The Washington bee., 1911-03-18
CALL OF THE PRESENT" !"
Able Evening Address by Miss Mamie
H. Burroughs, a Leading Negro Ed
ucatoF.

Able Evening Address by Miss Mamie
H. Burroughs, a Leading Negro Ed
ucator.
Springfield, Mass, March I3-Miss
Mamie H. Burroughs, President of
the National Training School for
Women and Girls at Washington, D.
c, and Corresponding Secretary of
the Woman'S National Convention,
the largest organization of Negroes in
the world, spoke before the mems
class at the First Highland Baptist
Church yesterday noon, and at the
Third Baptist Church last evening.
In the evening her subject was The
Call of the Present." and she spoke
in part as follows:
There are a number of tremendous
problems that must be solved by both
races, and quiet, constructive work,
rather than loud talking, is the key
to the situation. During the past 10
years have gone into every nook and
corner of the South, studying the
needs and conditions of the mass of
our people.
"This thing that we call prejudice
does not give me any concern what
ever, because it IS a thing that can
be overcome. | am convinced that
the Negro's own well-doing in any pO-
sitiOn open to him is going to change
public sentiment in his favor the
world over. The call at this time is
for men and women of the race who
can render efficient service. We are
on trial.
Hundreds of women whose hands
are horny from toll are far more
honorable than thousands whose
hands are soft and shapely from ease
Thousands of our girls come out of
school thinking that to cook, wash
and iron is a disgrace, and their moth
ers are responsible for this notion.
What the race needs more than any
thing else is generation of sensible
mothers.
Our next call is for less number
Of servant girls dressing after the
fashion of the mistress upstairs. The
women who work hard for a living
are not saving enough of what they
earn. They are putting too much on
their backs and not enough in the
bank
THE call of the age in which we
live is for men and women to do the
worlds work in the most skillful and
satisfactory manner. Perhaps, one
realm in which the call is the 1oudest
IS the domestic 1t is here that men
and women desire, most of all hap
piness and peace. The thing that
contributes most to these results is
the proper management of the home.
and our race has had the greatest
chance at helping to contribute to the
happiness and comfort of the Ameri-
can home. do not know a city in the
North or the South in which preju-
dice operates against the woman who
knows her business in the kitchen or
with needle. Whether a woman lives
IN Springfield or Atlanta, Ga, whether
she be a fair Saxon or as black
as the hinges of midnight, if she is
the best dressmaker in town women
will make beaten path to her door
The best cook in this city, though she
may be black, will command the
highest wages and the greatest con-
sIderatiOn. 1t is not matter of color;
it is a matter of fitness.
when 1t comes to solving the prob
lem OF any race, that race will have
most of the work to do for itself and
the race that is not willing to pay the
price of its salvation is not worth
saving. A careful survey of the en-
tire situation has convinced me that
there are just three things that will
solve this whole race problem-the
bathtub, the broom and the Bible.
We are forever talking about what