Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1909-07-03
Hre All Negroes
OOIOred?

The Colored Girl" an article we'll
written by Mrs. Fannie Barrier Will
liams, appeared in the Voice OF the
Negro" June. 1905.
quote from f. the paragraph
, That made upon me the deepest i'm
| preston: That the term Colored
! Girl is almost a term OF reproach
in the social life or America, is all
/ too true; she belongs TO a race that
is best designated by the term, Prob
! lem.
OF what race does this gifted wo-
/ man speak? Scientifically speaking
/ we Only know OF the following races
Of mankind: The Caucasian, the
Monaghan; the Malay. the Negro and
the Indian. To one OF these we must
| belong
Great religious men Of early days.
who knew no colOr-stigma, tell us
that this Negro race embraces all the
people whose original home is the
inter-troFical and sub-tropical re-
gions Of the globe. The Negro do
main thus originally comprised all
Africa. great part OF India, Malay
sia and the greater part OF Australi-
asia. This division in a later day Is
also made by Encyclopaedia Britain
Mica. twentieth century, edition. Noted
ethnologists OF our day divide the
Negro stock. The Papuan or New
Guinea Negro Malaysia. Australasia
and the Negro proper of the African
mainland During the long ages that
have elapsed since their separation,
the t~o branches have under diverse
outward conditions differentiated.
This is not to be wondered at. IL we
fn 81 frr
that even In Africa. the skin of those
who live for many months IA tie
| shade of the forest IS observed to
lose it's intense black color: and Az
rican women confined within the
walls OF the harem become in a few
years as fair as southern Europeans.
! Again We find In Africa whole tribes
OF Negroes. who have no color: there
Is actually no coIoring matter in
their skin, hair nor the iris OF their
eyes.
While the word Negro in Spanish
and Italian-not In American
means dark-skinned, being derived
| from the Latin word Niger. black:
| the meaning as a race-word is much
| fuller and richer: or it no man OF
| African descent need be ashamed.
| Read and study what the Ancient
| Negro achieved; I am sure it will be
moro than an eye-opener.
| Whence then the stigma?
He was brought TO American
shores captive. As a social factor.
he was intended 10 be purely a Zero.
| The word colored is so vague. that
| It cannot be written with a capital
except under Rule l. As a race
! word it is unauthorized In mean
Ing 1t Is not nj for so great a people
as we are. The word does mean.
stained. dyed tinged, etc II we
would only deal with the Mestizo.
ZaHi5o. the Cholo. the Pardo. and
Chino this word might ft fairly we'll
as 70 outward appearance. but even
| then no race would be designated.
The occasional mingling OF blood.
VIII not even change sentiment in
| our favor
| When Mr.. Tillman, the noted
! southern Senator saw our Booker
| Washington for the first time, his
only desire being 10 see the propor-
ton OF white blood. he declared him
only a fourth OF a Negro even with
the estimate made, / gave credit TO
the Soutnern gentleman for not de-
| signaling him Colored: Il would have
II i
Tor the day when our teaching force
will teach our youth. Negro-Man-
| hood and NegrO-womanhood. when
in cur Colleges and Universities
we shall see not only the pictures
of Washington and Lincoln but a
Toussaint L'Oveture a Banpeker and
the great statesman Fred Douglass
We have no need 20 be ashamed
though SO recently emerged from
servitude, Of sace that has produced
Dunbar, a Booker Washington. a
webster Davis, John Mitchell. and
such women as "Sojourner Truth"
a Frances Harper ami Fannie Con
pin. There are others not few in
NUMBER who when understood will
be leaders or thought in our great
country. However, we can only
Dulld and make a race by sticking
20 u Getting away from the race
is out 70 degenerate. Let rs stop
coiorlng the matter and as far as
possible prevent others doing so.
our every effort should be but n
means 10 higher results and nobler
ends. Do not start forward in life
seeking color; Ike butterflies sport
ing and searching for gaudy flowers.
We are in mighty busy world at
most critical period OF our exist
ence and now have reached the vesti-
Dule OF outer court, where IL Is right
anu proper to wipe the feet and hang
Up the hat. Every action now touch
es on some chord that will vfbrate
not only In the world OK fame, but
in eternity.
Make haste slowly Is a most ex-
celient maxim since so much depends
upon the correctness OF stems taken
i and fhouobto oS.....oa