Franklin's paper the statesman., 1912-08-10

upward as they have done II there had
not been In our midst women as noble. as
devoted. as self sacrificing. as any people
can claim
when truth gets hearing there viii be
one pacan OF praise Tor Negro woman
hood Although largely unprotected. great
~ abused. often poorly provided for, II
has contributed the greatest power pro-
ducIng our progress with a number of
others, II is my privilege to work day by
day TO better the environment for that
aspiring wou.Hnnood. for tho manhood
upon which II depends and for the child
hood from which {, buds Therefore /
come before you. delegates Of the Nation
nj Association OF Colored Womcn's Clubs.
to make n plea for better environment
and larger freedom
Since the year OF tho emancipation proc
lamation Negroes have been moving in
large numbers to the towns and cities, 1t
In true that about thrcc-fourths OF tho
population stiIi live in tho country. yet In
the eleven southern states the number
living In towns and elites has Increased
constantly Mt tho rate OF over one-half OF
I per cent each ycnr during nearly thirty
years There is now between ls and 20
per cent OF the total population living In
cities
/ come. therefore. TO plead for your CO.
operation with the National League on
Urban conditions Among ts IN ltt tilotNS
to make the city environment OF our pco-
plc better and their adjustment TO II
easier NY subject falls naturally into
three parts - a. the movement OF Ne
groes to cities. 90 segregation within the
cities and what It means, aih tO plans to
better tho city environment
In our practical activities In the cities
within two years there has bcen tremen-
dous progress made. far larger than what
any OF us dreamed at the beginning. In
New YYriS city we have combined three
OF tho ArongcEt organizations made UP of
the leading white and coored citizens that
have been working for nvc or ak years
st various phases OF conditions there,
These organizations, now formed into the
National lcngue. now support the only
coiored probation officer In tho court of
general sessions.
| wish there were time for me to tell
you of tho groRt service Miss Grace Camp
bell Ia rendering to scores OF our young
men and young women who nrs unfortu-
nate enough to como within tho tolls OF
the law We have n travellers aid and
protective worker. whose work in dealing
with young women and girls ms she meets
them at the boats and trains and sho
gets knowledge OF them before they fall
would hli another Interesting chapter.
We run boys camp and supervise the
fresh mir work being done In the city. We
have some noighborhood clubs for better
ing the conditions In the ncighborhood and
have brought together all OF the people
working among girls and working among
boys in the city for monthly conference
over tho problems at which they are
working. These ara only nome OF the
many activities OF our Now York work
wc have developed branches that aro
starting similar work In Philadelphia, st.
Louis. Memphis nnd In Nashville. wo arc
beginning with travellers aid work by
workers In Baltimore and Norfolk In
tho matter OF bringing home tho problems
of social uplift to our college youtt tho
league has affiliated with Fisk univ ersity,
Atlanta Baptist college and Talladega COLI
lego in developing courses In economics.
sociology and history.