The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-03-21
Ministerial Alliance Adopts Resolutions on Speech by
 Judge Abernethy
CHURCHES SUFFER
 IN MEMBERSHIP
We'll Known Race Leaders Say Pub lie Has no Conception of Unrest Among People of Their
 Congregations

| No class of citizens is taking more se-
 riously to heart the exodus of negroes to the north than the members of the Bir-
 mingham Ministerial alliance, made up 1 of the pastors of many of the most ] pr eminent colored churches in the dis 1 trict.
 ] They point out that the white citizens
 of Birmingham have no conception of the
 discontent among the negroes who are l leaving in such numbers and that this discontent is greatest among the more l substantial element of the congregations l Rev T. W. Coffee, presiding elder of 1 the Bessemer district, A. M. F. church. who is one of the older of the able lead | CTS of his race, said yesterday in dis I cussing the subject:
 | "Too many people have the idea that I it is the alley negroes, the shiftless class
 that are discontented and leaving. This ! is great error. Many of the very best among us are leaving and others are in
 {, a state of unrest which we hope our 1 white friends will help to compose in stead of fomenting
 T can cite you cases of wealthy ne- groes who are even sacrificing their ac- cumulauonS to hurry away CITES SOME CASES l Rev. J. B. Carter, pastor of Bethel | A. M. F. church In Ensley, voiced simi- l lar views. T can cite you to a church 1 in Avondale which had 300 members. It | now has only 50. That shows how they 1 are leaving.
 q can point to you where some of the l wealthiest and most prosperous negroes ho tpt yhn lived in, have gone. One of them is drawing big l salary in Detroit and he has taken many others with him. Even in my own church l there is the greatest unrest among some 1 of my congregation who are employed in l the steel plant, and who make good wages.
 Rev F. w. Williams, presiding elder of the South Birmingham district A. M E. church, said his experience was the l same, as did the Rev. c. J. Baker, who is pastor of the Miller Memorial Presbyte- rian church.
 ADOPT RESOLUTIONS The Birmingham Ministerial alliance, of which these men are members, has formally gone on record in deprecation of the recent address of Judge H. B. Abernethy, which they think came at a time when it added specially to the feeling of discontent with conditions and unrest among the negroes of the dis trict. The formal resolutions adopted by the alliance are as follows: 'The Ministerial alliance of Birming- ham, Ala, read with regret the bitter speech of Judge Abernethy in the Bir- mingham Age-Herald against the educa- ton of the negro
 From the top of his bonehead to the bottom of his flat foot there isn't chance to educate the negro. God AL mighty made them to be hewers of wood and drawers of water, and I am opposed to educating them. Booker Washington has done more harm in Alabama than tuberculosis
 Tn the first place. the statement of the judge will! rot bear verifying by facts and evidences regarding the ability of the negro to be educated
 NO sane man in America who has studied the history of the negro race and has carefully noted his intelligence will concede such g. fact. Judge Abernethy evidently is absO- lutely ignorant of the marvellous educa- tional progress the race has made with inadequate school facilities and poor en- couragement or he is entirely blinded to
 these signal evidences by race an- tipathy.
 ATTACK ON WASHINGTON 'In regard to Judge Abernethy's at
 tack upon the deceased Booker T. Wash ington, it ought to be freely accepted that the support and testimonials given
 to him and his work during his life, the eulogies given him at his death, and the determination and progress of both races in perpetuating his work insure him
 place in the minds of posterity as one of the greatest benefactors of the state
 or Alabama who has ever served God and humanity in this state Had the judge attacked Dr. Washing ton while he yet lived, Alabamians with
 out regard to race or color, would have shielded Booker Washington without any effort of his own, but being attacked while he is in his grave, we will not dis turb the repose of his ashes. The conscences and fair mindedness of all sound thinking people must se- riously doubt the ability of Judge Aber- nethy to decide any question of justice affecting the race whom he has so plainly pre- Judged.
 Aside from denouncing what the judge says of the negro's inability to be edu- cated and his inhumanity as unfounded and unjust, the negro ministers alliance of Birmingham regret this unfortunate speech coming at this time when there is such great unrest among our people and their determination to leave the southland.
 MINISTERS ALLIANCE OF BIR- MINGHAM, ALA.
 "R H. HAYNES, President. "T. w. Coffee, B. F. Mallard, w. M. Craig, E. w. Williams, c. J. Baker, J. B.. Carter, committee"