The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1909-02-04
DOWN WITH DIRT. DARKNESS
d. -, AND DfsEASE

Darkness and Disease was the slo-
gan adopted at the First Negro Com
gress on tuberculosis held at Tus-
kegee, the third week of December.
The Negroes fight. against tuberculo-
ais for the sake of. both races was
the burden OF the weeks meetings,
During Health Sunday" the
opening day of the Congress, seven
meetings were devoted wholly or in
part to problems of the human
body. For six successive days the
entire group or. nearly fifteen hun
dred students attended the evening
platform meetings which Included a
series Of steropticon addresses hay
Ing to. do with Faried conductive to
the spread OF. tuberculosis and the
control OF the disease. Sch DOL Inn
prevephent." "Children's Gardens
and CiTics." Fairgrounds and Rec
reAtion." What Churches Have
Done" Better Conditions for the
Worker and What the Worker Can
Do and r."Neighborhood Improve
n1ent in Town and: County. were
sQns OF the topics, illustrated by
fe1Bopst GoEa sHaess f. g., 80 =
=" Dnring dive Il aftefn6ons : group
neetingsf were held. These brought
together !, circles Of eaxnest-Gninde1
leaders who soHgntE to define passs-
Utilities fDr 4keeasql vaa saad theagss 80
pie. throughout. the. country, i fbrt.it
;,ssas saSl x1deaidEa tlkat the tesulta. oY
thd SohgresS shoald BS made ias far i
reaching as possible. X Doctors,
teachers. Church or organizations In
slksss Christian
Association. women's clubs and
other societies, business leagues and
other mems associations, az we'll as
the interests of the country home
and school were sdiscussed and plans
for tho future work outlined.
What Next?
The closing conference included
representation from the thirty local,
state and national welfare efforts
centefing at Tuskegee In this ses-
sion the, leaders sought to answer,
What are, we going to do about it?''
They planned permanent tuberculo
sis committee at Tuskegee with sim
liar committees at other leading
Negro institutions such as Hampton
and Shaw, these schools to work to-
gether, each pushing the tubercu-
losls campaign in their Immediate
territory, The colored press of the
county will be counted upon to
spread the propaganda, and the state
boards of health will be asked to
supply printed matter about the dis
ease and the manner Of living which
will control it's spread.
Health Month.
or greatest hope Is the plan for
making, February Health Month
for Negroes north and south. This
New Years effort began December
30th in a. conference at Chicago
where it was determined to lay plans
30 that during February, practically
every colored church, lodge and soc
iety in Chicago will hold a meeting
TO consider Tuberculosis Among
the Negroes: What Are We Goina
to DO. about 1t" In preparation for
this plan 1t is expected that general
addresses upon tuberculosis shall be
given before all or those Negroe or.
ganizationB in Chicago which have
not already been lectured upon the
subject.
The same plan viii be followed
wherever any considerable lumber
Of Negroes are to be found. WITH
January as a month Of preparation
February will BIO a month OF discus.
sion among these people who form
so large q portion Of the population
in many sections. g. White =, eitisAns
are. asked to call attention TO. fhgse
plans and to give such encourage
nept al will advance this attatn pt
OF race to free itself from the raV'
ages Of a needless disease and at the
same time to serve, the highest In
terssts Of both races.