difficult to understand just why
the New Orleans women invited the Ma
tional Council to be their guests II Il was
impossible for them to entertain all del
egates that the visiting council included;
and conceding that the race question in the
south necessitates discrimination that the
women of other sections cannot under
stand, the fact remains that the withdrawal
of the women of the hostess city affected
their white guests as well as the few col
ored delegates and forced the visiting
women to recognize that their hostesses
held their feelings secondary to their own.
The following is the report Of the Ma
tional Association OF Colored Women,
which, despite its handicap, compares most
favorably with the reports of the other or
CARNATIONS a~flliated in the National Coun-
Gil:
The National Association Of Colored
Women was organized in 1896 in the city OF
Washington. d. c., and now represents
through its affiliated clubs a membership
Of more than ten thousand educated, re-
fined and enthusiastic women, who, under
the motto. Lifting as We Climb" are en-
deavoriAg, as set forth in article II or It's
f tSa boms' moral rT9 r aBd t to Z higher of plane fRe
negro.
placed in its treasury and expended, in
part, for the legitimate expenses Of the
organization; to assist in the support OF
free kindergartens in the south, ETC..
Several states have been federated, as
follows: Alabama, Illinois. Michigan. Mis-,
souri,. New York, OhL0; Minnesota ef and 9bd
list of federated states in 1902. In add
ton, several Of the larger cities as Chi,
fourishing city federation.
The southern federation in the south and
the northeastern federation in New Eng
land. although organized with reference .to
the special needs of the negro in the two
sections referred to, contain clubs that are
affiliated with the national body, and there
fore demand a word here relative to the
most excellent work that is being accom-
nlished through these sectional bodies
The former held a most successful meeting
in New Orleans in December, 1902, and thu
latter one of equal value from all points o.
view In Brooklyn. N. Y. in the summer o
The meetings of the national association
are held biennially. the next gathering Il
assemble in the city of st. Louis in 1904
the meetings thus far have been a revela
tion to he world. both through addressed
made and through more tangible evidence
as shown in exhibits of painting. needle
work, literature, other forms OF art, etc.
BY courtesy Of the council the nationa
, association was afhliated with the formei
in 1900. At each meeting since and includ
ing the meeting in 1900 our deleRatea laV
been extended every courtesy of the occa
} sion, our speakers and reports called TO
and received with a kind and generous en-
thusiasm and for such advanced ground
l for such gracious recognition Of the meri
Of negro womanhood-the National Council
: OF Women of the United States receives tn
most sincere and grateful tribute of
race.