The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1909-12-31

to raise the Negro from this lower en-
vironment brought upon them by the
degradation Of slavery.
But they also believe that the real
development Of the Negro race in
America must come from an Unborn
and innate self or race pride. That
so long as the Negro is taught to be-
lieve that any race is his superior, just
so long will he feel that he is an in
ferior, and hence will crave to be re-
moved from his inferior, social, moral
and financial condition. Our churches,
schools, colleges, ETC., may be great
agencies, but there must be a still
greater agency to raise the Negro to
this higher plane. We must begin at
the cradle. The mother must begin
with the little infant and that infant
must be taught that it is from a supe-
rior race rather than an inferior race.
1t must be taught by both precept and
example that the race with which 1t
is identified is capable of becoming a
model in beauty, virtue and in moral
development as any other race.
The National Negro Doll Company
is composed of men of this class OF
thought. 1t was not the financial or
mercenary consideration that brought
into being the National Negro Doll
Company. The founders of this enter
prise had reason to believe, and do
believe that the kindergarten idea Of
teaching the little ones great lessons
from small objects, is the idea that
must develop the race. For instance,
they believe that so long Is the manu-
~facturers of toys will picture a hide
GUS object, black, blared-eyed, fiat nose,
red lips, with great tusks, with woody,
knotty or kinky hair, all out Of pro-
portion to any human being, and
modelled after the lowest form OF the
monkey, orang-outang, or gorilla, that
it would be impossible for the parents
of Negro children to use these as OBJ
iect lessons, as they serve for nothing
but to create a stigma and thought OF
inferiority in the little child that must
be the future mother.
But, on the contrary, It was the be-
lief and Is the belief Of this company
that If the real American Negro WON
an could be portrayed In waxen form
with all the graces and beauty that
come with a well-developed and refined
American Negro woman, If this kind
could be put into the arms Of the lit
tie tot, and when she grows into WON
d anhood she will feel that she and hel
descendants belong to and are a part
e of the greatest Of Gods creation. II
d Is indeed a mistake, yes, almost 9
lie crime for any intelligent mother OF the
IS Negro race to take her little girl in
o. its tender age, and place in her arms
a f~laxen-haired, blueeyed, rosy-cheeket
waxen figure of the pure Anglo-Saxor
le race, and teach her that all that is vir
Is tuous, beautiful and great is to bt
le found in the race represented by tina
re waxen figure; for when the child
10 grows into womanhood that earl!
IL impression will still linger in he
CO breast, hence the future a pre-
be dict nothing but a further mixing ant
ne mlngling Of the races.
al This Negro Doll Company, however
be found itself confronted with anothe
"a more vexatious problem when 1t under
IN took to manufacture or to prescrib
U.s. for the Company a r~epresentativ
y. American Negro. The Anglo-Saxo
hit can be traced by certain characeristi
features, the natives of China the same
Eff the Japanese, the French, the Hindoc
he and the East Indians, and wen tn
American Indians are to be traced b
their characteristic features. But I'll
,ly American Negro after two hundred an
Of fifty years Of slavery, stepped in tn
ial school of immortality and ~degradatol
of has become so intermixed with otht
of nationalities that there is no fe
ture nor color nor one characterize
Of by which he can be traced. The
ed colors are as numerous as those OF II
nts rainbow, and their features and chara
ise teristics are almost as numerous
itv the individuals themselves. Howeve
it is a fact that a real black Negro
ass to-day Is an exception rather than Il
all rule: and a kinky, wooly-haired Neg
90 woman is only found in the insane as
de- lum.
les. The. National Negro Doll Compan
but therefore, has for two years attempt,
tn to find these features. They have n
en- been able as yet to thoroughly adve
wi tise these dolls, and It Is only whe
md these dolls have been exhibited tn
les they have taken a strong grasp upt
ian