The Wisconsin weekly blade. [volume] (Madison, Wis.) 1916-1925, 1917-05-10
THE ONENESS OF MANKIND


the auspices of the National League
on Urban Conditions Among COlored
People was brought to successful
close ON Sunday, April -. Professor
William Pickens. dean Of Morgan col.
lege. Baltimore. was the orator of the
day. Dean Pickens' subject was THE
Negro and HEALTH" and he said in
part,
The American Negro has been so often
discussed as If he differed from other men
IN his relation to the laws of society, that
| some have grown bold enough 20 imply
that he differs from other men even in his
relation 10 the laws of nature. That eff
Tort to be consistent is natural. The Ques-
tion Of the Negroes health, however IA
not so much race question" as it is a
question of environment. 1t may be called
a class question, for it is closely connected
with ms economic and social status In
brief. the Negro is not sick or well be-
cause of the color of his skin or because
OF the shape of his nose or feet. There
may be certain diseases which more read
lily attack his constitution, but that is
true of all races in reference to some dis
ease or other, and perhaps the explana-
ton is historical
Man was scattered over the earth and
lived in mere or less isolated groups for
long period of time. 1t happened. there
fore that one group had TO battle with
certain disease more than did the others.
| This group developed a constitutional re-
sistance to this disease, or we might say
that the disease weeded out from this
group those elements which were peculiar
ly subject to its attack. 1t may be that
the white man of the past was more sub
| jected to tuberculosis and became in
degree immunized SO that now tubercular
bacilh attack the Negroes constitution
more readily and it may be that the Ne
gro of the past suffered from hookworm,
so that now hookworms attack the white
| man more successfully
ButS~be that as it may, II is plain that
environment is the chief factor and is the
point of attack for science. For these
evils are preventable. tuberculosis may
| be worse for the Negro when he has it,
but it is not necessary for him to have
| it. Hookworm may be worse for the white
man when he has it, but it is not neces
| sary for him to have it. The black man
cannot escape tuberculosis by becoming
| white; the white man cannot escape
| hookworm by becoming black. The race
| question cannot help either, but an i'm
| proVement of economic conditions will
| help both. II the black man can have a
better job so that he can have better food
and more rest and air and a sanitary
! house he will have less tuberculosis. If
the poor white man can have better pay
and instruction so that he will possess
| the means and the knowledge to simply
| shun the hookworm he need not have
| that disease at all.
The Negroes death rate under present
conditions is often spoken of as If It indi-
Gated that he is not human like other
men, but on the contrary it proves that
I /. h.
the Negro. living as he now lives. died no
faster than the white man living as the
white man now lives, 1t would prove that
the Negro is not human like the white
man. Another thing-the psychology of
the matter. We have learned that the
mind helps to kill or to make alive. "Wor-
ry is more wearing than work" The
lower economic status bears on the Negro
the harder and Injuries him the faster in
proportion as he feels and knows that it
is chiefly tho result of social injustice
rather than of natural causes The Jim
crow" car kills him not only with its NTH
and germs, but also with the state of MIND
! which it induces in him.
The Negro is often spoken of as happy
! go lucky race that never worries. This is
! a half truth He may be SUMMER in ma
| ture and inclination than the white race,
| and for that very reason period OF de-
| preston may have more terrible effects
| on him more phlegmatic temperament
might be less affected by either JOY or
| sorrow. The Negro who can laugh most
| loudly In the sun may also weep most
| bitterly in the shadow of despair. In
| segregated and neglected city district.
| where the slums are thrust at his very
| door and the saloon is placed under the
very caves of the schoolhouse of his chill
dren, he will be gradually done to death.
/ not only by the filthy streets, the ac-
| cumulating garbage and the lack of sew
ers but also by the mental and moral de-
preston which his normally sunny dis
position is compelled to support.
The more intelligent he is the more ne
will suffer The man who does not know
that disease germs exist does not worry
about them. Does this not partly explain
| the fact that the more intelligent Negro
Of today will die quicker under conditions
in which the less intelligent Negro or two
generations ago lived? Another indication
| that the cause is environmental rather
| than racial Is the testimony OF the ms
sionaries to the remarkable physical well
| being of the African Negro. And Eu-
ropean scientists say that the physically
| most perfect type of man is the Zulu Ne
| gro.
Since the principal cause is the environ
| ment the remedy is science and soclal
| Justice. Let us consider how closely bouhu
up Is the question OF heaIth win lle queS-
| ton of wealth They are mutually cause
and effect The better health. the peter
business success and economic progress
and the more success in business the bet
ter advantages for preserving health and
especially for endowing the succeeding
genera ton with health The United states
census department found out that the
i Negro's death rate figure grows smaller
as his home ownership figure grows larger
The reason is evident The man VINO
owns a house win be prouder OF II. lie
will keep II in better repair and cleaner
he will cut a new window for light and
air, he will put in panes promptly ~
will engage the plumber without delay
he will install sanitary fixtures ana con
veniences and. being freed from the bona
age of rent. he Will haze more money l'i
recreation decent amusement and needed
medical care This is what makes the NJ
tional League on Urban Conditions Among
Negroes one Of the most useful organlza-
lions IN the whole land They realize ina
the question Of physical, intellectual dn1
moral health is closely connected with tht
question Of industrial opportunity aha
economic condition. The league cndeavor'
to get man into a better job ana NJ.
family into a better house. which WI
mean sounder health. more leisure an.