The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-08-17
LESSON LEARNED
 FROM NEGROES

To the Editor Of The Age Herald: Feeling deep interest in the welfare of our negro friends, and especially their boys l have taken the pleasure recently to attend the Sunday morning services
 of five different negro churches, and the | impressiveness of them all was indeed a surprise to me At all of these services
 the congregations were large, orderly and unusually reverent
 Wonderful lessons were taught by the
 minister, who, from study and thought, 1 understood the great truths handed down to them for deliverance to their peo- pie. Their sermons were always clearly and practically illustrated. I am sure every listener received much spiritual comfort and help from the very worthy discourses, for there were truly loaves
 and fishes enough for all from the over flowing basket of Gods mercies, and I, with the others, certainly received my l share of blessing.
 | Allow me to say right here that the white people can learn just as much that will be beneficial to them from the negro
 as the negro can learn from the white man. The negro is not "copy-cat' any
 more than any other race, but he is rather full of originality that is unique I indeed
 1 The services last Sunday began as usual With songs and prayers. The Lord $ 1 Prayer was sung by the congregation with deep spiritual tone that at once made one feel the presence of God Him. 1 self The subject of the sermon was l taken from St, John 7:11; There the Jews sought Him at the feast and said 1 Where is He? E" The last line, Where 1 is He?' was the leading thought. There were many excellent illustrations that 1 tune does not permit me to relate but l they all did great credit to the minister l himself and to the negro race in general l l can truly say with MT. McWane as l he said to the interested gathering of social workers at tine recent luncheon, | T feel that 1 have received a greater help since Ihave been at the different meetings where I have talked to the ne- groes than l have been able to give to them" On each of these Sundays 1t has been my pleasure to talk to the colored people about the upbuilding of their young manhood Remember, the negro man was a slave $50 years and during all that time he was not allowed the complete responsibility of his own child knowing that this child belonged to his master to be sold or used or cared for at his masters will. So you see it IS only about 35 years that the negro man has begun to realize that he is really q
 man and that his children are really his own to be accounted for by him and
 not by white master. The negro boy and young man must be given help and encouragement if his character and self
 confidence would be strengthened
 In conclusion. let me assure you that even though the negro schools are shame fully neglected and the public libraries
 are closed to them, they are steadily and surely progressing along wonderful and profound lines They are surely God s children. the same as we are, and at the end of time each and every one will re- kceive according to his own works and sac rifices. This thing of progress surely means individual progress and I believe when each individual has kept and does keep all of His commandments, then and not Until then will there be peace and happiness. God has set no task so great but that it cannotlbe done He knows hu- man beings are weak. That is why he has given so many promises: life would mean nothing if we did not know He would keep his word by rewarding all our efforts. He commands many times, Love thy neighbor as myself" and when we do this I believe we will De many steps indeed nearer heaven. With best wishes MRS. F. NELSON ANDREW Birmingham, 2S31 Orange avenue, August 14 1917.