The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1913-05-23

The recent Southern Sociological
Congress, held in Atlanta, Ca, from
Friday, April rs, to Tuesday, April 20,
1913, was one of the greatest meet
ings held in the South during the pres
ent decade. At 1t were gathered
bishops, preachers and the leading men
and women of the great universities,
colleges and churches Of the South.
The meeting seemed to be charged
with the spirit of Christianity and the
utterances of the speakers were most
surprising to the colored listeners be-
cause of the bold stand which they
took on the race question. Those
men and women had previously met
in the city. of Nashville, Tenn, in
1912, under the invitation sent out by
and fostered by a noble Southern
white woman, Mrs. Anna Russell Cole,
who is described as the founder. At
that session the organization was per-
fected under the title of the South
ern Sociological Congress. Gov. Ben.
w. Hooper of Tennessee was elected
president; Mrs. Anna Russell-C Cole,
founder. vice-president; Mr.. M. E.
Holderness, treasurer; Mr.. j. E. Nc
Culloch, general secretary.
At the session held in Atlanta, CIR,
it was necessary to divide the con.
gress into seven departmental confer.
ences, each holding two sessions
daily. These conferences were held
in the largest and finest white church.
es of Atlanta and the Atlanta Auditor.
ium. At the Nashville congress there
were no Negroes present. The ex.
ecutive committee. in arranging for
the Atlanta meeting, sent out invita-
lions to the leading Negro business
men, educators and ministers of the
South to attend and become members
upon payment Of 81 membership fee.
One hundred or more accepted the in
vitation, paid their fees and were
most agreeably surprised, upon reach
ing Atlanta, to find that they were
cordially received and given to under.
stand that they were not there as
visitors, but full-nedged members. An
entire section of the first floor, where
white delegates sat in all places,
where the meetings were held, was
assigned them, and for. the first time
in the history of Atlanta, or the
South, Negroes were received in these
places. Many approached them with
misgivings, and, even though thoy had
been told through the local committee
that the arrangements was bona fide,
the Negro hesitated to walk boldly
to the front of this section, and only
after the first session did they realize
what was the real meaning of the
congress. Notable Negro business
men and educators were present from
Tuskegee, Fisk and all the leading uni
versities and colleges of the South,
who for the most part sat and listened
with amazement at the utterances of
their white brothers.
The third number on the program
was a mastery and unvarnished an
nouncement by the chairman, DR..
John E. White of Atlanta, Ca, of the
objects Of the university and aim of
the congress. DR.. 8. G. Mitchell, presi.
dent of the University of South Caro-.
lima, delivered an address, "The
South's Challenge for Better Ma
tion," in which was brought out the
following epigram: "This congress
stands for the upIift Of all the people,
stands firm upon the moral, educa-
tionaI and uniform laws and justice
to all; and that the South does not
seek to profit by it's virtues, but by
correcting its vices. Heretofore the
South has stood the criticism Of the
outside world; today the South has
made up it's mind to criticise itself
and that that criticism shall be In
fairness and justice. Its fundamental
principles are love and justice and
the great principles az laid down by
the Master Himself" Statistics were
given to show the advancement Of
the Negro and he was extolled for his
great grit and manhood in succeeding
in spite of terrible opposition. He
was commended for his patience and
long suffering, and DR.. Mitchell Of
South Carolina frankly said: There
are instances In which he has de.
Tended and struck back, and ] glory
in this"
What to our mind was most signifi-
cant, the men and women were In
the most part young, the men heads
of colleges and universities Of the
South. Their utterances were bold
and uncompromising and each wound
up with fervent advocacy and be-
lief that the good men and women
Ia