The Washington herald., 1915-01-05

l w. E. Burghardt Du Bois. In
i its subtitle it calls itself a
Record of the Darker Races" E"
. 1t is we'll printed, on white
I glazed paper, and, besides illustrated cover ii
contains many illustrations, mainly from photo
graphs. One cannot look it over without realizing
that it represents big vital movement in this
country. In its printed words can feel the
heartbeat of a ong-suffering and rapidly devel-
! oping people.
The Crisis opens with a department called
"Along the Color Line" giving items of interest
ranging from music and art, through social eco
nomics to crime. In this country it is plain that
the musical genius of the negro race is finding
more encouragement. Was it not the Hungarian
composer, Dvorak, who, some years ago. said that
| the typical American music lay in negro
melodies? Surely music ever expressed more
clearly or more pognantly the anguish of a race.
| In the vast store of talents lost to the world
through lack of opportunity for expression there
must be included possible negro composer. AS
the negroes secure wider educational advantages
they are certain to give to the world music with
flavor of its own, cchoing, not merely the sad
ness of the people, but the gayety we'll, the
spirit that enables them to rise above tribulation
and to illustrate the blessings of childlike and
happy temperament.
What is to me most interesting about the items
in Along the Color Line is the evidence they
represent of worldly success among colored folks.
In Baltimore alone it is estimated that they own
property worth between seven and ten millions.
The more prosperous negroes become the greater
will be their gain in public esteem. according to
our accepted material standards. This situation
Booker Washington has in mind when he advises
his people to pay no attention to the segregation
that causes so many of them humiliation and re-
sentiment repeatedly expressed in these pages, but
to devote themselves to hard work, that is to max
ing themselves successful He knows that the
great path to advancement in this country is COM
mercial prosperity. He that money has
magical way of opening doors seemingly closed
forever.
Fortunately on the other hand, colored people
are not interested merely in the making of money.
They care for education and for all that tends to
the uplft of their race. Those OF us who have had
only slight personal acquaintance among them
or no personal acquaintance at all would be aston
ished by their spirit, their ambition, their self
respect their desire to show the world that they
can take their place side by side with the other
members of the human family. In religious enter
prises they particularly active. Here is a.
typical item: The St. James Colorcd Presbyterian
Church of New York City has broken ground for
the erection OF a $4,000 edifce West I37th|
street. 1t is planned to have gymnasium and a
roof garden"
The gratitude of white people for services re-
ceived from negroes cannot be said, in this country
at any rate to have been conspicuous. So one
item that l find here is worth nothing. A white
woman of Philadelphia inherited from her father
S6o,ooo made a tobacco plantation in the South
with colorcd laborcrs chiefly. In his will he stipu
lated that she should the money for the uplift
of colored people Besides being grateful that to-
bacco-raiser had ideas in advance of his time. But
the disposition of the property led to i-feeling.
The white woman, to improve the living conditions
of the coIorcd people, bought comfortable houses
for them in pleasant neighborhoods, where they
were regarded intrudcrs.
1t used to be fashionable among kind Of people |
who consider themselves to be friends OF the
negroes to say that, a race they were incapable
of being educated. With this notion in mind one
item might be proftably reflected on: Isaac Fish
er editor of the Negro Farmer published at Tuske-
gee Institute, has made remarkable record in the
winning of prizes for tersely and pointedly put
on various topics. His last exploit was
the taking of prize OF $500 offered by Everybodys
Magazine for an essay on What We've Learned
About Rum There were 5000 competitors, IN
cluding Congressman Hobson, of Alabama"
Both humorous and pathetic is the reference
to the white minister who scheduled to preach
in a colored church in Hanover, Va. AS his con-
gregation objected "he gave up the appointment"
In Minneapolis there is Negro Morals Commits
SION 1t has been trying, but without success, to
close two dives where vicious colored people are
allowed to congregate" In connection with this
reference is another which shows how the world
Of prejudice is moving: "a colored bishop and
several colored men of prominence accused of
arson at Asheville, N C., have been promptly
acquitted by the court"
The special articles are mainly devoted to dis
russing coored people who reaching positions
Of public usefulness There is also great deal of
writing about the relation of the colored people to
'thc world war" The department called "Edi-
torial" deals with the war from what must, to most
Of u.s. be a new point of view. According to the
writer the cause Of the is the wild quest for i'm
perial expansion among colored races between Ger
MANY Enpland and France Drimarily and Belgium.