The Washington bee., 1911-01-14
DR., WALDRON SENES
AN OPEN LETTER TO Mr.. J
ELLIS BARKER, OF ENGLAND.


eraI Of the newspapers OF my race a
brief account of your views relative
m the c0Iored man in this country.
7 rejoice that you have been enhght-
ened relative to the condition and
character of my people IN America,
and have thereby become a friend to
the coIOred man and anxious to help
set him forth in his true light before
the British and European public. AS
a means of assisting you III your
good work and of provoking other
members of my race to aid you IN
your noble undertaking, l take the
liberty of addressing to you this open
letter.
| take it that you are a widely trav-
tled man, and that you have studied
human nature deeply. This being
true, you will readily understand that
the colored man of America, like all
other men, is a many-sided creature.
Aside from the accidents OF color,
previous condition of servitude, 10
Cality Of birth, etc, the cOlored
American IS like other human beings
similarly situated, and requires the
same kind of training, environment
and hereditary influences Tor his
proper development as are required
bv other men-nOthing less and moth
ing more 1t is a mistake, It seems to
me, to argue that the cOlOred Amer
icau is different from other human
beings, and is, therefore, to be dealt
with in a way contrary TO that puT-
sued in developing other members OF
the human family. And yet this mis-
take is INDUCED in by almost every
white American and by many COlOred
men in discussing the sO-Called Race
Problem" and, sad to say, the ma
jority Of the white people OF this
country regard the cOlOred man OF
America (and Of all other countries
for that matter) as not being really a
man-most of them admit that he IS
human being but of low Order-an
inferior. and destined to forever re-
main less than a MAN.
You will readily admit, l believe,
that the spirit of the present age IS
materialistiC, and that there IS great
danger of measuring every person and
everything by the utilItaTlan standard.
The question with seventy-tlve per
cent of the people is not how can
they help to make the colored Amer
lean a real and true man, worthy OF
the image of God but how can they
make him a useful factor in develop
ing the material resources OF this
country? Shall the cOlored man IN
America be permitted and assisted to
rise to the full stature OF noble and
heroic manhood and be allowed to
enjoy all the rights, opportunities and
privileges accorded other men in this
country? Or shall he be forced into
the position of a Sert, and be permit
ted to live in peace and safety only
so long as he serves the material IN
terests of the white man and SuboT-
dinates himself to him IN every walk
OF life? These two questions divide
the white philanthrOplsts OF tins coun-
try. and also place into two different
and distinct schools the cOiOred men
and women of America who are labor
ing for the uplift of their fellows
Those who look upon the cOlored man
AS necessary" only TO the physical
and material development OF the
United States say that the Race
Problem can only be solved by teach
ing the COlOred man TO work; to re-
gard himself as a necessity to the
white mans business, and not to com
plain at his lot (however hard, unjust
or inhumau 1t may be-; to get money
and property, and his manhood, pOIlt
ical. civil, social and economic right:
will finally come to him Of their Owl
accord" Those who believe that the
colored man Is destined by God to be
man and to enjoy all the rights, op.
portunitics and privileges as any othei
class of men in this country, and tha
he has an important part to play II
the DEVELOPMENT of America and the
world. take the position that h'
COlOrcd American Is not only entitled
to a trade a common school educa
ton and money and property, but h
needs. and ought to have whatever L
required by any other race for 1t
highest development in all spheres o
life, and the COlOred man will neve
secure these things without aspirin;
10 the highest standard and contend
inc with all his might all the time 10
everything which any other man Is en-
titled to. and he must not be satlshe
with anything less
Most white persons-and numerou
cOlored as well-WhO have written o
spoken upon the so-called "RaC
Problem" have made the sad mistak
of setting too low standard for tn
dark-s1in American. and have forgot
ten that the GoItlNh iiiclt III llliS NCbA
trv is as musck a men, per Sc, as an
other human being on this or an
other continent. 1t seems to escap
the attention of the majority of til
students of the Race Problem thu
til, colored man of America Is nc
only needed by the white man in HI
business" but is needed by him
every other sphere of life. Ihes
wouid-be solvers of the Race Prol
lem" also forget that this country
destined to be the meeting grour
of all the races of the earth, and c
these shores is to be born the ide
man, The ideal or future man IS
be neither distinctively Shemati
Hamitic or Japhetic, but an admiXtu
OF all the races of the world. Tn
being true. the white people OF tn
country. and those who are yet
come to these shores, owe 1t TO Il
colored man, who is already here
who may come here IN the future,
see to it that he is afforded the lar
est opportunity for the highest pos'
bic development along all right lin