The Washington bee., 1908-12-12
RACES PROGRESS
A RACE THAT IS ADVANCING
The Colored People Still Have Far
To Go, But They Have Made
Remarkable Progress
BY ELLA WHEELER WILCOX
From the American Journal-Ex-
dmlneT.


1t would be interesting to know
what our forbears would say were
they to awaken to life here on earth,
and be given statistics of what the
colored people have accomplished
since their emancipation for slavery.
For instance, / have before me a
copy of the National Review, pub
lished in New York, and edited by
an American Negro.
1t is also the official organ of the
Grand Lodge, F. and A. NJ, of New
York. and Grand Lodge, K. of P,
n. A. S, A. E. A. A. and A. Just
what that array of letters means,
only those who belong to the organ
izations will understand.
The Review under my eye con-
tains an able editorial, written by a
colored woman, about another col
ored woman, Aida Overton Walker,
an actress of ability. The editorial
says:
No one has yet come to full and
proper realization of the importance
of the work done by actors whose
skins are yellow, black and brown.
Reaching the unreached, they are
contributing powerfully to the edu-
cation the whites are daily receiving,
not only as to the accomplishments
and achievements of the blacks, but
also as to their vast possibilities for
development and toward establish
ing their land as one of art and
genius, as we'll as gold and Drawn.
Again it is plainly and pleadingly
demonstrated that the Negro has in
him the necessary attributes of his
salvation He has genius and he
has money. Properly used, these
things will push all clouds away.
Win LaurelS as Orators.
Speaking of the political conven-
ton at Chicago, the editor of the
National Review says:
The two best speeches delivered
in the convention were delivered by
colored men, both from Georgia.
Henry Lincoln Johnson, the celebrat-
ed Atlanta lawyer, turned the tide
on the question of reduction of
Southern representation in the Ma
tional Convention, in a splendid
burst of oratory, the text of which
was, DO not strike us down" He
literally swept the entire hall with
eloquence and logic.
DR.. w. o. Emery, of Macon, Ga,
seconded the nomination of Senator
Foraker, and every Chicago daily
newspaper agreed that it was the
most beautiful and eloquent speech
of the four days session. His voice
was as mellow and rich as a zephyr
and penetrated the farthest end Of
the great barn in which the conven-
ton met. Lafayette Young, the IA
NOUS Iowa Journalist, writing in the
Daily News, said he never heard
speech to surpass it
In every city of the United States
may be found able, educated and sue
cessful colored people, poets, artists,
orators, actors, musicians, attorneys,
editors, elocutionists, teachers cler-
gymen and scholars, besides good
business men and women.
And yet the majority of white
people in our country even those OF
kindly interest in the colored race,
persistently talk about the failure
of the Negro to make progress, and
the problem which this failure pre-
SentS 10 our country.
Forbears Highly Cultivated.
The Negro has not failed; has not
proven himself incapable He has,
on the contrary, shown amazing pow
er to rise out of the awful ignorance
imposed upon him first by the savage
conditions of his native land, and
later by the fetters placed upon him
by the white race.
And now comes the discovery, by
an archaeologist, of buried city in
Abyssinia which brings to light trea-
sures OF art and shows indications of
a high state of civilization once en-
loved by the Negro races of prehis-
toric times.
It is the first ray of light which
history or science has ever offered
the colcred race regarding their in