The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1912-11-22
THANKSGIVING
REV. HENRY p. JONES.

must come from them, our destiny is
bound up with them. A black hand
will rock the cradle which holds the
swaddled form of u future great and
greatness. We will bear them. nur
ture them, train them, send them
forth who will win renown and bring
again their trophies to lay at the feet
Of our Madonnas.
The most beautiful picture in the
world is Raphael's Madonna and the
original of that picture was Margherta
whom he knew and loved.
And who shall one love more than
he loves his own, and what shall typl-
fly his best unless it is his own, and
whom shall be enshrined in his art
and IN his heart unless it is his own?
Whether he will or no he can't get
away from himself. German art Is
essentially German or nothing; Ital-
liam art, French art likewise it ideal
ICES its own. l am doing nothing more
than others do, nothing less when I
turn my own into saints beatuifled, put
a carona over their heads or place a
chaplet upon them confidently chal.
lenge the world to produce its peer.
What have we in ourselves? What
estimate do we put upon what we
have?
We cannot retain our self-respect,
cannot C u the respect of others,
cannot bestir ourselves to our best
e%ndeavors so long as whatever is white
is best and whatever is black is worst.
whatever is white is of heaven and
God and whatever is black is of hell
and the devil, that whatever is white
superior and whatever is black is In
ferior. This error due to the igno-
rance, numerical predominence and
biased literature of the whites, needs
vigorous refutation that our people
have their minds disabused of such
erroneous impression.
Does God repent Himself of His
work? Was the created man white?
What color is Caesar when he IL
turned to dust? What color has
"spirit?" I can see about as much
reason for mailing adam" which
means red" white" as I see for
making white" when used figura-
lively into white" literally. Bishop
Turner was right when he said. God
never made made q white man." the
literal Adam is dust-colored,' not
white
And judging from the complexion
of the world at large it would be in
finitely easier for God to change
whites" into some other color than
to change others into whites" To
me 1t seems repuenant to reason and
common sense; to let a man become
all that he IS capable Of becoming is
not to change his identity, his con.
scious identity, but to awaken all his
dormant energies, to develop his un.
developed powers. He must remem.
Der his experiences, must he Conscious
Of his present and past relations, and
I want to know tomorrow my ex.
%pericnces Of to-day, my experiences as
a black man in the world, my strug-
giles as a black man. my triumphs as
a black man, my victories and my de.
feats as a black man, my friends good
enough to live with, good enough to
die with, good enough to remember
forever. I can't sacrifice them with,
out compromising my manhood;
can't denv my parentage without vic
lating the commandment and desris.
ing myself. I can't hate my color
without hating my God who mode II
and stultifying myself by permitting
tho hatred. and I wouldn't if 7 could.
sell myself for Temporary advantage
when I do It voluntarily, Is a slavery
worse than the involuntary servitude
Of a%nte-bellum days.
And I thank God that the race is
finding its voice. for the development
of race consciousness.
For the idealism and scholarship Of
DUBOIS, for the realism and practical
ity Of Booker Washginton, for "The
Crisis" and "The Age" and "The
Freeman" and "The Planet" 1.-THE
Palladium" and "The Guardian" 1.-THE
Chronicle" and "The Idea" and our
appeal" for the editors, and teach.
ers, and lawyers, and doctors, and di.
vines, for its associations, religions.
charitable, reformatory and proven.
tive; for it's business Companies and
corporations. declarations and alliances
I am thankful for an increasing out.
put of Negro literature. for "The Mar.
row of Tradition" and "The House Ee.
hind the Cedars;" for "The Soul OF
Black Folks" and 'The Quest of the
SILVER Fleece" and THE quest of the
and THE Story Of My Life" for the
songs of Dunbar and Braithwaite and
Katherine Tillman; of James Edwin
Campbell, William H. A. Moore; for
the essays of Kelley Miller. I am
thankful for the growth of the art OF
Illustration for the Hampton Art Club
and its illustrations of Dunbar's poems
for the Douglas Calendar Co., and its
beautiful calendars; for the illustra.
tons and cartoons in our journals and
magazines; for the manufacturers of
Negro dolls; the continued existence
of these things means that they are
filling a want, that they come in an
swer to a demand; they are prophetic
of a coming day when a growing sense
Of self-respect Will make caricatures
rare; when other needs will be sup,
piled, a just appreciation and support
of what is being done, will induce
those who are now doing to do more
and those who are not doing to try.
II maans the d~aunlnnmnnt Of our NUN